Match of the Millennium

Description: It's a second time meeting as two young fighters with very different styles and outlooks clash in the shadows of an abandoned cabin! With Koto well aware of her tendency towards tactical tears, B.B. Hood aims to gives him a straightforward fight between two people who just want to be better than they are, while playing a hunch as to how to navigate his particular form of heroism; Koto meanwhile strives his hardest to teach the deceiver what it means to be a hero.

[BULLETA]
Figuring out how to run power to a creepy cabin in the middle of the woods is just the kind of thing colleges run intensives on in this brave new-ish world of professional fighting.

Since darkness and gloom are key atmospheric features, the lights hidden amidst the trees are subtle, giving /just/ enough for concealed cameras to see the two fighters set opposite one another in a roughly square clearing before the cabin's door. There is no audience save for a judge; cheering fans do not suit the creepy forest cabin vibe, and cutting out concessions, seating, safety regulations, et cetera keeps costs under control.

There's just Koto Mukai, aka Mega Dragon Fighter J-Dragon,
and Bonnie 'Bulleta' 'Hood', aka...

"It's... been a pretty eventful month or two since last time," B.B. Hood exhales through an aubergine lower face mask with white trim. She's in a a dark magenta hoodie and black jeans - both loose and nigh-formless, as is her way - aubergine sneakers, and a nervous smile tucked behind breathable cotton. The satchel's been traded out for a sizable wicker picnic basket.

"I'm glad you made it this far, Koto; you /deserve/ it. You've-- it'd be trite to throw the word 'hero' around here, but you've been /brave/," she continues, bowing slightly and briefly towards the young man after saying his name. Given the way their last fight ended, the devious young bounty hunting orphan's not bothering with the performative tears and fear, in favor of more naturalistic levels of nerves thanks to no doubt /still/ being in the doghouse with the noble psychic superhero.

"You just kept getting back up, no matter how many times you got knocked down, and /now/... we get to have a do-over, right?"

The mask hides the anticipatory edge ghosting across her lips afterwards. It's a very handy accessory indeed.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Bulleta          0/-------/-======|

[KOTO]
Koto had arrived in his student uniform before transforming for the cameras, even doing the customary pose he uses after it with the glowing J on his hand. The last fight is still on his mind after two months. Not to mention he's tired of ending up against people who just flat out take advantge of others.

The helmet hides his features, but this time? He's not opening with that loose stance like before it seems. His hands are tighter, the slight gloom making the eye pieces of his helmet glow slightly from the subtle lights. And he seems to be slightly different. Maybe more experienced in most terms. Two months is a long time to train, to change, and to encounter things that he probably would have to deal with again and again.

When he finally speaks, his voice is almost even for a high school student. "No fake tears or fear this time?" That wicker basket definitely has him questioning a bit, but after what she pulled last time he's no doubt that thing is probably going to be a pain to deal with.

His stance otherwise shows that he is calm. "You know, I did encounter another Darkstalker or two after our last fight. In fact, one took a sample of my blood for some reason or another. Do you know anything about that?" He tilts his head, as if eyeing her through his mask as he slides into the tighter stance and obviously is prepared for the fight.

"Not that it matters. Perhaps this time it will go differently than you trying to bleed me out like last time or fooling me with the act." The psychic superhero states as he brings his hands up, a small glow looking to be ready on them as he seems to glare at her.

COMBATSYS: Koto has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Bulleta          0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0             Koto

[BULLETA]
"Someone's getting them agitated," the petite Hunter quietly says, sliding her feet apart for a little more stability but otherwise remaining unstanced: her arms hang at her sides with her left bent slightly inwards to let the basket dangle over her middle. It sways slightly - /very/ slightly - in heavy arcs, a wicker pendulum promising violence and nightmares alike if the satchel's anything to judge by.

"Organized. The attack you stopped at that mall? It was part of a /pattern/-- but. /Here's/ not really the time to get into /that/; never know who might be watching, right?"

The masked hero gets a wink while she circles an upright finger through the air. "We're not fighting for /nothing/ out here," she reminds.

"Just call me~," she tacks on as her hand falls--

-- and then she's gone, sprinting across the clearing, hunched and ready to tackle the hero to the ground once again-- until the last minute, when she plants her foot out at a sharp angle so she can pivot off of it and twirl towards Koto's back.

If she makes it that far, her next move will be to lunge forward and drive the bottom of the basket against his spine, showing him right off that its weight, at least, isn't much different from the satchel's.

COMBATSYS: Koto blocks Bulleta's Crushing Strike.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Bulleta          0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0             Koto

[KOTO]
Koto isn't so shocked at the speed, but he isn't about to let her get around to his back so easily. The psychic superhero shows exactly the same sort of skills that made him formidable against other opponents and able to at least hold his own in most cases. Stepping to the opposite side from the basket, Koto matches her pivot and spin with his own as he brings his forearms around to block it fairly easily, despite being forced another step backwards. "You are right about that. I will have to tell you about the bat woman another time."

Then Koto is spinning again as one of his legs swings out in a quick and strong sweep kick from the front leg no less as his hands are occupied by the wicker basket. If she had doubts about how strong the masked hero was in terms of physical strength, that might put things a bit more in perspective for her. There was no prismatic glow or anything in that move at all.

And then he is moving to reset his stance fairly quickly after that, too. Almost as if the sweep was more of a step and meant to simply throw her off of her feet literally rather than an actual full on attack.

"Let's see how you do without the act, then!" He declares as his feet slide a bit and his arms move to shift and keep whatever side the basket is in range to block again if needed.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta blocks Koto's Tsunami Sweep.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Bulleta          0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0             Koto

[BULLETA]
B.B. Hood has no doubts whatsoever about how strong Koto is; she's fought him once already, even drew out his rage... and she's a perceptive creature.

The reminder is no less appreciated, however.

"Just you and me~," she chirps in turn a beat after dropping back from her blocked strike and resetting her stance to-- nothing-- and catching his counter-attack against her basket. The blow slides her-- /them/-- a couple feet backwards, but the low base she had to adopt to line up for it helps keep her from flying too far off-balance.

"And my knife~."

Darting to her feet, she sticks a hand inside of her pocket--

-- and lunges straight forward, knee jutting towards his belly in an attempt to steal his wind.

COMBATSYS: Koto fails to interrupt Surprise & Hop from Bulleta with J-Punch.
- Power fail! -

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Bulleta          1/-----==/=======|=====--\-------\0             Koto

[KOTO]
Seeing the hand reaching for her pocket, Koto goes to interrupt that by attempting to punch her away. At least that's the intention behind the snap punch from his back hand from the looks as he charges to meet her. At least that seems to be the case. Her trickery definitely works for her however.

Instead of meeting her with the punch, Koto ends up meeting a knee to his midsection and the wind being stolen from him as he ends up bent forward and stumbling a step back with the obvious injury to his midsection that has him struggling to breathe just a bit from the looks.

Not to mention he has no words to retort on that one it seems, as he struggles to get his breath back from that rather strong knee.

[BULLETA]
Bulleta's smile is as long and sharp as the sheathed steel her fingers may or may not graze as she draws them out of her hoodie.

"If you win," B.B. Hood exhales after landing, inching back from the hero and circling towards his right, "what are you going to do with the money? The next theme...? You're-- you want to keep doing what you do outside of this, right?"

She gestures, broadly, towards the costume; the visor that only /just/ conceals a glare.

"What's this worth to you?"

The question's punctuated by a running slide kick that-- oh-- no, it's-- it's just a slide kick. Right towards his shin, quick and snappy, meant to further knock the sturdy costumed hero off his base before she has to risk a brush with the psychic power she's already gotten more than her fill of.

COMBATSYS: Koto blocks Bulleta's Light Kick.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Bulleta          1/--=====/=======|=====--\-------\0             Koto

[KOTO]
Koto at least starts to recover his breathing enough to hear her, and see what she might be up to. The incoming slide kick ends up blocked by Koto dropping to one knee and planting a sturdy forearm in the way as well as his body mass that ends up feeling like she is hitting a rock.

Breathing hard still, he answers, "Honestly? Nothing." He breathes out. His tenacity is definitely something to battle alongside his skill and rather sturdiness as it were.

Then he shows that he does at least have a bit of a ground fighting to his style as he spins and unleashes what can only be called a bit of possible psychic hell for Bulleta. The back leg spins as he seems to shift to that more open, alternate style of his in a quick movement that is preceded by a literal torrent of psychic energy that seems to be vaguely shaped like something as it lashes out at her while she is recovering from her own slide in an attempt to send her upwards. "Dragon Swings Tail!"

Whatever shape it was at least hits like a freight train perhaps, not to mention follows that leg as he spins in the air with a second kick meant to send her away as he spins down in that more open stance of his with his palms open.

"But it means that I get to face people, to improve myself and see how far I have grown much like now." Koto declares as he looks to be trying to recover his breathing by going to what looks like a more familar style to him at least.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta blocks Koto's Dragon Swings Tail.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Bulleta          1/--=====/=======|======-\-------\0             Koto

[BULLETA]
B.B. Hood flies, just as intended... but it's the basket that takes the brunt of his energy, rather than her. Between flashes of energy licking past impossibly study - there aren't any marks despite the impacts against it so far - wicker to flash across her arm and shoulder; and the hard landing she has to tuck and roll through, blocking his attack mostly just spares her from suffering even /more/.

"But you could do that /anywhere/, right? And you might not have to deal with giants, bullies, weirdos... liars..."

Blue eyes fall for a penitent beat.

"... and everything /else/ you've had to go through thanks to whoever's in charge of the Neo League. Is this-- is just /training/ seriously worth all that? If you don't really need - /want/ - the money-- the fame, the prestige, the /everything/ that comes with winning, why put yourself /through/ this?"

Just to make the point, she her thumb across the basket's handle one way, then brushes it back the other as she struggles to her feet. Wicker whirrs open, revealing roaring, flaming darkness-- and a smile.

A big, toothy smile rocketing out of the basket to share its joy with Koto.

COMBATSYS: Koto barely endures Bulleta's Smiling Missile.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Bulleta          1/=======/=======|=======\=------\1             Koto

[KOTO]
Koto blinks a few times as he sees... well... a missile. He may be based off tokusatsu characters. Shoot, he may be skilled. But well. Nothing, no training, nothing else really prepares you for that. And so he does the only thing he can do. Cross his arms and hope he doesn't die horribly from it as he ducks his head.

Even the explosion at least is used for cover, though, as he uses the explosion to shift his stance back to the harder one. And leap forwards in what is obviously humanly impossible height as he flips forward. His costume is singed, smoking, but the real worry is that prismatic glow surrounding both of his legs as he aims to come down on Bulleta fiercely with what is obviously an axe kick. "RAIJIN RYU!"

Then he backflips again in an effort to just flat out kick her in whatever he can reach with a second kick upon landing as he aims to land back in that hardened, more offensive and physical stance. "How in the hell did you fit a /missile/ in that thing?" He asks after landing.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta full-parries Koto's Raijin Ryu!!

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0             Koto

[BULLETA]
A second or so later, the port seals shut, cutting off a few lingering wisps of smoke. There isn't a trace of it having ever existed amidst wicker warps and wefts.

He jumps, and-- indeed: the glow surrounding him /is/ a concern, enough of one that her eyes are fixed entirely to his legs as she spreads her feet and roots herself. Just-- /blocking/ the blow would cost her in pain that sinks past muscle and sinew to settle in her spirit, searing her from within. It wasn't so hard to dig up a little penitence after a brush with it, with her jarring encounter with Mitsuru a little less safely interred in the depths of her subconscious.

Justice burns, and Mega Dragon Fighter J-Dragon stands-- /fights/-- for Justice.

Just blocking it wouldn't be enough at /all/, so B.B. Hood twists in a way that lets her /swing/ the basket towards the crook of his knee. Between the prismatic shell and rock-hard resilience, there's no risk of damage from the blow-- especially because the hunter's angling to shove him into a premature backflip and /out/ of crushing her skull and heart rather than /hit/ him.

"On /camera/~?" she shoots back before shifting her follow-throw forwards at blistering speed, basket whirling ominously at her side as she aims to catch him right on the other side of his second kick, if it still comes-- in the moment when his stance is shifting and he's hopefully at his least balanced.

"What kind of girl do you think I am?!"

If nothing else, she's defintiely a /strong/ one, if the crushing force behind the basket she swings towards his gut is any indication. It almost seems to carry /her/ forward with its undenidable weight, but the heavy bottom of the thing is clearly poised to take advantage of whatever opening her knee-strike afforded her.

COMBATSYS: Koto blocks Bulleta's Shyness & Strike EX.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|===----\-------\0             Koto

[KOTO]
The spin and the kick does throw Koto off quite well as he ends up digging his feet in and bringing his arms in an upwards cross block to avoid having to deal with a rather ominious piece of basket coming down at him. Instead of trying to retaliate, however, he hops backwards and does a backflip again to get some distance as he settles into that looser stance and begins to glow.

The question from her has him looking a bit, then he shakes his head, "Still with the act? Seriously, I think you are not a nice girl. Fumiko was at least nicer than you in that regards." His head cocks to the side, "... so was the DarkStalker bat lady, to be honest. No real tricks except some sorcery on that."

Then he refocuses and moves his hands to being more firm as he moves them carefully, preparing both to block as well as starting to glow with prismatic energies again. Obviously he's preparing something. Maybe even that prismatic beam attack he used last time at the end as he seems to be ready.

COMBATSYS: Koto glows with prismatic energy.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Bulleta          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0             Koto

[BULLETA]
"It's not an /act/, it's /proprietary/-- I'm not asking you how your /suit/ works!" B.B. Hood protests while taking a beat to straighten up, fill her lungs, then slouch and grimace.

"I-- I /told/ you I'm not that nice," she adds, quieter. "We're not in a nice world-- I don't have the /luxury/, I-- I'm not /like/ you, Koto, I don't /have/ whatever it takes to just-- keep getting up, over and over again, beating my head against impossible odds... /nobly/. /Honestly/-- /kindly/, I--"

Her eyes lower.

They don't lower enough to forego watching him, because there's no mistaking the power building in the air. Just low enough for effect.

"-- I'm not a /hero/, but I'm /trying/, just the same. This league, it's-- if I can win it, if I can just, if I can somehow be stronger than-- well-- bullies, and giants, and /heroes/-- if I can /do/ that, /somehow/, it'd help so /much/, y'know?" There's a shudder, but it's followed by narrowed eyes and a sharp breath though her nostrils as she finds her resolve. "It's-- not-- /cheap/, 'trying'; it takes resources. Intel... /time/."

After another sharp breath, blue eyes burning with determination snap towards the visior.

"That's what winning means to /me/, Koto: even if I can't be a hero-- even if I-- /never/-- have what it TAKES to be THAT... at least I'll be able to help SOME people, however I can-- I'll atone for my sins one innocent at a time, if I have to!"

SOME TIME AGO

Bulleta had at least a few days' notice, so after watching Koto's matches again, she did a little more thinking about who he is-- or, at least, who he /seemed/ to be. How he presented himself to the world. And she did a little /more/ digging.

And a /lot/ more research.

"... defeated the technique passed down to me by the ghost of my master, but-- how--?" blares from laptop speakers as explosions and other assorted SFX fade. "Is-- is it possible that my fists-- lack the purity they need to overcome you...?"

Bulleta's eyes bounce between the screen and a legal pad. She rarely stops scribbling.

NOW

"I HAVE to win this, Koto!" she exclaims, fist clutched to her chest as she juts her upper body and blazing gaze towards him, "It's the only way I'll /ever/ be able to feel good again-- it's the only thing standing between me and being able to FIGHT for people who don't have anyone else - anyone BETTER - to do it! I-- I hope you'll forgive me... but I can't let you STOP me!"

And with that, she HURLS herself into the prismatic tides swirling around him, brazenly intent on thrusting her unburdened hand forward-- from her heart to his chest-- to seize his throat and hold him fast.

COMBATSYS: Bulleta successfully hits Koto with Beautiful Memory.
- Power hit! -

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >                                ]
Bulleta          0/-------/--<<<<<|=======\=======\1             Koto

She's /so/ much stronger than it looks like she /should/ be, but at least she doesn't seem to want to /choke/ Koto.

~+~*~+~* SECRET HUNTING TECHNIQUE #426: 'BEAUTIFUL MEMORY' *~+~*~+~

No-- she just draws the knife tucked in her hoodie and /slashes/ him with it, unsheathing and flashing it across his torso in a flurry of steel and violence that lasts for, at most, a handful of seconds. If there's any silver lining at all, it's that she doesn't seem to want blood badly enough to dig the blade in and /twist/ the way she did after he grabbed her during their first fight; just the normal amount that would motivate someone to pull a knife.

The silver lining's blown away in short order, however, when she flicks the blade away so she can flip the basket open, seize a grenade, and /shove/ it against his body. No sooner than it makes contact does it explode, concussive more than incendiary-- shaped and powerful enough to knock the hero back a few feet at high speeds. High, but not so high that B.B. can't dash after him--

-- and do it again.

And again.

And /again/, creating a series of blast craters around the clearing until finally-- she seizes him one last time, hefts him over her head, then /hurls/ him towards the tree line.

After she's finished releashing her ultimate technique, she sags to the ground and lets the basket support her a little while she pants for air.

[KOTO]
And well... Koto is shocked by the strength enough that he goes for the wrist holding him, only to end up slashed a lot. At least small sparks are flying from the suit itself whenever she tries to slash the chest area. The midsection? Not so much, and there looks to be blood there even as a grenade ends up blowing him backwards... and it repeats. Again and again.

By the time Koto is on his back against the tree line, it seems as if he won't get up from that. Only... he does. The psychic superhero is definitely one of the tougher ones, even as shaky as he is. And he approaches slowly, wobbling almost as he does. "I guess... that's the difference between us." He states.

"You... fight for redemption." His voice is clear as he continues to stagger forward, getting closer as he does. The hero's arms hang low as he seems to be considering it seems. "I... do not. I know what the world has in it a bit. I have faced things before. The thing is... this suit?"

"I do not know how it works. I honestly do not care. What it means to me is that I will not fall to tricks... to those that want me to stay down because I disgust them. Because they have to win for money, for power, for a reason that only makes sense to them." Koto continues.

"If you are trying to be a hero, then you are doing it wrong..." He coughs, apparently injured more than he is letting on by the repeated knife attacks. "... you do not try to be a hero. You either are one, or you become one through your own strength."

Then Koto crouches a bit. "Allow me to show you... what a hero can do!" Then he takes off at a run as what appears to be prismatic wings explode from his arms and behind him as he takes off at Bulleta, the prismatic energies going to his hands as he aims to ram a hand into Bulleta's midsection and carry her towards the opposite tree line before letting go with a serious shove if he connects. "FLYING DRAGON!" is declared at the end even as Koto wobbles, barely staying on his feet it seems.

COMBATSYS: Koto prepares to take his last stand against Bulleta!

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///                           ]
Bulleta          0/-------/--<<<<<|=======\======-\1             Koto

COMBATSYS: Bulleta endures Koto's Flying Dragon.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///                           ]
Bulleta          0/-------/--<<<<<|=======\=======\1             Koto

[BULLETA]
Money is freedom; freedom is power.

It makes perfect sense to Bulleta.

"How can you become one if you don't /try/?" she wonders. The hunter stretches up to her full height, and-- maybe it's the way her shadow spindles out across the ground and cabin beneath moonlight and carefully calibrated wattage that makes that mean something /more/ than it might've a minute ago.

Maybe it's just the alchemy of burning spirit, of guts and effort at a rolling boil.

"You don't even care about this tournament, except as a way to make yourself stronger-- and why? To make yourself a better /hero/!" B.B. Hood exclaims, thrusting a finger towards his chest. "To be more of what you are, /whatever/ you are-- you can't tell me I'm wrong for trying when you've spent MONTHS doing nothing BUT!"

Her accusatory hand snaps up to rip the mask free so he can see /all/ of the outrage etched in her clenching jaw and incredulously twisted lips.

"You're judging me for wanting to be BETTER, after everything you've done-- is /that/ what a hero would do?!" she shoots back before he takes off running. Her lungs fill, practically every muscle tenses-- and she waits, scowling.

Ready.

/Waiting/.

(Swearing.)

"If it's up to you to JUDGE whether or not someone's even allowed to try, then fine-- SHOW me! SHOW me what it means to be a hero, Koto!" She throws her arms wide, takes a step forward--

(-- damnit damnit fuck this is so dumb, bonnie! more fire in the eyes! like you've got a big ol' 'B' on your chest--)

-- and braces before they go /hurtling/ backwards, stopped only by the fortuitous presence of trees that crack and bend when she finally slams into them. The trip leaves her breathless and crumpling while an arm curls over her belly, stooping forward while lightning arcs up her spine; wide-eyed, incandescent.

She staggers to her feet-- collapses to her knees, catches herself-- staggers up, weaves forward-- and then finally, /finally/ manages to plant herself stably enough to stand still with a little shudder.

"You don't-- disgust me at /all/," she murmurs through panting, "but if /that's/ what being a hero is to you... god, Koto, you /concern/ me-- I can only /hope/ that this is just /frustration/ talking! We want the same things, at the end of the day, we just-- we don't /do/ the same things. ... maybe we just-- maybe we should just-- /accept/ that. Y'know?" She hazards a step towards him, clutching her chest instead of just clapping a fist over it.

"Maybe you're not all the way /right/-- maybe I'm not all the way /wrong/-- maybe we're just-- maybe we're just /people/, trying to help /other/ people-- trying to make ourselves strong enough to do it the best as we can. /Whatever/ it takes."

After another deep breath and moment of tension, she does a twirling leap towards her right, right leg snapping out sharply, allowing baggy denim to ripple and flare out enough to release a tiny silver disc into the world. The landing's heavy, and she's still clutching her chest afterwards... but her posture's light and ready for movement; she's not terribly sensitive to power like Koto's when it isn't burning in the atmosphere, but she /remembers/ it. As for the disc?

With each bounce towards Koto, it reveals another layer, until it has unspooled itself into a flat circle a few feet aross. The middle is adorned with a flashing red light.

It means exactly what Koto probably thinks it does as it blinks... blinks... blinks... blinksblinksblinksblinksblinks--

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

COMBATSYS: Koto barely endures Bulleta's Malice & Mine.
~ Cruel hit! ~

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >                                ]
Bulleta          0/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2             Koto

[KOTO]
The explosion should be enough. No doubt about it. Koto promptly disappears in it. The explosion is at least enough to create a nice smoke cloud. And despite the wariness, the awe inspiring sight of that winged dragon head appearing out of the smoke is the main warning. She had seen it before, and despite it all, Koto states a few things before he fires off the beam of apparent psychic force.

"I did not say I disgusted you. I meant others like you, that do not try for the right thing. You want to win this? Fine, survive this. But remember that winning is not everything. Sometimes you have to lose to win. Sometimes you have to take the shot rather than move so others can be safe. So that when it comes down to it."

"You say we are doing the same thing, but we are not. There is more than just the DarkStalkers out there. A lot more. You will find out one day that there are those even among us humans who are worse than those DarkStalkers. I have seen it myself a few times. Even endured it. And I am still a high school student."

His hands move to the all too familar position of being crossed in front of him before sliding to that plus shape. "That is why I can not let you go on if I can help it." He takes aim, then lets loose. "AURORA BUUURST!"

And the beam of psychic energies flares out for a good minute or two at where she was the last he knew. Then... he falls forward in a collapse. She wins, at least, but Koto is definitely of a different mind set than her it seems.

COMBATSYS: Koto can no longer fight.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Bulleta          0/-------/=======|

COMBATSYS: Bulleta full-parries Koto's Aurora Burst!!

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

[BULLETA]
"Koto," she exhales, tensing once again. Breathing is important; she doesn't have to remind herself, but there's a hitch when those wings spread, a moment of gratitude for trained instincts. She's /seen/ it, but she hasn't experienced it... nor does she /want/ to.

Certainly not /today/.

"You don't have the right to make that choice-- not for /me/," she insists while curling a fist inwards. "Isn't being a hero about knowing which choices are the right ones?!"

MEGA DRAGON FIGHTER J-DRAGON

V E R S U S

MYSTERIOUS DARK HUNTER B-HOOD

There's nothing to hide the broad, suspenseful smile that flashes over her lips when his arms cross and the dragon's eyes meet hers. /Can/ she survive it...?

"What more do you want me to /lose/ until I'm good enough for you?! My parents are-- you saw the pictures! That girl Mitsuru, she and her friends /humiliated/ me-- I've BEEN losing! I'm ready to win-- I'm ready to do /better/--!"

His body vanishes--

-- she /jumps/, straight up--

-- and a timely tilt of the basket allows it to unleash another missile into the space B.B. Hood just occupied. The beam annihilates it utterly, but the resulting explosion sends out a shockwave that sends her /flying/ several yards to the right instead of letting her fall back into the prismatic flood. Her landing's heavy - especially beneath the basket, which leaves a deep divot in soft earth - and she's breathing hard, but her spirit remains unscoured by Justice. After a few seconds, she drags herself towards him so she can squat low enough to whisper:

"Maybe we can talk it over some more soon, huh?"

COMBATSYS: Bulleta has ended the fight here.

Log created on 12:29:40 02/04/2019 by Bulleta, and last modified on 12:59:08 02/05/2019.