Match of the Millennium

Description: The dark horse World Warrior, Abigail, continues his rampage through the tournament matches. But will he finally meet the end of the road in facing off against the legendary Rugal Bernstein?

[RUGAL]
Throughout the World Warrior qualifiers, Rugal Bernstein has been a gatekeeper of sorts. An undefeated monster of combat, he hosted battle after battle aboard the deck of the Black Noah, enduring Wolfgang Krauser's simple mechanics of the tracking watch because it rewarded with him with interesting encounters. Time and time again, the leader of the underground arms trading cartel known only as 'R' had demonstrated that while he may not be the hardest hitting fighter in the world, or the singularly most durable man alive, he did possess a formidable trifecta of strength, endurance, and precision technique honed over a lifetime of challenging the best the world had to offer.

And now he stands, occupying a slot in the Quarter Finals of World Warrior, his presence bringing a form of legitimacy to Krauser's spectacle yet also establishing an extremely high bar for performance for anyone hopeful in battling their way to the top of the tournament.

The Lord of War stands in the Exhibition Yard of Castle Strolheim, rest and recovered from the match conducted in the previous round against the incredibly durable Illuminati leader. The yard has seen better days, to be certain, as the dirt that covers the ground is speckled with blood, places in the walls have been smashed clean through. In some sides, this means open holes into adjacent structures, but on at least two walls, the gaps in the rubble open out into empty air and a long fall toward the cold lake down below.

Rugal himself is the picture of refinement. Among non fighters, he would be considered a very tall man, at six and a half feet, broad shouldered and powerfully built. But among the men of the fighting world, there are several that even he must lift his face to gaze into the eyes of. Consistent with his other appearances, Rugal Bernstein is dressed in a bold red suit, a white dress shirt with a black cummerbund at his waist. His hands are covered in fingerless, leather gloves, and a thin scarf hangs around his neck, dangling down from beneath the collar of his long suit jacket.

Blonde hair, neck length, sways in the chill European wind that surrounds the castle nearly all the time and a trimmed short mustache is situated over his mouth. But perhaps it is his right eye that is most curious. When looking at it directly, one will notice that it is not a human eye at all, but rather some type of condensed cybernetics with a red laser-fine LED visible when one looks directly into it.

As ever, he stands with an air of confidence. Unlike his battle with Urien, there is no thundering aura of barely restrained rage, no excessive outpouring of threat or menace, though those sensations still exist passively to some degree. The hour of battle has arrived once again, and Rugal Bernstein looks eagerly forward to what next interesting experience Krauser's tournament will provide him this day...

[ABIGAIL]
Well this has certainly been a strange type of 'Rags to Riches' story now hasn't it! From taunted freak-child with a girl's name to wandering vagabond with a love for cars to gang member to chief enforcer and top lieutenant of said gang to...jobless when the gang was dismantled.. Then to starting a business around his first love, turning it into a thriving business as he demonstrated idiot-savant levels of mechanical aptitude to..being..a world warrior?

So okay, it's a bizarre sort of rags to riches story but it cannot be denied that this approaching fighter has made his mark in this tournament and probably gained some fans from those who have been observing the spectacle of these fights.

Long before Abigail actually arrives, the ground begins shaking and trembling from the shockwave impacts of his footfalls. By the time he actually enters from the other side of the yard, the quakes are rumbling through the entire structure and dust clouds plum up from between the cracks in the stonework while additional cracks begin spreading through the ground as the behemoth arrives one body part at a time from the shadows of the halls leading out of the exhibition yard..

Massive chain links, normally used to tow large vehicles like semi trucks and military transports, are wrapped about his arms and they rattle loudly as he fully emerges within sight of the recording cameras. He lifts outrageously huge arms upward over his head while turning his fists away from each other. An audible creaking rumble resounds as his muscles inflate obscenely and creak towards ever more stupendous proportions, veins like firehoses standing out stark against his flesh, the flex actually sending a shockwave rippling out away from him. The enormous chains that were around his wrists abruptly shatter into countless pieces of metal as the arms beneath them harden and engorge ever larger. They were apparently just there for the effect of them breaking off.

"Yeaaaah!" he roars, He swivels at the waist, turning his body about so that the area and the cameras can get full view of his outlandish physique and outrageous proportions.

And crickets. Nothing. Oh yeah. There's no live audience.

Abigail keeps his arms aloft a few seconds longer and then sighs and drops them, visibly deflating, "..Hmm..this is more fun when people are around.." The monstrous mechanic brushes the remaining chain bits off of him as he strides further in, now approaching Rugal.

[RUGAL]
Considering the age of Castle Strolheim, no doubt it had to have been beset by sieges once or twice in its long history. But no amount of siege warfare could possibly endanger its foundations like the footsteps of the man striding out into the combat yard now. Throughout the rumbling disruption, Rugal Bernstein waits patiently. Prior to World Warrior he, like so many others, had never even heard of the giant who now approaches.

Throughout all of the veteran fighter's legacy of battle, he has faced all manner of opponents. Men and women of various builds, statures, and skillsets. Monsters from the world of shadows that have only recently come to be known throughout the world as Darkstalkers. Even beings from other planes who have stepped foot on Earth have found themselves challenged by the Tyrant of 'R'.

Yet through that long history of fighting, he has never once faced a man with Abigail's incredible build. Even before the ex Mad Gear lieutenant steps into the open, his cybernetic eye is feeding a stream of data into his mind concerning this unusual opponent. Stride, reach, recorded bursts of speed and mobility, and all manner of other statistics. Of course, data alone would be useless in combating someone like this... but when combined with Rugal's strength, instincts, and speed, it serves as just yet another piece of what makes the suit clad cartel leader so dangerous.

But for all his own imposing legend, the man still has to look up at the towering presence that is Abigail, saying nothing as he puts on the show of raw, unbridled strength by way of breaking massive tow chains simply by flexing his humongous muscles, metal links flying everywhere, ringing off the ground and walls.

Of course, there is no audience to impress, but the silent, still staring eyes of the mounted cameras throughout the yard. But as the metallic ringing sound of shattered chains finally dies down, it will be replaced by the slow, punctuated clapping of Rugal himself, his hands held in front of him.

"Impressive," the man speaks, his voice deep. "At last, I get to see you with my own eyes." Even if one of those eyes is not real. "You have made quite the stir among the fighting community. I find myself wondering, where you have been hiding all this time, Abigail."

The man pauses to tighten his gloves, first left, then right, "But this is hardly the time for idle talk. Come, you have my attention now. Show me the magnitude of strength that runs through your body. I must witness it myself, even if in the end, it is just one more record to be crushed by me."

Standing straight, the man adopts a relaxed looking stance that hardly seems to be one fit for fighting at all, one arm at his side, his other held in front of him slightly, fingers folding and unfolding one end of his narrow black scarf. Whether or not Abigail is a tactician, it would be impossible to discern what combat art his opponent this round even practices.

COMBATSYS: Rugal has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Rugal            0/-------/-------|

[ABIGAIL]
"Hey, thanks! You're polite. I like that! I thought for awhile I 'd just keep running into murderin' psychopaths screaming blood this and warrior that." Abigail finishes brushing off the last remnants of chain links from his body and then claps his gloved hands together, producing a cloud of dust and a loud meaty sound like that of a sledge hammer slamming into a hanging slab of massive meat.

"And not hiding anywhere. Just got books to balance.."

For his own part, Abigail does indeed study his opponent with a sharp appraising eye. While his ability to discern things is..suspect at best..his adventures in World Warrior have taught him well on under estimating opponents and in regards to the type of monsters that walk the world. Rugal's calmness in the face of a visual sight like that Abigail presents is something of note. It's enough to alert Abigail to the man's sense of surety and self confidence...

So of course this means the only course of action is to just charging right in! "You already ready! Well let's go then! I'm revved up with a full tank!" he roars while dropping to the ground into a runners crouch and then suddenly bursting forward at Rugal, dragging his immensity up from a angled position to nearly upright as his feet pound violently against the surface of the yard with echoing *BOOMS* at each thundering impact. "Vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom!" he bellows, revving himself up only to, at the last instant before bearing into Rugal, pivot, his billboard wide back flexing and filling Rugal's line of sight up before the goliath spins around and sends a single boulder-fist sized punch hurtling at imposing man. The air itself warps and distorts around the swing, sending wind whipping out wildly well before Abigail's fist threatens impact.

COMBATSYS: Abigail has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Rugal            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0          Abigail

COMBATSYS: Rugal blocks Abigail's Dynamite Punch.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Rugal            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0          Abigail

[RUGAL]
There is no initial show of force from the suit clad man, no flexing or pounding of fists to demonstrate the might he can bring to bear. For now, he seems content to let his reputation speak for him... of course, the thought that maybe the gargantuan brawler has no idea who Rugal Bernstein is has probably not crossed his mind.

There is a chuckle as Abigail mentions that keeps running into nothing but a chain of unpleasant fighters, "Yes, well... these trials of strength tend to bring our inner demons to to the surface. After all, what fuels men to endure such a journey as this if not a resolve that would seem inhuman to the average simpleton? I assure you, even our host has his dark secrets. Do you think to stand alongside the monsters in this tournament without becoming like them?"

He chuckles deeply again, "That would truly be a sight to see." Yet somehow he has made it this far, this titan of a man. And now he will be tested.

"Good." comes Rugal's laconic answer when Abigail declares that he's all revved up. The car related antics seem to roll right off of the veteran fighter. One can only imagine the personalities and eccentricities he has seen in all his years of battle.

He holds his ground as Abigail charges, showing no inclination to distance himself from the charge and major windup. Perhaps it would have been in his power to avoid the telegraphed swing all together, but then how would he know, first hand, the power behind Abigail's strikes?

Instead of evading, Rugal turns into the attack, pivoting his own torso as a mirror motion from Abigail, his own hand slamming out into the tremendous fist of the giant, palm smacking against the bare flesh of the massive hand, his feet shifting over the dirt to brace himself against the incoming force. His own arm flexes into the aggressive block, muscles flexing to answer the crushing force behind Abigail's swing, the sleeves of his jacket and shirt becoming taut as his arm strains slightly.

Even with his strength and flawless execution and footing, Rugal cannot entirely stop the momentum behind Abigail and the man's feet slip back away from the man by half a foot, shallow grooves left in the soil.

"Good..." he repeats from before, his voice more of a growl now. "GOOD!" he roars. The power behind Abigail's fist rivals his own incredible striking force. The technique may be readable and in need of refinement, but the power... /that/ promises that this will be a fight worthy of his time!

The man shows no intention of backing away or playing evasive with Abigail, instead twisting his torso to the left, his left fist coming into deliver a smashing blow against Abigail's chest. Feet shift deftly over the ground then as Rugal pivots into a full bodied turn into a follow up, second body blow, his right fist aiming to smash into the giant's rib cage.

His attack is aggressive and crushingly strong, executed in such a way that almost every muscle in his body is able to contribute to the force behind his blows. He may not have Abigail's stature, but with skill, he can strike just as hard if his blows are uncontested!

COMBATSYS: Abigail blocks Rugal's Fierce Punch.

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Rugal            0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0          Abigail

[ABIGAIL]
"Heh, I aint no lunatic or freakzoid barely keeping his mind together." Abigail remarks, "But don't think that means I aint committed to winning a fight!"

Still he'll have to do better then this! Rugal may be impressed but it becomes clear that his strike was deliberately tested and the fact that his fist was met and halted by this man in such a capacity, pushing him back or no, says much.

"Strong!" affirms Abigail, "..I thought only that guy they call The Mad Dog could pull off a stunt like that.."

Rugal's strikes spin around - slamming into Abigail's body with force usually associated with blunt military grade weaponry. Abigail's muscles tighten, flexing against the impacts and absorbing their force which sends shockwaves rippling through his body and down into the ground, splintering it. His huge physique quakes - but remains immobile and Abigail continues speaking as if he hadn't been struck at all. Barely acknowledging the blows. "Looks like I"ll have to rev it up a notch!"

He leans forward, lunging after Rugal in the aftermath of the mans final strike while his own body seems to take on a reddish hue - muscles bulking up even larger and piling on mountains of sinew ontop of the mountain range that is his physique. Steam vents from his nostrils and ears as he pivots and spins, sending a back handed strike towards Rugal with enough whirling force to send a normal man hurtling into the distance upon impact. Abigail continues on, unstoppable and bigger by the second, his rotation ending with a second strike in the form of an upper cut following the path of action of his body, starting low and sweeping up with earthquake causing force.

COMBATSYS: Rugal blocks Abigail's Abi Twist.

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Rugal            0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0          Abigail

[RUGAL]
The initial blows are traded, Rugal sliding back slightly, then twisting in to deliver twin body blows, sending kinetic energy smashing into Abigail's undefended body. Yet for all the power of his strikes, the giant seems unphased, a detail certainly not lost on the analytical fighter. He had just finished fighting a match against a man who embodied the strength of bronze and manipulated gravity itself to empower his multi-ton body to move... and in the end, he crushed even his invulnerable armor.

Abigail's body demonstrates no such superficial plating, yet his muscle mass seems to absorb the hit nearly as effectively. There is a grunt of acknowledgment from the blond martial artist as his fists fail to budge Abigail. It seems another approach will have to be taken to crack this shell.

"Do not so idly dismiss the power of rage, Abigail." Rugal chides, lifting his left arm in preparation for the incoming wild backswing, his right hand bracing against it. "Imagine what you could do with your build if you were to tap into it."

Once more, a tremendous exchange of force takes place, Rugal being dislodged even further this time as he is driven back by the momentum of the massive trunk-sized arm that swings his way. Teeth grit as the man comes to stop, his guard once again secure in keeping him safe from the threat of Abigail's formidable power.

"One might think by not fighting with anger that you are only holding yourself back."

How can he possibly accuse him of holding back? The steam, the muscles moving with such tension that they are heard to stretch, like steel cables being flexed to move a massive weight, the sheer heat just from being close to the man who seems to be growing larger by the moment. Does he detect even greater potential in Abigail if he would but fight like an enraged animal?

Rugal steps back in close to Abigail without hesitation, fearless in the face of such titanic power. How many people can he possibly face in his life that make him seem small by comparison? Regardless, he takes a different approach with his strikes now, fingers held straight out, taking on a knife-hand form...

And when he strikes, it is with a flurry of speed, alternating right and left, his hands spearing in then pulling out quickly, aiming to pierce Abigail's undefended flesh with precision, strength, and speed. Seven blows all in an instant, each targeting a different location, making defense a challenge, and perhaps finally carving into that durable body of the giant.

Blunt force is not the only weapon in Rugal's arsenal, after all.

COMBATSYS: Rugal successfully hits Abigail with Strong Punch.

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Rugal            0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0          Abigail

[ABIGAIL]
The ex-Mad Gear titan knows rage and fury though he's, perhaps, restricted its use in comparison to the past. This thought isn't lost on him, nor are Rugal's words. Strange...they aren't to dissimilar to what Belger sensed and fed into the behemoth when he first met him. Abigail was younger then..and smaller even, what with him perpetually getting bigger, but...some things you don't forget.

A light frown dances through his eyes though his teeth remain gritted in the euphoria of battle. Rugal is perceptive enough to see it though. Looks like he struck a nerve - and then some! As the blows drive in they find vulnerability. The behemoth unable to compensate for the speed of the attacks and so relying strictly on his body's ability to weather the assaults to see him through. The final knifing strikes ripple across the goliaths frame and he knows quite instantly that Rugal ha struck well as pain externally and internally wracks his body.

But it simply drives him onward and he grits his teeth, staggering forward and then closing the distance while clenching his massive hands together.

"Alright! If you insist!" he roars, "Let's pile it on towards the redline!"

fingers the size of tree branches interlock as Abigail lunges forward bringing a double fisted strike hurtling around and up at Rugal as if a boulder had just been fired from a cannonball.

COMBATSYS: Abigail successfully hits Rugal with Hammerblow.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Rugal            0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0          Abigail

[RUGAL]
Drawing his hands back, flecks of blood falling from his fingertips, Rugal continues to remain in close proximity with Abigail. It doesn't seem to be a defensive strategy, as if he's trying to fight inside the giant's ideal fighting range to keep him from being able to strike with all his formidable power or to make himself harder to hit. He simply appears to be driven to fight toe to toe with the behemoth, as if taking Abigail's sheer stature as a living challenge to his own strength.

He will NOT back down to this unique opponent!

The cost of staying so close is communicated clearly when Abigail's fists come crushing upward, slamming into Bernstein with bone jarring force, clipping against his muscular chest and smashing against his jaw and cheek, knocking the man back solidly for once, his feet leaving twin grooves in the soil before he comes to a stop meters away.

The Lord of War's hand lifts to wipe against his mouth where a trick of blood slips from the corner of his lips, but even as he does so, the bleeding seams to stop, the small crack in his skin knitting before Abigail's eyes.

His response to the solid blow at last landed is a throaty laugh, the man sounding legitimately amused. "You are but a shadow of your true potential. Power and brawn you have in abundance, but technique... skill... you have not even begun the journey toward mastering your strength yet here you stand, numbered among the World Warriors. You are truly an interesting specimen."

He begins to stride forward then, his right arm erupting with a burst of brilliant, white energy that whips around his arm like a vortex of visible wind. "But there are more measures of strength than pure physical magnitude. No matter how brutally strong you can swing your fists or shrug off another's blows, there will always be others who find a way to break through...!"

His pace quickens as he closes the distance, winding back before slamming his fist forward, aiming to drive the wind chi powered strike directly into Abigail's armor-like sternum and dischage all that pent up energy at once!

COMBATSYS: Rugal successfully hits Abigail with Gravity Smash.

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Rugal            0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1          Abigail

[ABIGAIL]
Abigail's own body seems to be recovering at a pace far beyond that of a normal human, the bleeding stopping and the bruises slowly being recolored towards that of his rugged normal skin color.. but it's nothing quite like what Rugal just demonstrated and the behemoth squints his eyes and peers at that display while settling his broad jaw into a frown.

He then visibly bristles as the comment about his lack of technique and the piecemeal nature of his combat style - if one can even call it that - is once more brought out by the eye of a more brilliant, insightful and savvy warrior. It's a repeat of a common critique he's heard time and time again since entering this tournament and a few times without it. His ego burns and so taunted, he begins to stride forward. The first signs of his Mad Gear rage returning as the force of his steps begin rocking the ground .. But then Rugal is upon him in barely the blink of an eye.

"What the-" Abigail barely gets out before throwing his arms up to try and block the assault that knifes down towards him in a brilliant arc of energy. It's to little and to late. The blast wave rips into him and down into the ground. The explosion of force resounds through the training yard. Sending a brilliant white flash of light and a plume of dust flowering up into the sky as the ground cracks and sunders. Abigail is briefly lost to sight and the sound of his cry of pain muffled by the roar of the explosion. The roar that follows isn't quite so muffled though.

The roar that follows isn't quite so muffled though. No words or quips his time. The cloud blasts apart, as the behemoth now airborne, closes in on Rugal, leaning back and driving two suspension bridge cable like legs towards the master warrior. His feet jut out, filling up Rugal's field of vision like the fury of a run away semi truck bearing down on him as the goliath roars in with a dropkick capable of unleashing seismic devastation upon impact.

COMBATSYS: Rugal just-defends Abigail's Ontario Drop!

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Rugal            0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0          Abigail

[RUGAL]
Drawing back his right arm, fist still clenched tightly, the energy that previously whirled around his limb having been discharged into his opponent, Rugal stands up straight, his expression a mask of neutral analysis. His observations of the titan's power seem to be born of honest assessment. Surely, the man who ever seeks a true challenge to his might finds himself wondering what it would be like to face someone like Abigail who had also mastered their technique for decades of their life... could such a juggernaut be defeated even by him?

Now is now the time for words, however, his punch delivered and his ability to defend against a full bodied attack from the largest fighter in the world put to the test. When he first guarded against Abigail, he struck back into his blow to stop it. The second time, he simply braced his arms against the thundering force of his backhand.

This time, however, Rugal moves with fluid skill, stepping into the drop kick, arms raising, hands moving to manipulate the free fall force of the massive man, deflecting the downward velocity to the side just enough that, when matched with his swift footwork, puts Rugal safely out of the path of Abigail's falling attack.

That flawless defense puts Bernstein in prime position to counter attack, however, putting on no show of being merciful enough to allow Abigail back to his feet before his sweeps out with his own foot with a crushingly strong low kick before Bernstein's leg continues on up over his head and then drops down in a fierce axe kicks from above, aiming to smash his heel against Abigail's chest.

From defense to attacking seems to happen in one contiguous flow of movement, the master finally displaying more of that finesse his years of dedication have brought to his art. "You have humbled many remarkable fighters this tournament, but your rampage through the ranks stops at me." Rugal declares with unwavering confidence.

COMBATSYS: Abigail auto-guards Rugal's Double Tomahawk.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Rugal            1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0          Abigail

[ABIGAIL]
Seisographs back in the city proper are triggered as Abigail slams into the ground, having wholly and fully missed his prey and instead the weight of his body thundering like a toppled tree into the badly punished ground of the training yards. Added to this force is the fury of Rugal's counter strike which upends the titan once again before he's able to right himself and then ends with the kick axing down like a guillotine right for the top of the goliaths chest.

Again the ground caves inward, forming around an Abigail sized depression as the force of the blow pushes the behemoth downward by several feet and ripples out a visible shockwave away from the two titans.

And yet Abigail barely blinks. A last second bulking of his physique, his hue turning beet red, his torso so immense that from the ground up to the top of his chest one would have to measure the distance in feet and the durability of the titan such that he literally no sells the strike in a brief moment of defensive clarity in the potential of his superhuman body. Just a quick burst..but enough to sell the vision of invulnerability and then to snatch his huge hand up for Rugal's outstretched leg.

"It aint over yet! We're just now entering the last lap!" he roars before grasping and attempting to yank and upend Rugal ..and send the man slamming around violently in repeated impacts around the giant before he releases him.

COMBATSYS: Rugal interrupts Repeated Slams from Abigail with Genocide Cutter EX+.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Rugal            1/----===/=======|=======\====---\1          Abigail

[RUGAL]
Urien certainly had weathered a storm of attacks from the masterclass brawler, but he had never been able to shrug them off in the same capacity Abigail seems to be able to accomplish simply by flexing his body. With individual muscles larger than some living people, pulling them taut is enough to withstand direct kinetic force even from Rugal Bernstein himself, and as his heel bounces off from Abigail's body even as he drives him back into the ground to crater it, leaves the man reeling for a step.

Teeth grit as Rugal stands his ground, having resolved early on to never back down from the titan's apocalyptic strength, but to face it head on, with technique, strength, and speed. This resolve leaves him within reach of Abigail, the giant's hand clamping down over the Lord of War's left leg.

For all his height, skill, and power, there is nothing Rugal can to do to keep from being hefted up off the ground, his own dense muscle weight nothing in the arm of Abigail. The result is a successful slam of the suit-clad man against the ground on one side, his shoulder scuffed and jarred, a grunt escaping his lips.

It's when Abigail tries to haul him for additional slams that Bernstein explodes into a flurry of counter violence, hellbent on providing an instructive lesson as to why one should never grapple with the master for long.

With his left leg held, he uses it as a fulcrum to launch into his attack even as he's being pulled up, his right leg scything out and up with enough force to tear a swath through the air.

"Genocide-"

Of all his incredible arsenal of violence, this one is held in a special place above the rest. In the process of executing it, he cannot help but to shout its name, to make sure the name for his Signature Technique echoes in the ears of those he cuts down with it. Almost none have been struck by it and been able to keep standing afterward!

His force of motion breaks him free even if his left leg is wrenched in the process, his right leg continuing his ascent, trailed by dark red chi that has taken on the form of razor edged blades of chi. They slice through air and flesh with unstoppable inevitability, drawing on power far beyond the chi most men are able to manifest.

"Cutter!"

One last upward sweep of his right leg, one last slash of that atomic thin reaping sickle of chi trailing behind his foot, before Rugal falls back down toward the ground to land on his feet.

The man appears calm, his right arm lifting to clamp down on his left shoulder... then with an audible pop, snapping his shoulder joint back into its socket without so much as flinching. Given his composure and lack of stance in that moment, it would appear he considers the match all together settled now.

[ABIGAIL]
"Nnarrrrgghhhh!!!" roars Abigail with the cry of a wounded bear or some other beast of burden taxed to its limits as the dark chi rips through the earth and into him - lifting him up from the ground with the rising torrent of force that knifes him backwards, head over heels and tumbling back earthwards again, a fleshy asteroid with an appropriate impact once he touches down.

His goggles sunder from his forhead and additional chain links go flying as the energy rips through him with a sense of finality that doesn't even grant him the opportunity for another automotive based quip. A rare act indeed.

He touches down on his back, sending a shockwave rippling through the yard as he rolls backwards, threatening to flip over end over end, eyes squinted shut in shock and bloodied pain ..

And then they suddenly snap open, pupils dilated to pinpricks as one final ounce of rage burns through him. He will not be underestimated.

The stamina surge roars him forward and back to his feet as he kippups back to a crouching position and then roars forward towards Rugal with a final strike effort pushed by speed that actually blurs his body from sight briefly. His massive palm comes hurtling down at the war god, intending on slamming into him and into the ground with such force to throw him off balance and then to reach for him again with both hands for a continued assault should the first even land---

COMBATSYS: Abigail can no longer fight.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Rugal            1/----===/=======|

COMBATSYS: Abigail knocks away Rugal with Abigail Special.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Rugal            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|

And it does! Abigail's massive fists haul Rugal upwards and then release him. By some force of his own, perhaps chi, it's almost as if Rugal slams into a ceiling that isn't present and Abigail's boulder sized fists begins raining into him with ever increasing earthquake causing force as the war god was little more then a speed bag punching him like a boxer in a gym. Several blows from the right, and then the left and then the right again as the goliath roars out, "ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!!!"

With each blow the area shakes more and more until finally Abigail rears back and sends his huge palm hurtling around to come slamming for Rugal with a final strike fully poised to send the master of fighters hurtling away if he's unable to right himself in time. The impact a resounding *BOOOM* that shakes the yard..and then is followed by another one as Abigail's legs give out from under him and he drops down to a bended knee and a crouched position - battered to the point that even with this last strike he cant possibly go any further. "Ugggh!"

[RUGAL]
Rugal had spoken of the potential of Abigail's rage, of the sheer menace that the titan unchained could be like were he to fight that way all the time. And it seems he will be granted his desire to see just a glimpse of what that would be like as the runaway locomotive comes smashing in on him for one last assault.

Already, Rugal is lifting his right hand, bent at the elbow, palm out toward Abigail, as if anticipating the path of the larger man's swing with the intent to force it aside or to come to a complete stop as he had at the onset of the bout. But for once, he has misread Abigail's intention. He wasn't coming in just to swing wildly at him - he had purpose behind that reach, that high angled overhead slam was designed for something else entirely.

No, not to punch.
To demolish

Bernstein slammed by the massive had, the force causing even he to stagger back, a plume of dirt exploding up around as the shockwave of such kinetic force lands true.

It leaves him vulnerable to the aftermath, of being hefted with crushing force then subjected to an avalanche of blows. Each one individually would be fight-ending against many fighters in the world, and even the tyrant of 'R''s body is furiously rocked beneath the relentless storm of impacts.

The final massive palm strike does indeed send Rugal flying, hurtling toward the wall facing the lake, toward one of the gaps broken in it from a previous match. If the man was pushed even an iota further, perhaps he would have tumbled through it to the water below, but instead Rugal's hands snap out, securing a hold on both sides of the gap, brickwork shattering beneath his fingers as he pulls himself back into the yard while his black scarf swirls down through the open air out of sight.

Teeth are bared as he begins to stalk toward Abigail then. His suit is disheveled and filthy, the price to be paid for dressing up for battle, to be certain. Blood seeps between his teeth and from lacerations on his cheeks, jaw, and forehead. His shirt is torn open, bruising visible on his muscular chest beneath it.

Reaching up, the man rips the jacket from off his shoulders with one cloth rending wrench as he continues to march directly for Abigail, a look of intense ferocity in his eyes.

But when he comes to stop next to the giant and finds him not rising to his feet, he pauses.

"You fought well."

His human eye closes while his cybernetic one continues to scrutinize the aberration that is Abigail. "If we were aboard my vessel, I should think you had earned a place in my hall of legends with such a showing, yet... I find myself wondering even still if you will climb further toward your potential. I believe I would rather wait and see that day come than reward you now."

The man brushes his soiled white shirt in a futile effort to make it a little more presentable, before turning to stride out of the yard.

"Until then, Abigail."

COMBATSYS: Rugal has ended the fight here.

Log created on 22:44:46 03/09/2018 by Rugal, and last modified on 04:37:22 03/10/2018.