Match of the Millennium

Description: In the Rookie bracket, it takes two renowned fighters in the tier to cut in. Being the best of the amateur tier tends to be arbitrary, but the two top contenders that have come forward are Mega Dragon Fighter J-Dragon, the ultimate tokusatsu, and Abe Fumiko, the face of iaido. The artistic Iaijutsu Practitioner will face off against the J-Dragon, in a frantic fight for the worldwide Rookie belt.

[KOTO]
The SNF crew had setup for some frantic fighting, and a large area of the intersection was cleared out to get things going. Despite some recent troubles on his part, Koto had managed to get away to do some serious SNF. When they mentioned something about a belt or the like, the teenager was all too happy to show up at the designated time/place to get things going.

As it stood, the arcade part of Neo*Geo Land was at least the best area out front to attract attention. The wide, dispersed area gave the fighters plenty of room. And even then it was not like the cameras weren't already setup mostly to capture all of the action. The frantic pace of the fight was definitely supposed to be something. Iaido versus a costumed tokusatsu might seem a bit odd, but it was quite frankly what was going to happen.

Coming up dressed in his pacific high uniform, Koto looked around at their stage a bit as he seemed to consider. "Wow. They pulled out all the stops, I guess. Might as well get this show started." He turns to where they are supposed to be 'starting' at before taking his usual customary pose.

"HEEEENSHIN!" His arm sweeps across as prismatic light covers him, turning him into the Mega Dragon Fighter J-Dragon. "Mega Dragon Fighter, J-Dragon, ready!" His hand comes up in the customary J gesture, complete with prismatic light that he had been using lately.

[FUMIKO]
A great deal of concern hung about Fumiko Abe. The missing Mitsuru situation. The rise of Darkstalker attacks. Troubles and tribulation for Japan and the entire world. And here she was competing still. Fighting for nothing but herself and her pride. In offense to everything everyone else was doing to keep people safe, to rescue people, to be heroes.

The people who had died, the one who were still to die, they had and would give everything for others. And yet, Fumiko fights to prove her skill. She fights to win a trinket. A belt.

But if she was not living for herself, did she not then deny the reality that Kenji died for? The contradictions raged within Fumiko. But for now, her rage was kept at bay behind a stoic, still facade of the artist's face.

She had defeated this hero before. She had seen what he could do. She hoped that this time he would prove more capable than before. Her eyes are still and cold and distant as she steps forward unheeding of whatever flowery title she had been given. She was here to make good on her life.

She was here to fight.

Dressed in her formal hakama, pair of swords at her side, and her wrist support gloves clasped tightly, she offers a short and formal bow on stepping into the garish and glaring lights of the makeshift arcade arena.

No words now, only a calm exhale, and a lowering of her posture. One hand going to hold in check over the hilts of her swords and the softly spoken words, "Let us compete."

COMBATSYS: Fumiko has started a fight here.

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

COMBATSYS: Koto has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Fumiko           0/-------/------<|-------\-------\0             Koto

[KOTO]
Koto, looking at Fumiko carefully, moves to give a traditional bow of respect. His hands come together to clasp one fist in the palm. "Let us compete." He replies, then moves into his stance.

While he had faced Fumiko before, that was a long time ago. For him, this was a measure of growth. And deciding to open things with a bit of flash, the teenager approaches slowly, then suddenly spins out in a sweep kick aimed at her leg seemingly. Just... at the wrong distance. Instead, a burst of prismatic force extends from his leg to try to catch her unawares and launch her into the air.

Completing the sweep, Koto spins into a full on wheel kick as he calls out, "Dragon Swings Tail!" The second part of the move comes in a second wave of prismatic force from his second kick as he tries to send her flying away at the same time. The movements are quick, and for a brief moment perhaps it almost looks like a dragon's tail in the prismatic light.

COMBATSYS: Fumiko blocks Koto's Dragon Swings Tail.

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

[FUMIKO]
The kick comes crashing down. And it clacks hard against the floral patterned scabbard carried by Fumiko. She keeps her position, standing firm, her snow-white hair waving in the wind from the force of Koto's prismatic kick.

She doesn't blink.

"Good," she says, and she slips forward, slipping around Koto like water. A flick of light as the suddenly appearing blade in her hand cuts sharply in passing toward Koto's belly as she harrasses for position.

COMBATSYS: Fumiko successfully hits Koto with Positioned Strike.

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

[KOTO]
Koto tries to bring an arm to block the blade, but ends up slashed pretty good on the stomach. Wincing as he spins backwards, then into a quick forward kick. Not his signature kick, but still one hell of a kick as he snaps the leg out to try to catch her quickly and get some distance.

Whereupon he holds his side a bit. There's some telling that the psychically created suit didn't stop all of the blade from touching him it looks like. And he does look a bit annoyed as far as the body language there. "... right. You love swords like crazy. Go figure I would forget about that."

COMBATSYS: Fumiko interrupts J-Kick from Koto with Flashing Blade EX.

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

[FUMIKO]
One slash, quick positioning, but the young man had learned in his time as a fighter. He would not be so easy to pin down and keep at bay. It was an interesting change to him. It was a thrill to see the younger fighter growing as a competitor. But still, her angry heart keeps coldness on her face.

"I do not have your powers," Fumiko speaks quietly in their close dance of combat. And then, with the sudden shifting kick coming at her, she skips upward and the light once more catches off of the edge of her blade.

The sword flashes. And Fumiko stands behind Koto, sheathing her blade in the aftermath of the stroke. "So I will make do with the art of steel."

[KOTO]
Stumbling in the aftermath of the slash, the younger fighter turns and instead of relying on his powers, goes for a quick if strong punch aimed at her instead.

t"Powers are not everything. Don't people realize that? Yes, I'm a bit flashy with them, but a lot of what I do isn't just the whole flashy powers either." He says in reply.

COMBATSYS: Fumiko endures Koto's Strong Punch.

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

[FUMIKO]
The weight of that blow comes crashing into Fumiko. A staggering strike that any would be right in being fearful of. But Fumiko steps into it. She throws everything she has into the swing as both of her hands drops down to the blades at her hips.

Koto strikes a sharp blow against the woman. And the rage within her boils to the surface. Taking all of it, feeling the relishing of the pain, she explodes forward, swinging both blades outward in a sharp, cutting sweep of steel aimed up close and personal for Koto's chest and belly.

COMBATSYS: Koto interrupts Goryo's Wrath ES from Fumiko with J-Punch.

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

[KOTO]
Instead of taking the incoming attack, Koto sets himself and interrupts it. He still takes some injury, however, as the blade across his chest fires off. The other, however, ends up with an arm suddenly punched hard as he snaps off his other hand quickly.

Stepping back afterwards, he readies himself again. He still looks more winded from the exchange as he comments, "That's more like it. I was worried you'd be one of those strong, silent types the entire time. Nice to see that even you can feel some anger now and then."

[FUMIKO]
Excellent. The boy was growing. He was showing a degree of bravery here, but one perhaps tempered with awareness of things. She would smile if she could feel it in the moment.

She steps back, her swords clicking back into their scabbards. She laughs quietly, bitterly. "You wouldn't begin to understand anger," she says quietly. "But you have grown. Maybe now you are able to protect those you love. Or have you become nothing more than an entertainer?"

She closes her eyes and exhales deeply. The woman has no power over chi as anyone has seen, but as she breathes, her posture and body seems to shift subtly.

COMBATSYS: Fumiko enters a meditative state.

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

[KOTO]
Koto shakes his head, "I don't claim to understand anything. But, I do not do this to entertain."

His own stance shifts as he slides to a more open one. And begins to glow with that prismatic light. "I do claim, however, to be a fighter. In some cases a hero. Whatever I am, I don't do this to just entertain. I do it to help myself grow and become better. To where I can help others and become what I want to be rather than who people see me as."

COMBATSYS: Koto glows with prismatic energy.

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

[FUMIKO]
No words now. A silent exhalation. Everything around Fumiko coalesces into the moment that she stands in. The moment she stands across from her opponent. The young man who has proven himself a fighter. But one she still holds and harbors doubt for.

Her eyes do not open when she bleeds forward. Each step a motion out of a dance. Each moment practiced thousands of times. Each step a moment in time, captured by the artist's brush. She swings and her blades sing. They slash, both drawn at once, slicing the air in a cross cut to quarter Koto in kind.

COMBATSYS: Fumiko successfully hits Koto with Scattered Petals.
- Power hit! -

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

[KOTO]
Bringing his arms up ready to block, Koto suddenly pauses as something happens to the prismatic light surrounding him. He gives a gasp as the strikes actually hit, causing him to step back with each one a few times. That definitely wasn't part of things. The teenager looks a bit pained by whatever happened. A lot more than what she just hit him with.

The light actually moves, in flux, and parts of it seem to... darken, perhaps? It's a weird effect. Definitely not something that has been shown by him before either. Finally he hops back a few feet, dropping to one knee and breathing heavily. "... a-again..." He is heard. Probably just by her. It's more of a question than anything else. Rising up again, the teenager seems to glare across, "S-sorry... I... I need to end this now... let's see what you can do against my best!"

COMBATSYS: Koto issues a challenge!!

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

Koto straightens himself up, then brings his hands up. A quite familiar L-shaped posture as he connects his hands at the wrist, then slides one down as prismatic light gathers. Prismatic light that almost seems to have... something else to it? "AURORA... BUUURST!" Then comes the wide, much wider than normal blast of prismatic light at Fumiko. A wide, crazy powerful beam of possible destruction as it lashes out.

COMBATSYS: Koto knocks away Fumiko with Aurora Burst.

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

[FUMIKO]
A brilliant light. A flashing exposure of power. Bursting brilliantly and shining with Koto's spirit. In the way of the blast, Fumiko tries her damnedest to slip past it, to allow it to glide by her, to avoid the shockwave. But the fury of it is too much. It's power too great. It burns against her. It carries her. It throws her bodily back and against a row of cabinets.

Striking, glass and plastic breaking, the woman hits the ground in a heap. Her eyes are closed. Her breathing quick and furious. But in the hazing aftermath, her eyes open again. Her breaths slow. And she picks herself up to unsteady feet.

"Do you think that will end this?" she asks quietly. "Another," she bids.

She surges forward again. A slip one side, a turn to the other. She draws in closer, cutting the distance with fluid grace. She needs to be close. She needs to be in where her blade can reach. Her hand snaps downward, grabbing the shorter blade's hilt. There, she draws tight and close, an underhand gutting slash. The light of her blade against the light of Koto's Fighting Spirit.

COMBATSYS: Koto interrupts Second Blade Strike EX from Fumiko with Crane Swipes Fish.

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

[KOTO]
Koto brings his hands up, then swings them around to deflect the blade and at the same time aim to knock her upside the head with the other hand being open. Koto seems to glare at her at the same time. "N-no... but considering... my powers seem to have something wrong with them... it'll at least be a good start..."

His statement is a bit odd, as he steps back again after the movement. The teenager's breathing heavy. Very, very heavy as he seems to be trying to figure out both what happened and keep his mind on the fight itself.

[FUMIKO]
A heavy smack. Fumiko rolls around with the blow. She spins with the strike and draws her long blade. This time with her off-hand. A sneaking, hidden draw cutting with a sharp slash for Koto's chest.

Her voice rings breathy, quick, drawing on the close quarters. A word just for him. "Another."

COMBATSYS: Fumiko successfully hits Koto with Left-Handed Draw EX.

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

[KOTO]
Koto tries to block again, instead getting another cut as he seems to be barely on his feet. Blood even shows from the slash as he stumbles back, then takes a firm step forward. His leg comes around as he unleashes a fierce kick.

Prismatic light surges to surround the kick as he unleashes a quick use of his signature, "THUNDER KICK!" The hard hitting kick splits the air almost as surely as her blades as he tries to hopefully send her away. Hopefully being the key word.

COMBATSYS: Fumiko blocks Koto's Thunder Kick.

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

[FUMIKO]
Crack! Thunder's blasting reverberates off the shaking, damaged, but holding lacquer of Fumiko's scabbard. Down her arm, to the woman at the end of it, her eyes closed as she quavers with fatigue and rage. Breath coming in shivering gasps, her teeth grit and her hair hangs wild about her head.

Those eyes open. "Another," she bids. And then she becomes a blur.

She turns, swinging, whirling, blades drawn. She whips like a maelstrom against the prismatic power of Koto's light. Slashing, darting, slashing again. She is a cutting wind of steel. A wild fury of a woman fighting with all the rage held back by her poise and posture.

COMBATSYS: Koto fails to interrupt Kamae Tachi from Fumiko with Fierce Combo.

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

COMBATSYS: Koto can no longer fight.

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

[KOTO]
The probably last clash is whenever Koto tries to dart in, attempting to grab Fumiko as she slashes, despite taking the blade himself as he attempts to throw her away from him. Unfortunately, that seems to be it as the teen collapses afterwards, suit disappearing in a prismatic light.

Despite it all, and despite whatever happened in the middle of it, Koto lost definitely. The teen lays there unmoving for the moment at least.

[FUMIKO]
In the end, Fumiko Abe stands the victor. 3rd place in one Neo-League tournament, 2nd in another; now she stands as the current holder of the worldwide rookie title. She has won and it fills her with cold and bitter emptiness. Standing still at last, she cuts the air with her swords and then slowly guides them back into their homes. Her eyes shut. Her back to her fallen opponent.

"You've grown," she admits, opening her eyes and looking back over her shoulder. "But you have far to go."

She steps forward, approaching the officials and the referee. The sounds of crowds, the cries and orders of the filming crew, these things are miles away from the cacophonous roaring of loathing behind the distant eyes of Fumiko Abe. Still, she takes the belt in hand and holds it aloft for all to see her prize. Proof of her skill. Proof of her power. The world has recognized it. And the world has recognized her.

Fumiko Abe has won, but a war still rages within.

COMBATSYS: Fumiko has ended the fight here.

Log created on 13:27:06 03/31/2020 by Fumiko, and last modified on 15:45:00 03/31/2020.