Match of the Millennium

Description: In his first fight for the World Warrior, Adelheid Bernstein descends from the Black Noah to make his mark upon the fighters of the tournament. Eager to take his spot in the top rankings, his first opponent is the recently impoverished Lee Chaolan. While the Bernstein can easily see through Lee's tricks, can he handle the older fighter praise and mentorship, even as has him on the ropes?

[LEE CHAOLAN]
Lee Chaolan was having a hard time in his life right now.

Not Jezebel levels of bad, for sure, but the once well-respected millionaire was... in the midsts of the worst bankruptcy. His assets? Destroyed. His business? Gutted. His savings? Devoured. His entire had crumbled into pieces thanks to the King Of Fighters. The only thing he had left was his honor; he promised to pay out those prizes. Those people deserved their Olive Garden Gift Cards. But now, what could honor and self respect bring him?

Strolheim.

Within the confines of the surrounding wall, the inner court is wide open. This is where the fighters of Strolheim practice and hone their fighting skills. These sparring grounds were where Lee Chaolan was waiting, the silver-haired martial artist garbed in his violet-blue leather jacket and black slacks. Adjusting his gloves, he was warming up, throwing out his kicks and jabs against an invisible opponent. The trip was paid for. The lodging was free. And the World Warrior tournament was his oyster. Lee Chaolan already was looking for his first opponent.

A very interesting one at that.

[ADELHEID]
Adelheid Bernstein is, rather, at the opposite end of the spectrum from Lee. At first, the two may share some similarities. Both scions from the houses of powerful, and ruthless fathers. Raised into privilege and wealth. Taught to value strength and brutality. Beyond that, however, the similarities end. Where Lee had broken from his father to strike out on his own, Adelheid still reveres his own, and seeks nothing more than to honor his father's legacy. Where Lee's life had fallen into utter ruin, Adelheid's star seems to be on the rise.

So let's see if that holds out now. Now that he is here, in the house of Strolheim, where a warrior's mettle is tested to its limits. Where he will truly determine if he has what it takes to become a champion, and earn his father's pride.

As Lee shadowboxes in the courtyard, Adelheid emerges from the shadows of the gate in silence. He's clad in black, a startling contrast against flesh that is so milky white that it almost holds a blue tinge. A sleeveless shirt clings to him like a second skin. Suspenders wind over his shoulders, disappearing underneath a leather girdle comprised of a series of leather straps with golden buckles. His slacks are immaculate, pressed with a sharp crease down each side, and obviously worth more than Lee's entire fortune right now. His boots are comfortable fitting combat boots, and his gauntlets brace his wrists, each bearing the R crest of his organization in brass.

His crimson eyes fall upon the silver haired fighter, and as he approaches, a shadow in the court, he tightens one glove, pulling it further up his forearm, while his delicate seeming digits wiggle.

"So, you are my first opponent, then. Lee Chaolan. It is unfortunate, all that has befallen you," his soft, tender voice calls out. "Perhaps if you prove yourself worthy, you might find a second chance in life among the company of R, aboard the Sky Noah. Are you ready?"

[LEE CHAOLAN]
Lee Chaolan slowly winds down his warm-up, as Adelheid arrives. Every word is listened to, the martial artist slowing down piece by piece. Going from strikes, to stretches. By the time Adelheid asks if he is ready? Lee Chaolan was in his kata stance, fists up. And yet, does he strike? No. Because the boy made and offer.

And Lee Chaolan was more than just amused.

"Ah... to be young again." Lee Chaolan says lightly. A smirk comes across his lips. "I will admit, I consider it quite respectable that you present the offer. The R company would be delightful. It would be like a cruise; I could prepare wonderful dishes for your family, answer the phones, clean the toilets..." Lee Chaolan wangs his finger at the last moment, giving a sigh of resignation. "Alas, I don't think it work out. Two silver haired men, handsome and strong, in under the same roof?"

"Your sister couldn't keep her hands off me~"

Lee Chaolan gives Adelheid a coy wink, as he leans back. The Hitman stance. For LEe, he was already in the fight in many regards. "What do you hope to find here, Young Bernstein? Honor? Respect? Glory? Or perhaps, finding the right people to continue your father's legacy. I have only poverty to offer at the moment... but maybe we can turn that into something useful." Raising a finger, he gestures for Adelheid to approach.

"C'mon~"

COMBATSYS: Lee Chaolan has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Lee Chaolan      0/-------/-======|

[ADELHEID]
"Tch."

Adelheid is a young man filled with an honorable disposition that betrays his bloodline. But he is not without arrogance. His eyes fall closed as Lee speaks of how he would be made a simple servant, and one hand reaches up to casually flip a few of those platinum locks out of his face.

"I never said you would be a manservant. R is much like Strolheim in the fact that we value strength. However..."

When those soulful eyes of ruby open, there is a dreadful sense of cold intensity within them. Suddenly, features that are so soft, delicate and effeminately beautiful seem like little more than a lifeless porcelain mask.

"You should really not speak of my sister in such a fashion. She is no harlot."

The young Bernstein heir rolls his head on his shoulders, and in turn, rolls his shoulders with a shrug, follow by a quick shaking out of each wrist. He bounces deftly on his toes, and then takes up a rather loose, unorthodox stance with his knees slightly bent and his arms raised with open hands near chest level, but not a closed off, tight defense.

"The only thing I hope to find here are those against whom I might be tested and broken against. I seek to forge myself in the fire of battle, so that I might grow stronger. Glory? I care not. Honor? Honor is something that lives in one's own heart. No tournament can grant that. Respect? The respect of my family is the only thing that matters to me. Legacy? Now... That is something. I will carry on my father's legacy on my own strength, and my own strength alone. I need no one to carry me!"

At this distance of a few meters away, Adelheid swings back one leg, his svelte frame leaning forward only to spring back as he uses his hip to launch his leg forward. The toe of his boot drags through the packed, dense dirt of the courtyard floor, tearing it up and sending it flying in the direction of his silver haired opponent. But the dirt isn't the thing to worry about. It's the wind imbued chi that now tears through the earth, churning it up as it forms into shapes not unlike three blades that race at Lee.

"Ha!"

COMBATSYS: Adelheid has joined the fight here.

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Adelheid         0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0      Lee Chaolan

COMBATSYS: Lee Chaolan dodges Adelheid's G. Kicken.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Adelheid         0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0      Lee Chaolan

[LEE CHAOLAN]
Lee Chaolan nods his head as the heir explains himself.

The silver-haired demon was toying with him a bit, of course. But he had respect for the young fighter; he knows very well how it feels to be in the shadow of a world warrior. When Lee was Adelheid's age, he made the choice to leave that shadow, and forge his own destiny. For the most part, other than recent failures, it was pretty good! And yet, not perfect. In some ways, he admired Adelheid's loyalty. Maybe that was more a reflection on Rugal than the boy, though. And what does Lee Chaolan say, when the boy gives him why he's here.

"A harlot? Please, don't say that about her. She's a fine young lady; I'm just worried that she'll be rudely influenced by my presence. Could you imagine that?" The martial artist croons, as the waves of energy comes unleashed. Breaking from his stance, the martial artist doesn't slip to the side, or run away. He charges -straight- into the trio of blades, getting momentum right back. Lee Chaolan weaves between the waves, slipping through the clouds of dirt boldly. "How many boyfriends has she had so far? As I hear, you have a somewhat sheltered life on the Black Noah. Certainly you have other servants there, employees?" Not enough to keep moving forward, as the last side swipe leaves him a might off balanced. But as the dust clears, Lee Chaolan was hurling towards Adelheid, flinging out a flying kick straight for his chest....

That falls short.

Landing right before Adelheid, his other leg pivots, snapping straight for Adelheid gut. It was a feint. Should it connect, however, Adelheid might realize too late that the bite of the kick would be all but gone. It wasn't a kick, it was a foot-plant, meant to get a brace on Adelheid's body. A brace for what? If the chain can make it that far, Lee Chaolan would make it clear as the first leg whips around, attempting to connect -hard- with Adelheid's neck, to bring both fighters crashing down into the earth.

It seemed that Lee was okay with getting a bit dirty.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid dodges Lee Chaolan's Mist Trap.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Adelheid         0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0      Lee Chaolan

[ADELHEID]
The thing that Lee might not yet understand is that talking about Adel's beloeved Rose does not have the effect of unsettling the son of Rugal. It only makes him more focused and determined to grind such filth underneath his heel. Rose is sacrosanct. She is pure. She is the line where his sense of honor may very well end, and the Rugal ruthlessness begins.

Adelheid sees through the ruse. That flying kick that falls short isn't even attempted to be dodged or deflected. Adel just watches with his sharp, cold and dead eyes of blood, intent and intense with the seeming ability to peer directly into Lee's very soul. It's that second kick-not-kick that Adelheid deftly avoids. His back arches, carrying him just out of the path of that foot-plant, as his deft footward carries him a few steps to the outside, his arc carrying him in a semi-circle around Lee, and putting a bit more distance between them once again.

"You would do well, I think," he says in his delicate, silvery voice, "To focus more on your fists and less on trying to goad me. It will not end well for you."

COMBATSYS: Adelheid calculates his next move.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Adelheid         0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0      Lee Chaolan

[LEE CHAOLAN]
Adelheid might not quite know Lee Chaolan's game.

It's obvious he's needling his sister. Picking and pulling at it. And yet, as Adelheid reads the ruse, ignoring the first blow, slipping around the second, he carefully plays around the martial artist's relentless approach. Lee Chaolan quickly adjusts his footing, giving Adelheid just enough respite to make his words.

Before exploding in with an offensive chain.

Lee Chaolan leads in with a single punch, a jab aiming just left of Adelheid's head. "My boy, if you want me to let my fist do the talking..." Another punch comes, and another, as each blow comes fast and furious, a blur of strikes that... cat paw their way past Adelheid. It was corralling him, trying to keep him in place, daring him to dodge the false blows. And yet, as Lee Chaolan ducks to the left. Throwing out another cat paw jab, coming just short, he continues. "You'll find they have very little to say~" He coos, as he hurls out a back heel right at Adelheid's shin... pulling short -again- as it bleeds into another feint. An opening comes for a moment as Lee Chaolan shifts to the side, weaving as he throws another punch at Adelheid's shoulder-

That becomes a grab.

It happens in a moment. Lee Chaolan would -surge-, hurling the full weight of his body up and over into Adelheid in a straight takedown. Was he looking to bait him? Was he looking to confuse him? Or was he testing him? The attack is almost crude as he would use his feet to climb up, and simply leverage all in Adelheid's shoulder, to -slam- him straight to the ground.

All with a twinkle in his eye.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid dodges Lee Chaolan's Lee Stunner.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Adelheid         0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1      Lee Chaolan

[ADELHEID]
Adelheid might not quite know Lee's game.

But he knows when someone is trying to manipulate him into slipping up. He knows when a feint is a feint and an attack is an attack. And so, as Lee comes bursting in, throwing those flurried punches, Adelheid expends very, very little effort in avoidance. It is best to describe him as like water, less ducking and dodging, rather than simply stepping back and swaying gently from side to side, almost as if he might fall into the next, only to simply not. Be. There.

It's only that last. Why would he aim a punch at a shoulder? That triggers the alert young fighter's danger sense, and so as the strike comes, Adelheid's svelte form pivots at the waist, flowing with the movement to carry his shoulder out of reach for the grab.

"You are correct," he replies. "Your fists have very little to say, indeed. It is like you are a stunt fighter who is so used to stopping just short of actually striking someone that, when in a true combat, you forget how to. Should we take a moment so that you might recalibrate?"

Thin brows tick upwards. Maybe Adelheid knows how to needle back.

Adel suddenly lurches forward like a striking cobra. One hand, seemingly cast in porcelain, fragile and delicate, with each spidery digit tipped with nails of polished glass, reaches out, trying to envelop Lee's face with a grip that might be shockingly powerful. Should he manage this, that hand's counterpart will ball up into a fist, launching forth to slam his metal reinforced knuckles into Lee's chest. This attack will be followed through with a similar strike, when Adel releases Lee's face and rears that fist back, his slender form arching, only to unleash a fierce blow. This one leveled square at the silver haired fighter's nose.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Lee Chaolan with A. Kunst Drei.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Adelheid         0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1      Lee Chaolan

[LEE CHAOLAN]
Adelheid might know enough.

The feints are read, as Lee Chaolan is unable to draw out the Bernstein's mistakes. As the teenager cautiously evades each of the strikes, making no openings. A single feint might be nothing. But the endless chain is where it mixes up; you had to read each of the attacks as they come. As Adelheid pivots on the last one, nearly giving up to the read? It actually opens up Lee Chaolan for a counter attack. As the snapback comes, Lee Chaolan lifts his arm to deflect, only to be a moment too slow as the grab comes. The other comes for the -punch- smashing hard. Lee is barely able to deflect a direct hit on the first blow; that merely leaves him exposed to the second to his face. Knocked stumbling back, Lee chaolan takes the lingering damage of the barbed comment from Adelheid to boot. Lee Chaolan almost seems shocked.

Instead, the smirk intensifies.

"Oh, Excellent~" Lee Chaolan says, as he rebounds back up. He adjusts the bangs of his hair from his eyes, wiping away the blood from his nose. "You are nothing like your father." He says with an air of delight. More manipulations? Or something else? His tone wasn't mocking, it was.... impressed. "I adore fighting skilled fighters. Lets change the pace a bit. Keep up with me, if you please!" He says brightly, as he -rushes- in with two quick jabs. Two swift blows, meant to test the defenses. A third comes, jerking just short as Lee repositions, feinting out as he hurls out a cross with the other hand, driving in deep as he steps into Adelheid, forcing his positioning straight on top of him. It seems that while the feints wouldn't be going away, in it's place?

Even more offensive pressure.

COMBATSYS: Lee Chaolan successfully hits Adelheid with Triple Fang.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Adelheid         0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1      Lee Chaolan

[ADELHEID]
As Lee talks about Adel's father, the young man allows him the chance to regain his composure, not pressing the attack. He had made the point that he wanted to make. And now, it seems, Lee might take the fight a bit more seriously. Good. Adelheid wants to face men in respectable battle. Not in petty lowbrow tactics and childish manipulations.

And now, he's being tested. The increased pressure is welcome. Those two jabs prompt him to finally lift his defenses, attempting to deflect them rather than avoid. The feint is avoided, positioning Adelheid directly into the path of that cross.

Fist connects to face, distorting flesh and sending his head rocking back. Adel's entire body lurches from the momentum, spittle flying from his lips. His footing falters, stutters, but he manages to catch it, sliding to a halt and reaching up to clutch at his chin and jaw.

Those piercing red eyes look up at Lee, and he looks... truly happy. He smiles.

"I see now," Adelheid says, his jaw working out the cramp as he takes a few steps back. Something in his posture seems to shift. It's as if he's taken on a bit of Lee's demeanor, and his posture shifts to be less direct, presenting more of his side to his opponent.

He closes the gap between them, coming in with two swift jabs, himself. A left right combo that is meant to distract. Feints. Meanwhile, his bouncing feet shift back and forth, before one booted foot swipes at Lee's shin, attempting to unbalance him for the attack to follow. His other leg rises, as if he might perform a fearsome roundhouse kick, but had aimed it too high, only to hook it down towards the top of Lee's silver capped skull. Without even lowering that foot, with his hip still pivoted, he chambers another kick, which sends him lunging forward to drive his boot heel in, and through, the wayward adopted Mishima son's face.

COMBATSYS: Lee Chaolan fails to interrupt A. Kunst Vier from Adelheid with Waxing Crescent.

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Adelheid         0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1      Lee Chaolan

[LEE CHAOLAN]
Lee Chaolan didn't even consider that part of Adelheid, until it was too late.

As the assault comes with swift combination and relentless rhythm. Already, Lee Chaolan was preparing himself with a pivot. As the last punch comes out, he returns Adelheid's smile with a wink. Was it still a game? Even as Adelheid comes in, the two jabs are deftly parried; letting him reposition as his kick comes. But then, the thought comes a moment too late.

Feints?

Lee Chaolan only has enough time to widen his eyes as the kick seizes Lee Chaolan by the shin. The silver-haired demon was already adjustment, already adapting as the roundhouse kick comes. He sweeps, slamming the leg for the opening with the round house... that drops down, -spiking- Lee to the ground. Dazed, the follow-up boot comes, as Lee already rolls with it. A grazing hit in the end, but a staggering one; more blood accompanies the fresh bruises on Lee's face as he sits back up. "Why, you tricked me!" He exclaims, touching his swollen, tender face. And then, giving a thumbs up to his opponent.

"Oh, Excellent!~"

[ADELHEID]
Adelheid halts his assault as Lee is staggered back. The black clad Bernstein simply halts his advance and lowers his defenses, opting to pace back and forth from side to side as his opponent takes a breath to process what just happened. Adel looks... oddly intimidating. Despite his effeminate beauty, he looks aggressive and impossing. Like a caged animal.

But, soft lips curl at the corners when he's given a thumbs up. It's the signal that Lee's ready for more. And he'll find that Adel is more than willing to offer up more for his acceptance.

Adel reaches back, arm curled and hand open, poised to grab hold of Lee as he launches himself forward at a breakneck speed. Anyone who has ever seen the raw power and merciless brutality of Rugal Bernstein in action knows this posture well. It is the way that Rugal opens up his God Press, a devastating rush that ends, usually, with his victim being slammed into something that human beings were not designed to be slammed into.

But he falls just short of Lee, and instead, lashes out with a swift, straight punch aimed square between Chaolan's eyes.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Lee Chaolan with Jab Punch.

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Adelheid         0/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1      Lee Chaolan

[LEE CHAOLAN]
How much more could Lee take?

Lee doesn't even attempt to avoid the hit. Staying put, he merely attempts to struggle through it. An attempt that fails, as he receives another blow to the face. Lee Chaolan was taking blow after blow, his pretty face getting smashed again, and again, and again. Adelheid was picking up fierce pressure of his own, even as Adelheid's brutality intensifies. The thumbs up endures as Lee rises up into a stand, stumbling. "Okay, time for the next level, something your father might have teached you."

"Lets do this faster~"

Lee Chaolan's tone was brighter. But there was a light in him, a spark. A sinister light that was flickering, burning. Lee Chaolan was dipping through. He lunges in, before stopping short. And there, his footwork take over. He pivots, pivoting around the him. "You're starting to slow down, aren't you." He says softly, almost teasingly. He rotates, moving around Adelheid. It might almost be impossible to notice him delicately trying to hook a hand upon his wrist...

COMBATSYS: Adelheid parries Lee Chaolan's Lee Harassment!

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Adelheid         1/------=/=======|=======\===----\1      Lee Chaolan

[ADELHEID]
Adelheid might not be too slow just yet.

He's also still a focused machine. A genius who reads people's intentions as easily as he reads their moves when they broadcast them. In Lee's case, it's that sinister light. It shines through, like some baleful lantern. Adelheid has had enough time, just in these few seconds, to come to know the nature of his opponent. Lee Chaolan is a trickster. But Adelheid is a deceiver.

When Lee suggest that Adel's slowing down, he presents a more stern front, lifting his hands and scowling. Even as his lips part to gasp for air. He tries to circle, keeping Lee in front of him, but it seems to be of no avail.

And then Lee makes his move, going for the wrist.

Adelheid's hand snaps, smacking away Lee's advance to open up his defenses.

"KAISER!!!"

Adelheid draws back his arms to either side, his back arching as he draws forth chi from the earth. It surrounds him, casting him in a faint, ghostly glow, and whipping his clothes and hair about as if he were in the eye of a storm. Manifesting that chi, he pulls it forth and surges forward, his arms sweeping about to cross before his body as he sends a great wave of concussive wind chi at Lee.

"WAVE!!!"

COMBATSYS: Lee Chaolan dodges Adelheid's G. Kronzprinz EX.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Adelheid         0/-------/-----==|=======\===----\1      Lee Chaolan

[LEE CHAOLAN]
Deception and trickery, in perfect harmony.

As Lee Chaolan speeds up, he makes for the grab.... and gets a slap on the hands. As the energy builds, as his opening comes, Lee Chaolan doesn't stop his circling. As the energy builds he.... doesn't stop his rotation. He spirals outwards, watching, withdrawing. And then, as the wave comes? Lee Chaolan breaks away, turning with the wind to escape the assault, to escape the relentless blast. He rips aside, flipping backwards to evade.

But Lee Chaolan doesn't pursue.

Landing on his backfoot, his stance shifts. Leaning back on his foot, he eases his balance carefully. One hand extended, he seems primed, ready for counter-attack, ready for.... anything. The speed stops cold, as he beckons for Adelheid to make his next move, all with a little call.

"C'mon~"

COMBATSYS: Lee Chaolan gathers his will.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Adelheid         0/-------/-----==|=======\=======\1      Lee Chaolan

[ADELHEID]
Lee is turning out to be a bit more nimble than Adelheid expected. He had thought that opening up the man's defenses with that parry should have made him susceptible to the massive attack, even if it is a bit slow. Silently, Adel mutters an oath, though he doesn't show anything on that beautiful, if determined face.

Instead, he takes on a rueful smile, the light capturing strangely in his eyes to make it seems as if they are alight with some inner fire. He leans back on his foot, and eases his balance carefully. One hand extended, Adelheid looks primed, ready for counter-attack, ready for... anything.

"You will not fool me. I hate it when people game me!"

COMBATSYS: Adelheid gathers his will.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Adelheid         1/----===/=======|=======\=======\1      Lee Chaolan

[LEE CHAOLAN]
Lee Chaolan's well of talent had yet to be exhausted.

"Adelheid..." Lee Chaolan says, with just a bit of firmness in the tone. "You are far too skilled to let little things like gaming and teasing bother you. You've been an excellent fighter! I haven't been this impressed since Ayame..." Lee Chaolan gives a longing sigh. "Or Athena! You should try fighting her soon, by the way. A very talented fighter." Was this praise? Was this a trick? Was this a...

"Praise trick?"

"Now I am going to use one of my most dangerous techniques on you!" Lee Chaolan warns, as he begins to move forward, breaking from his stance as he advances. "This nearly destroyed Ayame when I last faced her; it's an excellent test of your skill and pacing; I want to see how you get out of this one!" Lee Chaolan gives a wink. And then, he opens with a straight kick... and then, another kick, on the back foot, going high. And then another kick. And another kick, going low. The endless chain of kicks is unleashed, as Lee Chaolan starts kicking, and kicking, and kicking, with a delicate, even pacing. Naturally, there are the feints, but when you have nearly endless kicks, what are they? This was less of an attack, and more of an experience: Lee Chaolan would keep kicking, even driving Adelheid back into the wall if he had to, until Adelheid couldn't dodge no more, couldn't block no more... or until he found an opening, and ripped it open into Lee Chaolan. It was a careful rhythm, a true test of Adelheid's talent.

And for Lee Chaolan, it was just another weapon in his endless roster of techniques.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid just-defends Lee Chaolan's Infinite Rave!

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Adelheid         1/----===/=======|=======\===----\1      Lee Chaolan

[ADELHEID]
"You are not so bad, yourself, Lee Chaolan," Adelheid offers up in return. Though he does give a small, smug smirk, and adds, "Now that we've managed to recalibrate you, that is. I plan on fighting Athena. I plan on fighting all of those who manage to test themselves against the heralds of Strolheim and overcame."

When Lee announces that he's about to use one of his most dangerous maneuvers, the young, pallid fighter actually... waves him on, beckoning him forward. There's still that fierce and fearsome light, glistening in the depths of his crushing red stare. He looks driven, and focused solely on Lee.

And Lee comes.

The kicks begin raining in, but Adelheid's genius eyes see the patterns. He intuits the rhythm. He anticipates the pacing and intercepts the execution. Each kick. High. Low. Feint. It doesn't matter. When Lee kicks, he simply seems to find that Adel's wrist and forearm is there to intervene, mitigating and deflecting the brunt of those blows with precision timing. He looks so very... zen.

"Was my answer sufficient?" Adel asks, following up on the coattails of the silver haired demon's question of how he might get out of this. Without pausing to wait for the response, the young man dashes forward in a blur of motion, sweeping past his opponent and attempting to grab him by the throat as he does so. If that slender, gloved hand should find purchase, his booted feet will pound the packed dirt with a machinegun beat, carrying the pair of them towards one of the walls surround the courtyard. Once near, he'd fling Lee like a ragdoll, forward in the attempt to drive the older fighter not into, but rather through the stone. But not before a pillar of baleful red chi erupts from the ground at their feet, enveloping Lee and racking him with pain, as the faint specter of a skull ascends heavenwards on that beam of crimson light.

COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Lee Chaolan with G. Sklaven.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Adelheid         0/-------/-----==|=======\===----\1      Lee Chaolan

[LEE CHAOLAN]
"Your father would be so proud, Adelheid."

The words do not come with biting sarcasm, or taunting. He meant it. Rugal was... hardly an admirable man. And yet, for his son to be like this. Sure, there were a few edges that needed to be filed down. He needed to get out more. As the relentless chain of kicks hammer away, Adelheid does in fact fall into the rhythm. The opening comes soon enough; it's not clear if Lee allows it, or if Adelheid simply found the opening on his own. But when it comes? The blur, the flash of speed? Lee is seized by the throat, and -smashed- through the wall. Choking back in pain, he shudders as the explosion of chi consumes him. The silver-haired demon collapses, blown away. He coughs weakly, struggling to even move. And yet, what can he say? "Sufficient?" Lee Chaolan asks, groaning as he eases himself upright. "Exceptional! No, not Exceptional."

"Excellent~"

Lee Chaolan was nearly broken; the last assault has almost completely weakened him. Struggling to remain easy, the martial artist draws in a breath. IT seems that the relentless offense of Lee Chaolan was eviscerated. And yet, he still refused to back down. Not for his sake. But for Adelheid's. "You are going to be a fighter they will be watching out for." Lee Chaolan praises again, as he manages to level himself. "It's fortunate I could fight you before you get too haughty!" Lee lunges in with a fierce backfist, attempting to drive a punch in. Should that connect? He would pivot on a staggering haymaker... that would pull away with kiai shout, to unleash a full-face roundhouse, to send him straight to the ground. All with a followup comment.

"What are you planning to do after this fight?"

COMBATSYS: Lee Chaolan successfully hits Adelheid with Revolution Zwei.
-+- CALCULATED HIT -+-

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Adelheid         0/-------/-======|=======\====---\1      Lee Chaolan

[ADELHEID]
Adelheid understands the sentiment that Lee is conveying for what it is. He doesn't read it as mocking, or needling. He accepts the praise for what it is. It doesn't go to his head, but he does appreciate it. He stands back, letting Lee pull himself out of the crater in the wall and recompose himself. It's no longer a matter of cat and mouse, as it had been earlier in the match. This isn't Adelheid trying to prove his superiority by allowing him to take his time and set the pace. This is respect given for respect granted.

"There is no shame in surrender to an opponent who outclasses you, Lee Chaolan," Adelheid says quietly. This, too, is not a taunt. There is no malice or sarcasm in his voice. In fact, if anything, he seems concerned. He worries that Lee might be pushing himself too far. That to take it further might result in the silver haired demon's life being extinguished here in the halls of Strolheim. Not a place he'd wish anyone to die.

But his offer of mercy is met with violence. As it should be. In that flash in the pan, that single moment in time, between when Adel tries to sidestep that backfist, and the moment when said backfist collides with a near jawbreaking force against his face, Adelheid realizes that he would have had it no other way. That he, in Lee's place, would do the same thing. And so, when that haymaker bloodies his lip, he's actually smiling. The roundhouse punch whips his head back the other way, and he feels the earth leave his feet, even though he's standing still.

Oh, there it is. In his face.

His hands clutch at the dirt, and his willowy limbs flex, his supple musculature taut and visible in his milky white flesh as he lifts himself from the ground. Blood and mud are spit out, and Adel rises to his feet.

"After this fight? I'm planning on going right to the next one. Then the next."

He raises his fists loosely up in front of him, just under his chin. There's a grim determination in his expression, and his eyes glower, but he seems so very, very still. Calm. Collected.

"I'm going to repeat this, until I have faced every last contender for the World Warrior Tournament. And I'm going to earn one of those spots."

COMBATSYS: Adelheid gathers his will.

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Adelheid         1/-----==/=======|=======\====---\1      Lee Chaolan

[LEE CHAOLAN]
Ah, something else Lee could help with.

As the kick drives the teenager down, Lee Chaolan does not kick him, or lean the pressure on. He lets him rise and recover, as he listens and learns. He was still weak, still recovering from the attack. Stepping through the opening of the wall that he brought through, there is a seriousness over Lee, as he looks upon Adelheid just as grimly as the boy looks on him. "I will give you some advice, Adelheid, before you get too far into this."

"Enjoy the people you fight alongside."

"With, or without, these are not simply prizes for you to conquer. These are people; and you should get to know them. Share some drinks, share some stories. You can fight, yes, but at this level, fighting is practically a form of handshaking." A twinkle forms in Lee's eye. "Because you know what will happen if you are the champion, the greatest fighter, without knowing those people? You will return back to your home... with nothing more than you left." Lee Chaolan nods firmly, looking away for a moment .

"It's time now."

Lee Chaolan snaps back into a staggering backfist at Adelheid...

COMBATSYS: Adelheid fails to interrupt Brilliant Rose from Lee Chaolan with A. Kunst Eins.

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Adelheid         1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0      Lee Chaolan

And he connects -hard- into the chest.

Following the stunning blow, Lee Chaolan unleashes a rapid chain of stomping, driving kicks, slamming into the Bernstein. Hammering again, and again, and again. He readies a final heel drop, when suddenly...

Lee Chaolan snaps his fingers.

Turning around, he rummages in his jacket, exposing his back for a moment. An opening? A moment of weakness? For a single moment, Lee Chaolan draws out a single red rose. And with a flick of the wrist, he turns, pegging it -straight- into Adelheid's forehead. Lee Chaolan turns around again. "Excellent~" He coos.

As the rose -explodes- into a burst of petals.

[ADELHEID]
Lee waxes philosophical at Adelheid, and the part of him that is still an impetuous teenager is rolling his eyes. Not outwardly, mind. He's too well behaved for all of that. Still, there is merit to what he says. The issue that arises with the concept of Adelheid becoming "friends" with these other fighters is simply that the vast majority of them would put themselves in opposition of 'R' and everything that it stands for. How can he possibly find companions among those who would be the enemies of his house?

"In the house of Bernstein, there is no room for attachments. Anyone who does not stand with us is against us. People do not understand the meaning of what my father does. They cannot comprehend the magnitude of it. They are too small minded. Too concerned only with the here and now. For this... What you suggest is an impossibility."

A pause.

"Besides, the only thing in this world that I need is Rose. She is the first part of all of my joy and all of my sorrow. As long as I have Rose, then I am fine coming home to nothing more than what I left. Because it will be her smile."

Perhaps Lee's words shook Adelheid more than he let on. Because when that silver-tongued-and-haired devil comes at him with that backfist, Adelheid's reaction is just a fraction of a second too slow. The youthful Bernstein scion lunges forward, in an attempt to duck under the blow and launch his booted heel upwards into Lee's chin, but... he gets caught. The backfist collides against Adel's temple, knocking him off balance. His vision blurs and there's a deafening buzzing sound like he's standing in a giant wasp nest.

Adelheid is largely insensate for the brutality that follows. He feels it, but it's all through the haze that the backfist causes. His body is like a limp noodle, bending and flopping with every hammering kick and blow that pummels him. He's eventually sent flying in the wake of the exploding rose, corkscrewing in the air like a ragdoll until he lands face first in the dirt.

"Heh..."

Picking himself up, and palm striking the side of his own skull to try to knock the ringing out, Adelheid manages a low, quiet chuckle.

"At least you've gotten serious now."

[LEE CHAOLAN]
"My boy."

Lee Chaolan says brightly. "I have been very serious this entire time." He gives a wink to Adelheid, and you could almost -feel- the sparkles. "As for your family issues, well, believe me when I say that I've been in the same kind of household. With a few concerning differences, Adelheid."

"Have you ever thought you are a little too close to your family?"

Lee Chaolan breaks away, unleashing a staggering lunging punch, augmented by a rugged sweep with his right leg. The feint! "I mean, not to argue with you, but for a house with little attachment, well, and I am not saying this to get into your head." It pulls away as he explodes with another one-two with the left and right, aiming for Adelheid's chest. "But what you said about your sister, erm, doesn't that sound a bit.... romantic?~" Lee Chaolan tries hard -not- to sound teasing, before finishing with a dastardly rising straight kick with the same sweeping leg.

"Don't take it the wrong way, Adelheid!"

COMBATSYS: Adelheid fails to deflect Laser Edge from Lee Chaolan with G. Kreis+.

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Lee Chaolan      0/-------/-----==|

COMBATSYS: Adelheid can no longer fight.

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Lee Chaolan      0/-------/-----==|

[ADELHEID]
Adelheid is taken aback when Lee suggests that he's too close to his family. It really is the heel to his Achilles. The biggest chink in his armor. There's just so much emotion, good and bad and complex and confusing wrapped up in both his sister and his father. It's the surest way to unsettle him. It seems like Lee really has picked up on that.

It works.

Adelheid's chest swells with pride, indignation, rage. His nose, so small and delicate, crinkles as his lips pull back into a snarling rictus. As Lee lunges, Adelheid readies his wrathful counter.

His foot blazes as chi, imbued with the power of the wind, erupts from it. He launches himself heavenward to unleash his G. Kreis technique on Lee, but.... Lee's punch finds place in his gut, first. The sweeping leg takes the footing right out from under him. His chest gets pummeled, sending his limbs flailing limply as he buckles around the one-two combo. And then his chin gets rocked. Hard. He's sent, neck stretched almost comically, lifted up from the ground a few feet, seemingly hanging there for a moment, before dropping hard to the floor. Out cold.

[LEE CHAOLAN]
It was almost the perfect trick.

And Lee Chaolan's tone was almost so sincere, that you could ignore it as an attack. As a manipulation. And yet, as the final blow comes, Lee Chaolan's expression wasn't an impish smirk, but a scowl of concern. He saw that reaction. He saw that swell of rage. It either would have become Adelheid mistake... or Lee Chaolan's mistake.

And ultimately, he didn't want either.

As the last blow comes, Lee Chaolan doesn't drop his defensive stance. Sweat pours over his swollen, blooded face. He was breathing hard, as the first licks of fatigue were touching upon him. He waits for the teenager to rise... and slowly, his defenses drop. Looking down at Adelheid, that smirk finally comes out again. The fight was over. Lee Chaolan gives a thumbs up.

"Excellent!~"

Lee Chaolan strides over to Adelheid. He was out cold, but... he hoped he would look back on this fight another time, and hear these words. "You fought exceptionally well, Adelheid." He says softly, looking down at his opponent, reaching into his jacket. "But... there is more to life than just fighting, than just your family. You need to find what your path is, independent of your father, your sister, and your pride." Lee Chaolan draws out a rose, and places it upon Adelheid's chest. Lee Chaolan lightly touches his hair, and turns to walk away from Adelheid.

"I hope you find that here at Strolheim."

COMBATSYS: Lee has ended the fight here.

Log created on 15:01:36 02/02/2018 by Lee Chaolan, and last modified on 23:07:46 02/03/2018.