Match of the Millennium

Description: Sometimes, it's not equals to face for the King of Fighters. It's diametric extremes between skill levels, with an obviously dominant fighter mentoring a student. Sometimes, the extremes can be... extreme. Taking place at the isolated Battleship Island off the coast of Japan, Koto finds his mentor to be the elusive Morrigan, taking a form of her own pleasing. Their judge? The lone hunter Baiken, who skill with the blade is only rivaled by her general contempt for frivolity. Here, it will be up to Baiken to test the compatibility between man and succubus in the best way she can: slashing. All she needs to do is defeat the heroic Koto. Simple, right? However, Morrigan's benevolent presence will be driven to keep her toy safe, before a rampaging Baiken can put Koto in his place.

[BAIKEN]
Welcome to Battleship Island!

Hashima is an abandoned island about fifteen kilometers offshore of Nagasaki, surrounded by a wall and with an assortment of concrete buildings left alone for about thirty years. Weathered and worn, most still stand, though with damage and with greenery growing in unusual places. Its nickname, Gunkanjima - Battleship Island - is because the whole island with its surrounding wall strongly resembles a very large ship.

The area chosen for the battle is at the 'back' of the island, on a grassy field with a decaying set of concrete apartments overlooking it. It's big, and flat, and was once cleared dirt but now has grass and small shrubs poking up through it.

It also contains Baiken, who does not look happy about the upcoming match. Whether it's because of the booking, the location, or something else is impossible to know, but she's already present, standing in the sun. She has a jug on a cord looped around its neck, and has taken a swig of it a time or two while she waits.

[KOTO]
Koto had arrived a bit early. Mostly because, being a natural born Japanese, he had liked to look around. More so because with his abilities, the psychic superhero was definitely more likely to not run into too much trouble. Usually. At least as far as things go. Now he made his way towards the fighting area, and actually appeared first up on the apartment complexes. Looking down, and peering a bit as he noticed Baiken standing there, the teenager let the wind blow through his black hair for a moment before he slides into his transformation pose.

His left hand swings across his chest as he calls out, "HENSHIN!" A bright prismatic light is easily seen as it engulfs him and he jumps off of the apartment complex itself. Flying almost as he seems to glide downwards with the prismatic light breaking apart like glass around him to reveal his fighting costume even as he lands neatly a good, hopefully safe distance from Baiken.

Once he lands, he twists to a fighting stance with one hand moving up to form a J with the first two fingers and a thumb, "Mega Dragon Fighter, J-Dragon has arrived!" As corny as it is, he's at least becoming something of a scene on the SNF and Neo-League.

Peering across from behind the visor on his helmet, Koto calls out, "Hey! Are you Morrigan? I was supposed to meet her here or something?"

[MORRIGAN]
One might say Morrigan has a nose for psychics. The Mistress of the Night, Queen of Makai (or whatever self-proclaimed title she is using for now) possesses significant psychic (?) power of her own, and at least a few of the world's most famous psychic fighters have had the (mis)fortune of being visited by the succubus.

As Koto calls to Baiken, his shadow seems to stretch in an unnatural way. A way to which the lighting of Battleship Island does not lend itself. Suddenly, his shadow gains two sharp, curved protrusions on the sides of its head as the shadow takes a much much curvaceous silhouette.

"Yes, yes, I'm here," Morrigan steps out of Koto's shadow, fishing a dark purple cellphone from the middle of her cleavage. "Were you waiting long?" the succubus looks up almost sleepily, her eyes tracing Koto starting from his feet--stopping about midway up--and then continuing to his head. Her green hair flutters slightly as her own turn tilts to the side. "That's an interesting outfit. Is that the new style in Harajuku? It's been a while since I've visited." Morrigan runs her hands down the seat of her tights and then sits down, a cloud of bats swarming underneath her backside and keeping her aloft. She taps at something on her phone for a moment.

"Sorry, one moment," Tap tap tap. "Some people won't stop messaging until they get a reply. It's so...droll. Is the other one here yet?" Morrigan leans to the side, looking around Koto at Baiken. She works her fingers in a small wave.

[BAIKEN]
Baiken takes another swig from the jug before setting it down, against the wall, where she hopes it will not be broken or spilled. Judging by the way she held it, it isn't empty.

Then she walks out into the more open field. She does not seem impressed by Koto - Mega Dragon Fighter J-Dragon's - transformation, judging by the increasing scowl. Now she has somewhere to point it, and it's at him.

It deepends when Morrigan herself actually shows up. Baiken does not like Morrigan. The animosity is intense. Baiken hasn't actually met Morrigan in person before, but that doesn't matter; Baiken knows what she doesn't like, and Morrigan is one of those things.

"You deserve each other," Baiken says, her voice slightly rough with the burn of whatever she drank from the jug. She strides across from Koto, having to look upward at him, her one eye unblinking while the tsuba she has held over the other stares from under the eyepatch.

Her gaze continues onward to Morrigan - and then, in an instant, Baiken draws her sword, pointing it at the succubus. "If you want to protect him, come on, then. We'll see how well you do." Monster, she thinks, but does not add. It's written all over her face. She doesn't need to say it.

COMBATSYS: Baiken has started a fight here on the right meter side.

                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |=------\-------\0           Baiken

COMBATSYS: Koto has joined the fight here on the left meter side.

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

[KOTO]
"Uh... no, I am a tokusatsu fan. The suit is fun, though. Comes from the powers." Koto explains to Morrigan, then shrugs.

Koto glances behind him at Morrigan, then shrugs. "I don't think she wants to take me seriously..."

Koto's stance slides wider as he starts to circle around Baiken. Then he suddenly lashes out with a back leg sweep, one that spins out a prismatic wave at Baiken's feet while he rotates into the air showing the move to be a wheel kick as his other leg lashes out with another wave at the ronin's head. "Dragon Swings Tail!"

If Morrigan is planning on mentoring or anything for young Koto, she obviously has some work cut out for her. Especially as he's doing something like calling attacks.

[MORRIGAN]
"Oh, I deserve all sorts of things," Morri coos before dropping her phone into her top. "Is that sake?" she asks, "Is it good sake?" Her eyes linger on the jug for several minutes before Koto speaks up.

"Oh," she snaps. "That's what that is. Now I remember." Morrigan's eyes follow the young psychic as he launches into the first attack. "Mm," Morrigan's heels clack as she steps out of sitting on the bat cloud. "I suppose if I'm being asked to play mentor here...I do need to dress the part, hmm?"

Bats swirl around Morrigan as she stretches, extending her arms high above her head as she threads her fingers. The bats sweep around her in concentric rings before there's a flash - and Morrigan is dressed in a black and purple, bat-themed bodysuit. Her visored helmet still has the headwings.

She reaches down, tugging at the suit around her bust, then reaching back to adjust it in the seat. "Mmm. Better."

Her attention is back on the fight. "Now then," Morrigan's heels click twice as she widens her stance.

"...what are you supposed to be learning, again?"

COMBATSYS: Morrigan has joined the fight here on the left meter side.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Koto             0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0           Baiken
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/------=|

COMBATSYS: Koto successfully hits Baiken with Dragon Swings Tail.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Koto             0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0           Baiken
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/------=|

[BAIKEN]
"You treat it like a game, and then you want me to take you seriously?"

Baiken was focused enough on Morrigan, who she knows is the real threat here, that Koto can get around to her blind side. Normally Baiken is has to sneak up on, missing eye or no, but less so when she's glaring hate rays (not literally, thankfully; Baiken hasn't mastered the eye laser) at Morrigan. "I don't share," she says, shortly, in response.

It's not even good sake. It's strictly 'okay' sake. Baiken would have gotten the better stuff, but she's on a budget.

She still almost reacts in time; the wheeling kick catches her as she backsteps, missing her head as she turns her body but slamming into her shoulder instead, the cascade of rainbow light following up with a flash of energy. It stings, but it's not an especially dangerous blow - not yet. Baiken is skilled enough that it will take more than one strike to take her down.

Baiken snarls. Her reaction is swift and aggressive; she stomps her foot, causing a rising burst of pink chi directly in front of her, erupting from the ground in a veritable geyser. This might be what Morrigan is supposed to be helping with!

COMBATSYS: Morrigan blocks Baiken's Tetsuzansen.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Koto             0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0           Baiken
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/-----==|

[MORRIGAN]
"Oh, phoo," Morrigan says, her dark visor obscuring keeping her expression mysterious. Perhaps, as Koto's "mentor" this is intentional. The mysterious veteran ranger, intervening in the eleventh hour?

The flash of pink is met with a flash of purple as Morrigan blurs to intercept. Her movement is wickedly fast, wings flaring from the suit as she takes flight. Pink chi meets the crossed guard of Morrigan's arms and drives her back slightly, her feet hovering just high enough above the ground that that heels don't drag.

"Oh," Morrigan says, "Don't tell me they want me tae play sitter, now." Morrigan tilts her head over her shoulder. "Koto, isn't it? Do something...dramatic. Show me your secret technique. Your coup de grace!" Hrm. "Perhaps that's a bit too early. Just..." Morrigan waves a hand. "Improvise."

[KOTO]
That brings Koto up a bit short as he notes the new outfit on Morrigan. He probably blinked a few times, then shrugs, "Eh... I need to introduce you to some of the tokusatsu after this, I guess. At least you aren't dressed like the villains."

"So, dramatic, huh?" Koto spins to the side of the Morrigan who was being a living shield and brings his stance closer at the same before spinning again into a roundhouse kick. Only said kick is currently glowing with prismatic energy along the lower half of the leg that's aimed for Baiken. "THUNDER KICK!"

Much like the name of it, said kick does leave a clap like thunder whether it misses or not. Seriously, strong and fast kick incoming!

COMBATSYS: Koto successfully hits Baiken with Thunder Kick.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Koto             0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0           Baiken
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/-----==|

[BAIKEN]
That really is a fast kick. Baiken is still focused on getting through Morrigan's defense; she doesn't have to *defend* against Morrigan at least, but she can't just flail around wildly and hope to get through her defenses.

Which means that once again Koto takes advantage. The strike hits, more solidly than the first blow; it staggers her, driving her back a step as it impacts with her torso with a heavy thump. Baiken can't dismiss him like she was originally planning to; he's better than he looks in that silly get-up.

Not that she's ever going to admit it, but she gives him a grudging look of semi-respect. It's more than Morrigan gets.

Baiken rebalances, planting both feet solidly as her single eye shifts from one to the other, quickly. She shifts her blade, flipping it in her hand to wield it reversed before making a sudden lunge, cutting toward Koto.

It's a feint. The real attack is when her apparently empty sleeve produces a curved blade; Baiken spins, whirling to slash suddenly from all directions with blade and surprise weapon. Nobody expects a one-armed woman to dual-wield, and Baiken is taking advantage of that. "ORIYAAAA!"

She's not very chatty though. Fortunately, Morrigan seems able to hold a conversation with Koto without any assistance on her part.

COMBATSYS: Morrigan blocks Baiken's Youzansen.

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

[MORRIGAN]
"Oh, I do tend tae play my fair share of villains." Morrigan says, "What is a tokusatsu? Is that like one of those dramas? Or maybe one of those 'iron men?'" She's got her head turned back to Baiken when the next attack comes, this time from a concealed blade.

One of Morrigan's wings curled around, weaving like cloth worked by an unseen hand. It snaps taut, steel-like in consistency as Baiken's blade digs into it with a metallic scrap and clang. The succubus' muscles tense; her posture goes stiff.

"Oh, you're not new at this at all," Morrigan says, "I can tell. Do you hunt them professionally?"

[KOTO]
That has Koto tilting his head. "... oh, costumed heroes in Japan. They are real big with the younger generations."

Koto seems to consider, "What did the Americans turn it into again? I swear countries get the whole formula or stories wrong out there... ah, excuse me."

Seeing the incoming blades has Koto back step, then go in again with a non-glowing roundhouse kick aimed at Baiken's side again.

COMBATSYS: Baiken dodges Koto's Roundhouse Kick.

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

[BAIKEN]
Baiken twists the blade. Since it's not dug in down its length, this doesn't cause a more serious wound like people often expect it to; instead it starts to pry open Morrigan's wing grip so that Baiken can yank the blade free, stepping back. The hidden blade slides back up Baiken's sleeve, vanishing from view and leaving the sleeve empty and slack again. "Long enough to know what I'm up against," Baiken growls, low enough for Morrigan to hear but not much more.

The disadvantage with Baiken taking Koto seriously is that she's now actually paying more attention to his movement. She turns her step back from Morrigan once she's gotten her blade out into a pivot, sweeping her katana into a parry.

She doesn't stop the foot dead. That's a good way to break your sword. Instead she smacks the flat into Koto's foot so that he hits that instead of her flank, guiding the kick past her instead of into her stomach.

"Are you both stupid?" she asks, suddenly. "You're in a battle and you're talking about *tokusatsu*?" Baiken pronounces it properly, of course, but there's still the attitude she has about it; she makes it sound like something to be scorned, not worthy of attention.

It's a SNF battle, sure, but Baiken takes her matches seriously. It's the only way to learn; treat every fight as if it could be your last.

Baiken finishes her pivot, ending with her back facing Koto. That's fine - because a gun, a literal rifle, slides out of her empty sleeve, suspended on a geared strut to be within reach of her other hand and hanging upside down. She reaches to fire it; it's an awkward-looking pose but she does it smoothly, as if she's used to it. Which she is.

The gun fires with a loud report and a stink of decidedly archaic powder-smoke. It certainly *smells* like it belongs in the 1600s.

COMBATSYS: Morrigan endures Baiken's Yashagatana.

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

[MORRIGAN]
"Oh," Morrigan says, "So like Spider-Man. I see." It is difficult tae tell if Morrigan is disdainful or perhaps just bored. It could be both. "Oh, I'm not sure. I think our tastes in television are to different, my dear."

Blade parries sword and Morrigan's head tilts slightly, her face still obscured by the mask.

"Please," Morrigan says, "if I don't have fun with a battle, what's even the point, hmm? If I have tae play guard, I have to keep myself entert--"

The shot from the gun explodes with a boom and the smell of old blackpowder. It impacts with Morrigan solidly enough to send her flying backward past Koto, where she smacks into a dilipidated wall.

"Oh, I haven't seen one of THOSE in a while. Where did you get it? Is it an heirloom?" Morrigan's Scottish tinged voice sounds almost singsong. Playful, despite the fact she just got shot with a practical cannon.

The round slowly drops out of her midsection, a swirl of dark slowly seeming to knit itself back together from the shot.

[KOTO]
Seeing the gunshot, and Koto having to sidestep again whenever it causes a flying Morrigan has him turning to look that she is fine briefly. He whistles in appreciation that she survived that, then remembers that he should probably try to well... do something about that sorta thing.

Turning back towards Baiken, the psychic superhero brings an arm back, then around as prismatic energies seem to just flow off of his arm itself. "DRAAAGON EMPEROR!"

The rolling wave of prismatic energy just flat out shoots at Baiken, briefly looking like a dragon as it leaves Koto's arm to head right at her.

He glances back towards Morrigan, "Uh... you sure you can still fight? I mean, you did just get shot."

COMBATSYS: Baiken dodges Koto's Dragon Emperor.

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

[BAIKEN]
With a shrugging motion and a mechanical whirring, Baiken causes the rifle to pull back up in her sleeve, folding against the strut as it does to slide back in.

"None of your business." Baiken isn't telling Morrigan where she got any of her gear. She's been pretty close-lipped as to where she got any of it. If it's actually as old as it looks, it's been very well-maintained, though, and affixed to that geared strut.

That it stung her makes her a little happy, though. At least she's doing *something* right. "If she can't fight, she can give up. It would just be like her kind to run!"

Baiken is moving again as soon as the gun is away. Koto blasts a wave of energy at her, and Baiken *leaps* it in a mighty bound, leaping over the dragon-headed blast. It's close - so close she can feel it go past with her senses - and she wants no part of it.

Instead of doing anything fancy, Baiken descends, thrusting her sword downward to use the whole momentum of her descent and the weight of her body as additional force for the impact. She lets out a wordless yell as she does, driving it down with every ounce of force in her body.

Morrigan is going to have to move fast on *this* one.

COMBATSYS: Morrigan endures Baiken's Power Strike.

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

[MORRIGAN]
"Please," Morrigan says, "if I let a little black powder I would have given up long ago. Maybe at the burning at the stake....mmm." Morrigan runs a hand along her midsection, pulling out another piece of shrapnel. Darkness seems to bubble into inky black around the wound, but Morrigan pays it no mind.

"Oh, all business then," Morrigan puts a hand on her hip, shifting her weight to it. "I suppose I could learn something from that -- after all, aren't I supposed to be teaching you something?" She asides to Koto. "Perhaps something to do with that p--"%
Morrigan darts in again, her guard not raised in time to intercept Baiken's blade. It slashes down from her collarbone to her thigh, letting loose a spray of blood (or something like it). Morrigan takes a back step from the cut, but does not go down. At least, not yet.

"Lesson one," Morrigan hisses a bit less of that leisurely whimsy in her voice, "strike while the iron's hot."

[KOTO]
Koto slides back into that more open stance of his, and had already moved to get the hell out of the way as quickly as he can. Once he sees Morrigan take the strike, however, the young man steps around again and brings his hands up from either side of him, "Dragon..."

His arms cross, then seem to ignite with prismatic flames before he swings them in a wide swipe at Baiken, "Flame Swipe!" The rush of those flames fortunately do not seem to be like real ones, but they will probably hurt if they connect.

"I suppose that is one way to look at things... so lesson one is pretty easy... what about lesson two?"

COMBATSYS: Baiken interrupts Dragon Flame Swipe from Koto with Baku.
- Power hit! -

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

[BAIKEN]
Once she touches down, Baiken flicks her katana to dislodge the blood (or whatever) before slamming it back in its scabbard. This leaves her bare-handed for a change, her single hand held up before her protectively.

It doesn't really make her any less of a danger. But it at least changes her threat profile.

Koto comes in at her, and Baiken doesn't try to duck out of range or deflect the blow like she has previously against Koto. No - instead she moves into the blow, her fingers tracing a pattern in the air before she strikes out with a single palm strike aimed directly at Koto's center of mass:

"BAKU!"

A complex Japanese kanji that is so archaic and stylized that it's actually very hard to read for modern speakers of the language forms out of chi as Baiken's palm strikes against Koto's torso. Some of the energy 'flames' from his strike sweep over and past her, but she's not the one who gets off worse in this exchange.

The sealing chi wraps around Koto, a ripple of pink that saps at his energy, making him feel weakened, slow, and exhausted and making his own energy harder to reach and manipulate. It won't last forever, but in a battle, moments can be everything.

"Lesson two," Baiken says, as she takes a step back to recover from her extension. "On the battlefield, pay attention, or you're nothing but somebody's prey. Like your... 'partner'." The scare quotes are practically audible. "I'll give you that one for free. Anything else..."

She rolls her shoulder. "You can try to beat out of me, if you think you're good enough." Well. At least she's energized, now.

[MORRIGAN]
"My my," Morrigan's roll out of her mouth like honey, even despite the rising intensity of the fight. Behind her visor, her eyes follow the movement. Attack, then counterattack, tracing the flash of energy as it strikes Koto with...unexpected results.

"Oh MY," Morrigan responds with a throat 'hmmph." "You're just full of surprises. I am curious as to where you picked up that trick," a pause, "Even if I'm certain you'd never tell me."

There's a flutter of bats and splash of shadow as Morrigan moves suddenly to put herself in front of Koto, her wings spreading to their full span. She sweeps her hand across that visor, and as she withdraws it she's without it--instead wearing a fangy smile and those unusually green eyes.

"Maybe you'd best take a moment to dwell on her lesson, hmmm?"

[KOTO]
Koto for his part spins away a bit, using the Morrigan shield tactic as he glances at his 'partner' for the fight. "Hm... I can, perhaps..."

Instead of attacking, he instead seems to steady himself as his hands move a bit and he starts to work to, apparently, 'glow' with that unatural prismatic energy. While Baiken might have sealed some of it, it's obvious that the young teen has plenty more as he takes a moment to gather it, as well as see what Baiken might try next in this case.

COMBATSYS: Koto glows with prismatic energy.

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

[BAIKEN]
Baiken feels Koto build up his energy. The power he uses isn't the same as hers, she can tell, but she's familiar enough with many methods of fighting that she knows what he's doing.

But... there's Morrigan. In the way. Blocking her. Of course.

"Why would I?" Of all the people she might tell her secrets... well, Baiken is notoriously close-lipped about them, but she's even less likely to tell Morrigan than most of the people she knows. She watches the movement of her opponents - Koto steady, drawing on his power, while Morrigan stands before him, almost taunting Baiken with her mere existence.

Baiken makes a sudden grab at Morrigan, hooking to grab one of Morrigan's arms and yank her roughly off-balance, toward the shorter Baiken. But that's not all; she follows up the yank by releasing and trying to plant a foot in Morrigan's stomach, roughly kicking her away and clearing a path towards Koto. Baiken lets out a wordless kiai with the kick.

COMBATSYS: Morrigan fails to interrupt Armed Combo from Baiken with Cryptic Needle.

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

[MORRIGAN]
"Oh, no, a woman should keep her secrets. Secrets are currency, you know. People will pay so much for them with the right incentive." Morrigan smiles, her lips glistening slightly, a spec of white fang creeping over the edge of her lips. But by then, Baiken is closing the gap. Making the grab.

Morrigan's wing unravels, splitting into a thousand stray fibers. They twist and distort, winding around Morrigan's extended fist. Forming the shape of some sort of weapon. Readying to pierce into the ronin's--

The sandal impacts Morrigan with enough force to knock the breath from her lungs and blood (?) from her mouth. She reels, stumbling backward, her knees digging into the dusty earth and grass beneath her as she drops into a slide.

Morrigan's eyes narrow at Baiken. She does seem especially happy.

[KOTO]
For Koto, he took the necessary moments to charge. And whenever Baiken opens her way to him, she might recognize something if she had anything like a childhood. Especially as he steps to make sure that Morrigan is not in his next move's path. The superhero's hands come around to cross before him, then raise up into an L shape as he points at the ronin.

"I took that lesson to heart." He quips back to the two. "AURORAAA BUURRST!"

Then what can only be called an overgrown energy beam of possible doom unleashes towards Baiken herself. Prismatic glory flaring out in a projectile of probably forceful intent as Koto uses that charged up energy in the best way he has it whenever faced with someone who is obviously more skilled up close than he is.

COMBATSYS: Koto has ended the fight here.


COMBATSYS: Baiken blocks Koto's Aurora Burst.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Koto             0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0           Baiken
[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/----===|

[BAIKEN]
Baiken feels pretty good about that boot to the stomach. It's what Morrigan deserves.

She doesn't take the time to exult in it. Having punted Morrigan and gotten the succubus to shut up and stop twisting words for a few moments, she turns back to Koto, expecting him to come after her. In that, Baiken is half-disappointed; Koto does indeed target her, but he doesn't move anywhere near her.

Baiken does not appear to recognize the gesture. Whether this is because she didn't have a childhood or merely because she's some crazy samurai who's been around for years and doesn't keep up on what the kids are doing these days is up to the viewer's choice. (It could be either!)

But she does now it's threatening.

The prismatic explosion blasts Baiken off her feet. More than that - it blasts her into the air, trailing a shimmering rainbow. All Baiken can manage is to keep it a controlled tumble, and she does this by lashing out with a chain topped with a four-fingered 'hand', not aimed at any of the competitors but at a tree.

The tree is barely capable of supporting Baiken's weight, and when the claw clamps around a branch the whole tree sways alarmingly as Baiken swings, catapulting herself back toward the pair. She goes straight over Koto and looks like she's going to go well above Morrigan too -

"TATAMI GAESHI!"

- except for the block of greenish chi that descends as Baiken stomps in midair, simultaneously changing her flight path as she hops off it and sending the chi dropping straight toward Morrigan's head. This time, Baiken is intentionally aiming at her, if only because she was in a more convenient spot to midair jump from.

Some moments later, Baiken lands past Morrigan, turning around quickly in a swirl of robe. "Better," she says, to Koto.

COMBATSYS: Baiken successfully hits Morrigan with Tatami Gaeshi.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Koto             0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0           Baiken
[                      \\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/--=====|

[MORRIGAN]
Morrigan might disagree that she deserves the kick, even if she does like it rough sometimes. Sliding on her heels, the succubus comes to a stop with another unfurling of her wings where she practically uses them as brakes courtesy of the drag.

And Koto cuts loose, blasting Baiken with a flash of energy. "Oh yes," Morrigan licks her lips. "Much better! Do more things like that."

But the victory is shortlived as Baiken takes to the air, unleashing slats of green chi that drop down upon her. Morrigan's wings curl, wrapping to block--but not only managing to barely redirect them onto the top of her head.

Staggering, the succubus glares up at Baiken before her eyes move to Koto. "This was charming a first," Morrigan threads her fingers through her hair, pushing it back. "But it's getting old quickly. Koto! Do something fun."

[KOTO]
Koto stares as his Aurora Burst ends up well... face tanked as some might call it. He scratches his head, then shrugs and moves in once Baiken lands. Instead of doing something fairly unique, he goes for a quick spin kick instead.

"I would, but she is a bit annoying to deal with whenever she can take one of my strongest abilities like that!" He retorts to Morrigan, looking a bit more wary this fight at the moment.

COMBATSYS: Baiken dodges Koto's Spin Kick.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Koto             0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0           Baiken
[                      \\\\\\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/--=====|

[BAIKEN]
Baiken thinks Morrigan *always* deserves the kick.

But that was in the past. Having dropped a chi mat on her from the air, Baiken used the redirected momentum of the midair jump to drop herself closer to Koto. She still has not redrawn her sword, holding her hand in front of her, palm out, while her chained claw slides back up her sleeve.

"'Annoying'." Baiken says. "I didn't ask to be your teacher or the target dummy they want me to be. I don't take students. And I'm not here to entertain you or your ... partner. I'm here for a fight, a battle. And in a battle, you can't complain that your opponent is being 'annoying' when they're better than you!"

Baiken snaps her claw arm from her sleeve again, extending on the end of a chain. She's aimed it at Koto, but if Morrigan is fast she might be able to intercept - but if she does, the result is that Baiken is going to let it grab an arm or leg and then snap upwards while cracking it like a whip, tossing whatever is on the other end of that chain into the air wildly.

"So stop acting like a whining child and show me what you're really made of!"

COMBATSYS: Baiken successfully hits Morrigan with Medium Throw.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Koto             0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0           Baiken
[                          \\\\  <
Morrigan         0/-------/-======|

[MORRIGAN]
"She has a point, you know," Morrigan says, sweeping her hair back. "So go ahead and hit her harder and show h--" There's a claw arm coming, and Morrigan only has a brief moment to react. She darts in, wings flashing as she moves to intercept the hooking claw. It bites her her side heavily and then she's bodily tossed across the battlefield, crashing through the frame of one of the older buildings. She does not reappear immediately.

COMBATSYS: Morrigan takes no action.

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

COMBATSYS: Morrigan can no longer fight.

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

[KOTO]
Looking ready to block the claw arm coming at him instead of letting Morrigan block it, Koto is a shy too late as he seems his partner for the match go flying. Then he slides back into a more open stance, swinging himself forward in a circular motion as he reaches to grab at the claw arm itself, prismatic energies surrounding his hand as he attempts to literally wind the chain from the arm around Baiken herself instead of letting it retract.

It's a risky move, perhaps, but Koto using his psychic energies hopes to turn Baiken's own weapon against her. Not to mention get in her blind spot or close to it as a means of turning this fight well around on the ronin samurai. Instead of saying something, Koto glares instead. Apparently he is done mincing words for the moment.

COMBATSYS: Koto successfully hits Baiken with Becoming the Moon.

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

[BAIKEN]
Unable to confirm whether Morrigan is out, 'out' because she's left, or sneaking around to come back around, Baiken keeps her eye peeled just in case. Just because she was given directions to keep Koto safe absolutely does not mean, in Baiken's estimation, that she won't do something else if she feels like it.

But more of her attention is on Koto, who no longer seems to have his protector. She snaps her claw chain back down, preparing to retract it - but he gets his hand on it, and Baiken's fine control of the far end is not fantastic. It's a chain connected to a prosthetic of some sort (presumably; nobody has looked up her sleeve to check). She doesn't have the same kind of ability to dodge as she would with her 'real' arm.

The claw goes wide on its return, and the chain doesn't entirely retract but partially zips past Baiken. Moving at an angle, momentum causes it to turn when it reaches the end of its length, wrapping once around Baiken's upper body before the claw smacks into the small of Baiken's back, one of the finger-like 'prongs' hooking into the chain and locking it there.

Baiken has to twist fairly sharply to actually reach behind her with her actual hand to undo the tangle. With her upper body momentarily disabled, Koto has an advantage - though possibly a short-term one, as she tries to keep the other fighter off her with a quick kick, snapping her leg out low. She doesn't want to commit any further to that - she's already off-balance from the tangle.

COMBATSYS: Baiken successfully hits Koto with Light Kick.

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

[KOTO]
With only one arm, there really is only two ways she can come at him now. Koto is ready for the incoming kick as his wide stance allows him to block the kick with his shin, deflecting it to the side and setting Baiken up for some more of Koto's pakua training to come into play. His being behind her nearly has the added effect of allowing him a blow at her unprotected back that he takes advantage of as he throws a fast, fierce punch at the woman's spine.

COMBATSYS: Baiken dodges Koto's Body Blow.

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

[BAIKEN]
Baiken manages to disentangle her claw 'hand' from where it hooked around the chain, leaving it hanging loose at about the length of a proper arm, while spinning to keep Koto in view. He's trying to stay in her blind spot or behind her, which is a common enough strategy for her to run into that she's gotten pretty used to dealing with it.

And such is it here; Baiken turns her pivot into a sway back to a dangerous amount, and the punch barely skims her robe. Koto can feel the fabric as his knuckles brush by, but he doesn't quite make contact with Baiken herself.

"You aren't bad," she says, "when you're not complaining." He's done better than some people she's fought who ought to have been her equal; even with Morrigan on defense, for a relative novice, he's doing just fine. But Baiken is twice his age (at least; she doesn't usually talk about her age) and has been training, and fighting, longer than he has been alive. She knows she has the advantage here.

Baiken lashes out with the claw. She is aiming to clamp it around Koto's arm so she can pull him closer by twisting that side of her body sharply away from him, grasp him with her actual hand; if she manages this, she bounds forward, carrying him up with her before smashing him down so hard to the ground that he might bounce. "HA!"

COMBATSYS: Baiken successfully hits Koto with Himawari.

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

[KOTO]
Attempting to block the claw, Koto finds himself yanked along by the arm no less. The bounce has him looking like a ragdoll for a moment before he rolls to get to his feet.

Just like before, there is a glow from below him as he rises upwards and shifts his stance to being a closer one. With Morrigan having taken most of the injuries this fight, Koto feels as if he should dish out some of his own a lot better.

And apparently whatever power he has is being channelled as the brief design of a winged dragon's head appears under him, then shoots to his legs as he leaps skywards. The prismatic energy trailing slightly as he drops in an axe kick towards Baiken, followed by his flipping backwards with a kick in that one even as he calls out, "RAIJIN RYU!" The overly flashy move is definitely something to consider, especially as much like the earlier 'Thunder Kick' there is that crack of sound from both kicks.

Afterwards, his landing isn't quite spot on as he staggers a little, looking tired just a bit. This has been one long fight, after all, and he has used more power than he has ever before in such a short time.

COMBATSYS: Baiken interrupts Raijin Ryu from Koto with Sakura.

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

[BAIKEN]
It's an impressive blow, Baiken has to give him that. If Koto has anything on his side, it's that power of his.

But now she's expecting it. Not, perhaps, the precise manner in which he uses it; just that it's coming at all. It accompanies all of his powerful hits, and he must be hoping to land one. In his position, she would be. Her jaw tenses as she watches him.

And she's right. The rushing kick drops toward her, and Baiken's response is almost instantaneous from years of long practice; she uses her sword to thrust at a precise angle, pink chi shimmering along it and drifting from the tip. On impact, the chi *explodes* out in a veritable geyser, causing a drifting cloud of cherry blossom-like energy that fades before it hits the ground.

In deference to this being a SNF, Baiken did not actually draw her sword before she did it; she didn't want to kill him. It's just a solid blow with her metal-capped wooden scabbard and the explosion of energy. Which is bad enough, honestly - just not deadly. (Morrigan would have gotten the blade.)

Baiken's pink energy hitting his prismatic energy causes a mutual explosion. It might send Koto flying; it *definitely* sends Baiken reeling back, fingers scorched and blasted as she seems as off-balance as anyone. But sometimes, one hit is all you need to finish it.

[KOTO]
Scabbard or not, chi or not... Koto's energy reacts quite violently whenever it meets Baiken's and the costumed hero goes flying. Strangely into the same building that Morrigan landed in. Well, a wall anyways. That proceeds to collapse the rest of the way after the Koto sized hole was made fortunately outwards, but he's obviously not getting up from that any time soon.

As if it wasn't more obvious, his costume fades back to the jeans and t-shirt he was wearing before hand, too, and he's just laying there breathing heavy at the moment. Oh, yeah, that definitely took him out of this fight.

COMBATSYS: Koto takes no action.

                                  >  //////////////                ]
                                  |=======\======-\1           Baiken

COMBATSYS: Koto can no longer fight.

                                  >  //////////////                ]
                                  |=======\======-\1           Baiken

[BAIKEN]
Baiken watches the part of the building collapse, breathing hard. She hates to show weakness, but sometimes you don't have a choice.

Straightening up, she shakes her head slightly and, very simply, turns aside. Her destination: the jug of acceptable sake she sat down at the beginning of this. SNF cameramen can fish them out of there - it won't be the first time they've had to do that, and it won't be the last.

COMBATSYS: Baiken has ended the fight here.

Log created on 19:24:09 05/09/2019 by Baiken, and last modified on 13:20:41 05/18/2019.