Match of the Millennium

Description: The Lone Wolf faces The Dancing Spider under the Southtown Overpass. The fight ends up being a brutal slugfest that is much closer than the odds makers had expected. (Winner: Terry)

[ARANHA]
It was time for the end of season tournament for the Neo League. Once again finds himself in the Top 8 tournament but this was the first time his path into it was ever this difficult. The only fight he didn't out right win mid season was against Kim Jae Hoon and he just barely held on to his in season undefeated record. Now, he finds himself matched up against Terry Bogard in the tournament and this is the first time the Dancing Spider was going into the first round of the tournament as an underdog.

Aranha arrives at the Southtown Overpass wearing those shades that his last opponent chided him for wearing. Aranha looks around at the gathered crowd that was cheering. Now, he had a tough opponent ahead of him and he really needed to focus just to avoid getting embarassed.

After a few moments, he stops at the barrier and elevates into a handstand on said barrier before flipping into the ring. Give the spectators and the viewers a show before the fight begins.

[TERRY]
Although Neo League has been around for quite some time, this is the first occasion that the Legendary Wolf himself has made a showing; hunting out some dangerous individuals, taking down a former champion Abigail himself, and the wicked demoness Lyraelle, he's doubtlessly the highest profile and favorite to win for those who enjoy gambling and prediction. Unlike some, present company included, he's made zero attempt to establish a social media presence; instead, fan pages and 'sightings' bustle around constantly, which has ultimately ended up with him having a rather tight-knit and involved group of fans. Anyone who manages to track him down is always given a positive reception, from signing to chatting, even if people generally need to guess where and when he might arrive.

This time, his mob of fans knew where he was heading, and it does delay things. He's slowed, signing randomly, chatting, answering questions, but he eventually gets free with promises to spend some time afterwards to mollify them. Hupping over the barrier himself and tugging his hat into place, Terry heads over towards Aranha with a grin.

"Hey! Dancing Spider, Aranha, right? Always nice to match up against a consistent contender!" He thrusts out a fist, offering a dap towards the much shorter fighter. "You're making a pretty good name for yourself... right on! Pumped to see what you can do!"

His broad shoulders and massive arms do a slow roll of his distinctive red jacket, shifting from foot to foot to warm up even slightly. "I don't get to fight new people as often as I'd like... why don't you take the opening shot? And don't worry about going all out... promise, I can take it!"

[ARANHA]
Man is Aranha grateful that Terry hadn't made any reference to him being a Majigen Series Champion. It was not something he liked having attached to him. The connection to Jedah, to his unwanted enhancements and the fact that the title came from an opponent essentially throwing the match to obtain it was a source of shame in and of itself.

The Dancing Spider returns the dap in turn. Terry wasn't known for being unjustifiably jerkish to his opponents so he had no need to worry about getting hit off the fist bump.

He hops back, waiting for the signal to begin. At first, the capoeirista doesn't move in, letting himself sway to a rhythm only he's aware of in ginga before he moves forward.

Those familiar with Aranha tend to note that he doesn't usually start going all out right from the beginning but rather using the opening moments in the fight to feel out his opponents and gather information. He has a feeling that he'll need to gather that information quick or he, much like the one Neo League finals appearance he has to his name, might not have the time to actually use it.

He suddenly tilts into what starts out like a cartwheel that aborts into a handstand. He then walks on his hands as he closes the distance before delivering a series of rapid fire snap kicks at Terry's face.

COMBATSYS: Aranha has started a fight here.

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

COMBATSYS: Terry has wandered into the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Terry            0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0           Aranha

COMBATSYS: Aranha successfully hits Terry with Inverted Flurry.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Terry            0/-------/-----==|======-\-------\0           Aranha

[TERRY]
In contrast, Terry could never be called a slow starter. He tends to be out of the gate and aggressive immediately, known for building up inertia in short order as the fight continues; a relentless opponent in contrast. But it seems he's a man of his word, shifting into a subtle, loose stance. Aranha is given plenty of time to size him up; it's a unique style, a blend of many technical concepts adopted for personal use and fighting style, with a clearly massive amount of experience. Although he may have learned Hakkyokuseiken's energy techniques from a mixture of spying and a brief tutoring beneath Tung Fu Rue, most of his techniques and fighting style were developed on his own, in the streets of Southtown.

That said, he's fought few like Aranha; beyond that, the Spider is quite adept at surprising and manipulating the instincts and intentions of his opponent. Rather then put up a guard, he leans forward, energy rippling into his body and seeming to subtly bulge his muscles. The few blows strike him sharply in the head, twisting his upper body away with a surprised grunt of pain, stemmed the advantage his gambit for a trade intended to gain. "...!! Heh! Good HITS!!"

His left arm then flashes out, fingers splaying to try and capture Aranha by the shirt before he can fully flip back upright. Aiming to yank him off-balance with superhuman strength, before twisting with a cry to drive his knuckles right into his ribs with all the force he can manage; twisting into a stance, toes pressing cracks into the concrete below!

COMBATSYS: Aranha interrupts Grasping Upper from Terry with Bad Beat ES.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Terry            0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1           Aranha

[ARANHA]
Terry's grip on the capoeirista's shirt inadvertently aids Aranha. The Dancing Spider manages to get his feet under him as the Legendary Wolf pulls him close. Aranha pretty much goes along with it, considering that he doesn't have much in the way of options to avoid it. The thing is, with one hand occupied by grabbing his shirt and the other occupied by throwing the attack into his body, there is no hands left to guard his face. The Dancing Spider takes advantage of this vulnerability to swing an elbow, covered in magma right across the jaw, followed by another lava engulfed elbow across the jaw from the other arm before dropping down to yank Terry's feet from under him.

The capoeirista hops back from the other fighter preferring to make the grapple an in and out affair. He wasn't of temperment for maintaining a grapple for an extended amount of time. Meanwhile, lava drips from Aranha's hands and forearms for a few moments before it disappears. He then glances at his adversary and can see a subtle rippling.

"Here we go again... Heads up. Your energy's about to do something unusual."

With the warning given, Aranha lets himself go into ginga, dancing once more.

[TERRY]
There's no mistaking it this time. That was a solid hit! A fist strikes him in the chin, when he's not managed to harden his stance or tense his muscles, twisting him away with a dull hiss of hardening lava across his cheek. It makes him briefly reel, before the second blow swipes him off and he hits the ground on his back hard. A noise of surprise, both at the elemental surge and the ambush in the midst of his own attack.

"...Heh. You know a little about it? Not my first time." Terry draws up his knees and almost violently kip-ups, landing in a crouch before spitting some blood to the side. Hands lift up, as cerulean fire ripples along. Before twisted shards of glass suddenly flash out, shredding his jacket across the sleeves of each elbow. There's a vague wince and a spatter of blood, looking at his own lightly trembling hands. "Really need to find Master Tung Fu Rue and ask him about this... but first..."

He then kicks off the ground, suddenly advancing upon Aranha, with his right arm reared back. Orange energy flares within the glass surrounding his crunchily-clenched fist, trying to suddenly slam his own right cross upon the other fighter's face; which would likely result in a spray of glass in all directions, if it makes contact with anything.

"BUUURN... KNUCKLES!!" A burst of powerful kinetic chi sends his own manifested energy spraying in all directions, leaving the arms of his jacket now well-tattered, a number of subtle cuts all along his dense forearms.

COMBATSYS: Terry successfully hits Aranha with Burn Knuckle ES.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Terry            1/------=/=======|=======\=====--\1           Aranha

[ARANHA]
And just as Aranha predicted, Terry's energy does do something unusual. The glass covered hands shred through Aranha's guard as he attempts to desperately cover up as Terry shows himself as every bit as dangerous as his reputation indicated. The shards of glass coming from his fists and forearms making him moreso. Aranha is knocked off of his feet and sent into a a roll that he can barely just control enough to right himself onto one knee. In addition, Aranha's shades are knocked off of his face and sent flying into the crowd.

"I've seen it enough times that I can notice the signs of when it's about to happen in a fight. Not much more than that."

He rises to his feet once more, knowing that Terry will probably continue to keep up the pressure and attempts to deliver an outside crescent kick as a desperate attempt to keep Terry at a distance while also preventing himself from using the reserves he'll need to keep his enhanced physiology from essentially giving out on him in order to recover from getting punched and shredded by Terry. Slightly darker than usual blood drips down from Aranha's face as he looks upon Terry with glowing blue eyes.

COMBATSYS: Terry fails to interrupt Medium Kick from Aranha with Power Stream.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Terry            0/-------/-----==|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2           Aranha

[TERRY]
"Heh... don't know what it's all about. Only that it messes up my flow a bit..." Terry remarks happily, still lightly bobbing from foot to foot. Energy whirls and crackles within him, subtly building it up as he continues to hold back. It's not precisely the way he normally fights; he seems far more interested in giving Aranha plenty of opportunities as opposed to drag the fight into his own pace. This is a double edged sword, of course. Eventually, the expected step inward comes. Arms flow out, before there's a grimace of pain as glass once more surges through his already cut arms.

"POWER..." The sharp kick cracks him in the chin, but resolutely, Terry follows through. "STREAM...!"

There are not an excess of techniques to Hakkyokuseiken; but Tung Fu Rue always teaches a few to those seeking mastery of energy. One is what became the Reppuken and Power Wave; The other... a suddenly rippling wall of burning cerulean energy, the true color of his style that is not colored by his own journey. Expanding outwards violently, a massive pillar of energy explodes in a great beam straight up, whirling and lashing with flashes of sharp glass. The ground rumbles, and a wave of force hits the crowd, causing them to gasp and recoil away before staring. Aranha, of course, had time to get out of range... but Terry seems content to rise unsteadily after the show of force, crater a couple meters around smoldering and crackling as steam hisses away from the glass dripping off.

"Heheh... nice. Yeah!! I'm heating up!!"

[ARANHA]
And yet, Aranha doesn't so much get out of range as he takes a more a more capoeira approach to avoiding the fallout from the attack that he can only assume that he altered the path of. Instead of retreating, he circles around to where Terry's back would have been before the incredible show of force.

For a moment, Aranha's mouth hangs open in awe. He knew that Terry was going to respond in that fashion and prepared to take it on the chin as the 'price of doing business.' He neither expected the attack to miss its mark nor the magnitude of the attack that he just barely avoided. He was lucky and he knows it.

When the capoeirista recovers from the shock of not getting shredded and blasted, he performs an Arabian(a backflip with a half twist). Upon landing, he lashes out with his arm covered in magma as he sends a spider web formed out of lava chi towards Terry.

"Same here... Literally!"

COMBATSYS: Aranha successfully hits Terry with Web Shot.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Terry            0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2           Aranha

[TERRY]
"Heheheh... some people might like being all arrogant... but I like nothing more then a good fight!" Terry states with a wild sort of grin; a bit of intensity in his own gaze, the reason he's called the Hungry Wolf. Twisting about to face Aranha, he shifts in place as the lash of burning webbing comes out, attempt to dart backwards ending in him still being snagged. "Oh...?! This why they call you the spider? Okay... you CAUGHT ME!"

Both toes sink into the broken ground, before he hurls himself forward. Using the webbing to boost his own speed, he builds up orange energy in his fist, muscles and tendons flexing out as he bears down towards Aranha. "Hit me with all you got, potential champ!! This is gonna be your best shot at taking me DOWN!"

He then aims to suddenly sweep his left arm, trying to plow it right into Aranha's stomach; launching upwards alongside if he can manage, teeth grit as he throws clear force and speed into the endeavor. Before twisting back, that powered-up fist trying to slam once more into Aranha's face to drive down like a meteor, and slam him down upon the ground in a great, cataclysmic eruption of energy that flashes like a wildfire, once more making the crowd gasp and wince away, parked vehicles from the Neo League swaying heavily on their suspensions despite being meters away...!!

COMBATSYS: Terry successfully hits Aranha with Max Dunk ES.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Terry            1/------=/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2           Aranha

COMBATSYS: Terry issues a challenge!!

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Terry            1/------=/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2           Aranha

[ARANHA]
Aranha's luck doesn't hold up for particularly long. The capoeirista doesn't quite manage to slip around the energy engulfed fist driving into his body. The glowing blue eyes that are the most visible indicator of his body being tampered with bulge wide open in response to the pain he's currently feeling as he gets lifted and then smashed into the ground with such force that the ground practicallly quivers from the impact.

As much as Aranha hated to admit it, Terry was right, he was going to need to hit Terry hard if he was going to have any chance at moving on in the tournament. His body is definitely going to need to shut down to recover from all the punishment he was receiving from the Lone Wolf. So right now, he was on borrowed time.

He rises back to his feet, his ginga was looking a bit more unsteady than it had earlier in the fight. He swings a fast and hard roundhouse, attempting to go through Terry's head. Should that one connect, he draws that same leg back around to hook around the back of the neck and then suddenly drop his weight to drive Terry face down to the ground. Should that first kick not connect, he'll just attempt to recoil it and get ready for the response.

COMBATSYS: Aranha successfully hits Terry with Face Down.

[                       \\\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Terry            1/-======/=======|>>>>>>>\>------\1           Aranha

[TERRY]
In a normal situation, the sheer difference in physique might play a bigger factor; Terry is not only built like a tank, but his fighting style and chi-amplifying techniques are all made to endure assaults until the opponent's in attrition, and pull out ahead through forceful tenacity. Yet repeatedly aiming for the head... there's only so much that can be done about that, and the brutal kick catches him in the face, sending his red cap flying backwards. For the first time he genuinely sags heavily, surprised at how much his head is spinning... he feels so much energy and vitality, that he wasn't paying proper attention to the proverbial venom of the Spider's fangs... the next blow drives him down, and he hits the ground on his knees and elbows, bowed before Aranha. Not many people in this world, televised or otherwise, have actually brought Terry Bogard to his knees.

"...Hah!" He rises up, and suddenly swings a powerful hook punch towards Aranha. It's not intended to hit; but the powerful ripple of wind should bring some space. In the pair's current state, even a lucky blow would probably tip the tables. "...You're a hell of an opponent... I thought I'd have to play easy in this tournament. Alright!!" He snatches his hat from the ground, and yanks it down on his head, grinning wildly as blood seeps from his nose and the corner of his mouth.

"Here comes... the big one...!" Leading with his right foot, he rears back his right arm, holding his forearm tight. The crowd goes wild. What might be one of the most recognized assaults in the fighting world is about to be unleashed. One that Aranha would likely know fully well that he only does against people he considers his peers, worthy of the full strength of his mightiest technique.

And then there's a flash. The ground cracks, Terry seeming to almost teleport as he aims to swing and sink his orange-burning knuckle into Aranha's stomach, trying to double him over. His muscles bulging to superhuman levels, twisting in masterful technique, the world seeming to stand still as the energy seethes and condenses in his knuckles. Before his left arm reaches out, taking the leading wrist.

"BUSTER..." And then a massive plume of orange explosive chi would erupt out, shaking the entire overpass. Car alarms are heard screaming a few blocks away, and much of the audience ends up staggered or on their own asses as a huge wall of dust and debris is kicked up. "WOOOOOLF!!"

The air shocked into silence in the wake of his assault, cameras and crew trying desperately to re-focus and take in the end of the battle...!

COMBATSYS: Terry successfully hits Aranha with Buster Wolf+.

[                       \\\\\\\  < >  /                             ]
Terry            0/-------/----===|>>>>>>>\>------\1           Aranha

[ARANHA]
If Aranha had to be honest with himself, he was fighting well beyond his normal capability. Of course, it was tactical acumen that put him in the position to fight beyond his usual ability and allowing him to go blow for blow when normally the fight should be a one sided affair darkstalker enhancements or not. He's breathing heavy. The fight was taking a toll on him and his healing factor was requiring too much of his energy to stay in the fight.

The subtle switch step he took before throwing the initial kick made the kick seem like it was coming faster than it actually was. Granted, it was coming in pretty fast, so the kick wasn't completely deceiving. He wanted to encourage Terry to attempt to shell up and then blow through the guard. At the very least, he got through.

The hook that Terry does succeed in backing Aranha up but the footwork he used for his attack managed to keep Aranha off center just enough to keep him from taking the full brunt of the Buster Wolf. The capoeirista, otherwise unable to defend himself from the Lone Wolf's attack is sent spinning wildly before he slams into the metal barrier.

The Dancing Spider says as pants from exhaustion, "This required a performance of a lifetime to get you to this point. I'd have difficulty duplicating it."

The capoeirista takes one last moment to study his opponent before his overtaxed body shuts down so that he can shift his body's resources to recovery.

COMBATSYS: Aranha decides that discretion is the better part of valor.

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

COMBATSYS: Aranha can no longer fight.

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

[TERRY]
"Hahahah... you took my Buster Wolf and are still conscious. That's a pretty exclusive club in the first place..." His fist seethes out steam lightly, as his amplifying energy gradually ablates, Terry whipping up his arm and adjusting his hat. "If you ever want to take me on again, feel free! I've never turned down a fight and don't plan. ...and believe me, I went into this wanting to win."

He digs out a cellphone, glancing at it with a little smirk. "Jae Hoon... he's wanted to spar me for awhile, now. I figured the big leagues, a national tournament, would be a good time to see how much he's grown. I was getting a little worried, there." Shoulders slowly roll, before he thrusts up his own arms. Comparatively, Aranha's damage was mostly concussive... the rapid build-up of repeated blows to the heat. It does mean his recovery is far quicker, even so shortly after the fight... but how close he came to losing consciousness and being declared the loser was not invisible to the rest of those observing.

"C'MON, C'MON!!" He leaps up upon the barrier, turning to face the crowd. Digging out a marker, and throwing a thumb's up. "For the next hour, I'll be celebrating with some autographs, interviews, photos... you name it. That fight got my blood boiling... I'm in a good mood!!"

COMBATSYS: Terry wanders on to find the next challenge.

Log created on 16:01:22 08/20/2021 by Aranha, and last modified on 22:06:24 08/24/2021.