Match of the Millennium

Description: Jae Hoon and Hayley, two dedicated fighters coming together for a honourable tournament match. A fight that'll keep you on the edge of your seat.

[HAYLEY]
Hayley Bretherton sometimes has a hard time keeping up with what, exactly, Sayaka has signed her up for. Ever since winning the Rising Star tournament, it feels like her agent assigned by the Kanzukis is always looking for the next big promotion, be it an actual tournament, some bizarre novelty match, or even a marketing promotion. When she arrives to a panorama of advertisements for more than a dozen different food and spice brands here in the Old Delhi market, Hayley cannot say she is surprised.

The Aussie exhales deeply. Today she's dressed in her kung fu uniform, her blue hair tied back up in a long ponytail. She commences some stretching while waiting for whomever is supposed to arrive for today's match.

"Hoi," Hayley says, "Sayaka?"

"Yes, Miss Bretherton?" the twenty-something Japanese woman in business casual fans herself from the heat before pushing up her glasses.

"...I don't need to do a commericial or something here, do I?"

"Well, er..."

[JAE HOON]
When Jae Hoon discovered that a new tournament was to be running in the near future, he'd been so ecstatic to partake. As per usual, an opportunity like participating in public fights and the like always provides a way for him to bring the utmost honour to his family name and Kim Kaphwan's legendary practice.

So, naturally, of course he signed up!

What... hasn't been all that thrilling, is learning just where his first match was to take place...

And so, arriving in Old Dehli, trying to keep his spirits high, the young Korean teen is nearly already melting as he surfaces on the stage where the tournament is to begin. He's sweating, unaccustomed to heat such as this, but it appears there is at least /some/ shading where he is to be sparring, so that provides a little comfort.

Adorned in his usual taekwondo get-up, the patch of his father's dojang stitched onto the back, he pads up to where his opponent is, clearly having arrived some time before him. She appears relatively comfortable, seemingly unbothered by the temperatures this place boasts - and it isn't even that hot of a day!

Funny how he can handle the heat of freshly boiled tea, but not scorching rays of sun on a hot day.

There are observers, of course. Bodies mingling around the makeshift ring, peering in or lingering to see what is going on. Not an unusual sight to behold, given what he's seen in the past. Off to the side, the staff of the tournament are talking among themselves as they organise what is necessary for the fight to begin.

Formalities and such.

With his sleeves rolled up, the dark-haired boy offers a stern but approachable smile to his challenger, tipping his head into a polite bow in greeting. "It appears you are my opponent. It is a pleasure and an honour to be here with you today."

Despite all friendliness, surely it can be gleaned how seriously Jae takes these sorts of scenarios. He is here with purpose and with vigor. What happens beyond that is up to chance.

Rising back to his full height, he continues on to say, "I am Kim Jae Hoon. I very much look forward to our match. May the odds be in our favour."

[HAYLEY]
Hayley looks up from her her stretches, her face reddening just a little before she snaps up into a more proper, upright position.

"Oh!" Hayley smiles awkwardly, "Ah. Sorry 'bout that, I didn't realize anyone had got here yet." She sizes him up, and, upon doing so, her cheeks flush just a little more.

"Oh, likewise! Er...taekwondo?" she asks. "I can tell from the daebok..." And thus, Hayley sets out to show Jae Hoon what a nerd she is, right from the start.

Even so, she puts her fist into her palm and bows properly. "Let's have a good match!"

[JAE HOON]
Not intentionally meaning to catch his opponent off guard, a bright flush of pink touches Jae's ears as he offers her a polite apologetic bow. Even his expression shows a mild bit of regret upon sneaking up on her.

Though, despite this, it is worth slotting into the back of his mind for later the thought that perhaps this could be a useful tidbit of information.

For what? Who knows at this point.

Truthfully, a daebok isn't terribly difficult to recognise. Each dojang proudly displays different colours, symbols, but the base is generally the same. However, the Korean teen doesn't really consider that to be common knowledge by anyone other than folk in the practice - or some martial artists.

And, of course, die-hard fans such as himself.

This girl knows her stuff, from what he can gather, and it has his smile brightening to rival the sun. Any opportunity he can get to 'talk shop', as they say, he will hop on. "Yes, you're quite correct. I take it you practice some type of kung fu, then?" However, we all know why they're here. With the situation they're in presently, though, there can only be so much chatter before the show must go on.

Gotta save the nerdy chit-chat for later!

With her offering of a good match, Jae Hoon returns the bow in kindness. Shuffling of feet gathers his attention, and as he peers up, the staff can be seen lining up along the sidelines, fully prepared for the tournament to begin. The referee greets them with a smile from where he stands some short feet away. A cue to get ready themselves.

And so, Jae Hoon quickly darts back to his designated corner so that he may drop off his water bottle. There, he performs a few warm-up breathing exercises to stimulate his chi, eagerly awaiting the signal to begin the fight.

[HAYLEY]
"Uh, yeah! I do some bajiquan, and some piguaquan, and I mix in some--" Hayley's motor starts to spin up, but she stalls out as she catches herself and lets off the accelerator. "...yeah, kung fu and some other things!"

Hayley adjusts her footing, sliding one sole out and standing on her forefoot, heel raised slightly as she puts her weight onto her backfoot and raises her arms in a defensive posture. She inhales deeply, then exhales again, watching the other young fighter for a moment before the match starts.

"I'm ready when you are!"

Hayley waits and, when Jae doesn't dive into action, surges forward with a short leap to close the gap. As she steps forward she swings her arms forward in a downward arc, striking with a half-circular motion with her arms almost fully extended to give herself both reach and power to her hit. The blow comes down like an axe-strike, the bluenette using her forearm and the butt of her palm for something that feels somewhere between a chop and a slap.

"Go Hayley!!" Sayaka calls from the sidelines.

"I'm Hayley, by the way!" the Aussie says, her voice rising just above the din of the stands while people start to quiet down a bit to focus on the match. "Sorry I didn't say so earlier!"

COMBATSYS: Hayley has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Hayley           0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Jae Hoon has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Jae Hoon         0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0           Hayley

COMBATSYS: Jae Hoon blocks Hayley's Descending Magpie.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Jae Hoon         0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0           Hayley

[JAE HOON]
Clearly, his challenger is just as passionate about martial arts as he is!

She seems to be bouncing on the spot, throwing her weight about, and it does have Jae Hoon smiling rather brightly as he becomes witness to this excitable demonstration. Just judging from this behaviour, there is no point denying that this fight will be incredibly interesting and engaging to participate in.

After all, these things are always considerably more fun when both people are eager to show their passion and love for the art they practice.

As such, when the match is signalled to begin, Jae is right up at the centre point, poised and ready for combat. Not without manners however, he does offer up a bow before sinking into a defensive stance, hands raised just below chin level. The referee waves them off, beginning the match, and then she's in.

Coming right for him, the taekwondoist keenly watches her every step, each move as she swings herself in and down, attempting to strike downwards upon him. Bringing his arms up swiftly, he rather easily bats her palm strike off it's trajectory. This movement allows for him to step a foot back, just slightly out of range of motion, but it is clear it is a set-up for something.

"I am honoured to receive your first attack, Hayley," The Korean teen acknowledges the introduction with a stern smile. "Please allow me to return it in kind!" A half-skip-and-step forward brings him right into her personal space where his back leg rotates around into a high kick aiming for her collarbone and neck area. Not unkind in where he hits, he is more-or-less rather considerate of their height difference, but certainly isn't taking it easy on her.

They are equals here, and he will treat her as such.

COMBATSYS: Jae Hoon successfully hits Hayley with Shou-Kyaku Hou.
- Power hit! -

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Jae Hoon         0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0           Hayley

[HAYLEY]
Hayley shifts her footing, readying herself for the incoming when her strike slams down against Jae Hoon's high guard. She backsteps and draws up, waiting for the retort, even if the taekwon's manners are polite as can be. She is not prepared.

The kick slips right past her guard and clocks her upside the head, knocking the Australian right off her feet and onto her side. She recovers swiftly enough, rolling over and climbing back onto her feet once more.

"Good hit," she staggers, closing one eye. Taking several deep breathes before reopening it. Afterward, she slides back into her fighting stance.

Bouncing on her feet and back into an appropriate low stance, Hayley surges forward sweeping her arms in a sweeping, Tai Chi like motion, then throwing both palms forward with a flash of blue-white chi from the center.

COMBATSYS: Jae Hoon endures Hayley's Eucalyptus Bloom ES.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Jae Hoon         0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0           Hayley

[JAE HOON]
His aim is true.

Jae Hoon watches as the swift kick lands, sending Hayley staggering off and even earthbound from the impact. In most situations outside of a match, he'd feel pretty terrible for knocking a lady down by way of crashing his foot into her head.

However, he views fights such as this with equal fervour. His challenger would receive fair treatment, without discrimination, and as such, he demonstrates this even with hints of kindness in the undertones.

Wordlessly, the Korean teen sinks into a defensive stance, earthly-brown irises held firmly on her as she returns to the scene rather eagerly. She's bouncing, preparing, and then she's moving again.

This time, she comes in rather low, arms aiming for his torso.

Considering his options in all of a split second, the lithe form creates an opening that allows for that blast of chi to hit against. His abdomen stings from the impact, air sharply drawing in through the pearly whites of his teeth. The force of the attack causes him to skid back, pushing out what little remained in his lungs. As Jae eventually comes to a halt, the front of his daebok can be seen, the fabric singed and disturbed to the point that it became unruffled a little above the belt.

He doesn't stay here, though. Not long enough for anyone to gain eyes on him for too long.

Off like a bullet, Kaphwan's scion takes himself airborne with a skip. Whole body spinning, his back leg swings up over his head in a crescending motion, heel aiming to crash down over Hayley's crown. Should it land, there'll be a brilliant plume of flames bursting upon impact, to which he'll push through until he lands performatively in the splits at her feet.

COMBATSYS: Hayley just-defends Jae Hoon's Hangetsu Zan!

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Jae Hoon         0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0           Hayley

[HAYLEY]
Hayley does not seem to take offense to it, either. It's simply the way a match should go. She bounces on her feet, then shifts to a wider, lower stance, circling the Korean with side steps as she waits for his posture to change. When he moves, fabric shifting and muscles tensing, Hayley seems to pick up on it, her knees bending slightly as she tenses up and lowers her stance.

And when Jae Hoon descends, Hayley's brow furrows. Her teeth clench. She waits for the moment and brings her arms up once she's gauged the trajectory. Fiery chi flares, but Hayley's aura surges as well. There's a flash, a sheen, and the Aussie's forearms seem to become metallic, iron-like, almost, as the taekwon's blow strikes heavily against her defense. Even so, she does not budge, the metallic shimmer dancing across her face briefly as her ponytail swings behind her.

And then she pivots, trying to keep Jae balanced against one arm as she reaches for his leg with the other. She grasps out and tries to grab hold of his leg---or the cloth around it---and then pivot on her hip to throw him across the arena toward a large sign for Madrasala curry. Fortunately, it is just a sign and not a stand, at least.

COMBATSYS: Jae Hoon blocks Hayley's Medium Throw.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Jae Hoon         0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1           Hayley

[JAE HOON]
Unexpectedly, a surge of chi creates an impenetrable barrier.

A metallic sheen that glistens brightly, catching the teen's eye, an immediate change that couldn't be missed if one is paying attention. Aware of most things in a fight, it is because of this shift in energy that allows for his keen senses to understand this descending kick will not land.

And unfortunately will put him in a rather vulnerable position.

Certainly a little less than ideal.

Taking advantage of that, Hayley attempts to take purchase on the fabric of his daebok slacks. Twisting, Jae's lithe form manages to escape the grasp, his legs cycling so the limb intent on slamming into her crown swapping out with the other mid-air. With the top of his foot, he bats away the hand aiming for him, rendering that latch useless. The slap of skin-on-skin stings a little, but nothing worth noting for the time being.

The Korean boy lands swiftly within his opponent's personal space, just close enough that he's able to maneuver himself rapidly after his landing so that his front leg can tuck tightly into his torso. A familiar sickly heat radiates into his ankle and foot, however it does not burn like the intensity of his fiery chi.

When he fires his foot out, bubbling up from the surface of his skin is a sickly sort of emerald colour, the aura pulsing from him.

Likely an unsuspected offensive tactic on his behalf to his challenger, but the thought is digressed as he aims his heel for the Aussie fighter's torso, intent on slamming a flurry of kicks into her, and quite possibly embedding her with the discomfort of a poisonous zing to his assault.

COMBATSYS: Jae Hoon successfully hits Hayley with Shakka Shuu.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Jae Hoon         1/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1           Hayley

[HAYLEY]
Hayley's fingers grasp at empty air, finding no purchase with either leg or fabric. As Jae lands, Hayley is put on the defensive again, trying to draw up, or draw back. She folds up slightly, pulling her arms tight and twisting her body to withdraw, to put something more solid---like a thigh or a forearm--in between Jae and her exposed ribs, chest, or face.

She tries to spring to the side, to step out of the reach of those powerful kicks. Even as she tries to withdraw, Jae is upon her, his kick sliding under her guard and detonating with a burst of toxic chi. Kick after kick rattles her ribs, knocking the wind out of her and battering her like a ship in the storm before the last one impacts with even more force.

Hayley leaves the ground briefly before her feet thump back onto the stone of the walk and skid for a moment. She loses her footing and drops onto one knee into a crouch with a wheeze. "T-too fast," Hayley pants, squeezing one eye shut as she cradles her ribs. She grinds one heel to get her foot, then pushes up before sliding her other foot wide and slipping back into her stance. Several deep breaths follow, her chest rising and falling before she blows strands of blue hair from her face.

And then the bluenette surges forward toward the taekwon, closing the gap between them with explosive force. She slams one foot down like a hammer, then presses onto that knee as she slams toward Jae with her shoulder and back, arms extended up and behind for balance. From there, Hayley strikes out again, first with two snake strikes, then a palm, then a second. She side steps, kicking and testing another opening.

From there she tries to move to the other side, sweeping her palms for another concentrated chi blast, her metallic energies infusing her palms and her forearms as she does. If she creates this final opening, Hayley tries to grab hold, pull Jae back in, and then launch him away with a swift and powerful hip check, further amplified by metallic chi.

COMBATSYS: Hayley successfully hits Jae Hoon with Southern Cross Formation EX.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Jae Hoon         1/---====/=======|==-----\-------\0           Hayley

[JAE HOON]
"Apologies!" comes his voice from across the ring, though his stance shows no evidence of backing down. He may feel guilty for repeatedly slamming his foot into a woman's torso with the force of a battering ram, but what is more prevalent is the nature of the fight.

This is just how these things go.

And really, it's better to treat Hayley as an equal than to assume anything about her based on gender. That just isn't Jae Hoon's style.

And good thing, too, for what he's about to experience is truly on the behalf of a very skilled fighter.

Preparing for the incoming assault, the Korean teen holds his guard at the ready, but he quickly recognises it is not enough. Her shoulder comes in, breaking said guard, causing him to teeter slightly back and involuntarily opening his midsection for an attack. Which she absolutely takes advantage of.

A flurry of blows land their marks, slamming against his ribcage and stealing any air away from him in the process. The intensity of these hits will certainly bruise tomorrow as they ache the bones they impact. Wordlessly, Jae does try to keep up his defences throughout, only managing to bat away one of the two palm strikes. Everything beyond that succeeds, and it absolutely hurts, even if it isn't entirely reflected in his body language or through the contortion of his handsome features.

However, unfortunately for him, the purchase on his daebok is found. Left vulnerable, Hayley's weight slams into him, sending him stumbling.

Skidding back, with feet gripping tight to the earth below, Jae Hoon deeply gasps for breath. Whole body burning from the impact, he gives his dark head a shake, raven strands tickling the tip of his nose as deep brown irises gaze up under his brow.

"Good show," he breathes out, offering his challenger a tug of a smile. Instead of rising to his full height, however, he crouches into a low defensive stance. Those piercing eyes eventually close as he begins to draw in steady breaths... seemingly composing himself. Channelling his energy.

"But I'm not ready to go down just yet, Miss."

COMBATSYS: Jae Hoon gains composure.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Jae Hoon         1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0           Hayley

[HAYLEY]
Hayley moves fluidly through her combination, like an actor reciting her lines or a dancer executing her routine. Each hit is like trained reflex, strung together into a whole. By the time she finishes, however, Hayley is winded. Her breaths are heavy as she lands out of her bazooka of a hip-check.

But Jae is back on his feet, repositioning, ready to go. The Aussie inhales, then slides back into her fighting stance again. Her shoes kick up dust as she slides her feet further apart, shifting her weight lower, then onto her back foot.

"Great!" Hayley says, "I didn't think you would be!"

And then she launches forward in a leap, closing the gap as her feet fall heavily near Jae. She doesn't land fully, balancing herself on one leg and then springing into a bouncy, boxeresque stance with more mobile footwork. She snaps out, kicking toward Jae's ribs, then stepping forward to initate a grab and a knee.

COMBATSYS: Jae Hoon interrupts Kangaroo Boxing Stance from Hayley with Hou-yoku Ten-Shou Kyaku EX.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Jae Hoon         0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1           Hayley

[JAE HOON]
Slow, steady breaths...

Concentration...

As if every sound occurs right next to his ears, Jae Hoon is keen to the presence and shifting of his opponent. Her feet sliding underneath her weight, repositioning, resonate as if she were standing by his head. Another deep breath hones his focus on her inward advance, her words announced to him a signal that perhaps she is thrilled about his resilience.

Then... his lithe form spins.

Quickly, he gauges the space he requires to take a single half-step back, calculating where she may land, and before Hayley can fully close in on him, though that leap may be performed with tremendous skill, the Korean teen only allows her a moment for the toe of her shoe to make contact with the ground.

And then in the moments after, he's on her.

Jae's front leg rapidly swings round, plowing right into the Aussie girl's temple, giving her an alarming smack. The force of this would stagger her back, disarming her, in which his lean frame begins to rotate so that he may take himself into an airborne backflip. In doing so, another kick flies out, the heel driving into the underside of her jaw with explosive intent that launches Hayley into the sky and away from him entirely.

Using the momentum of his body like a pendulum swing, Kaphwan's scion manages to secure himself squarely on the ground once again, some short feet from his challenger. Sinking into a defensive stance, knees and fists apart, he offers her words of encouragement: "You almost had me!"

[HAYLEY]
The whole exchange takes only seconds, or fractions of seconds. Hayley has closed the gap, readied her stance, closed in for the blow. Jae Hoon's reaction is instantaneous and with no wasted movement. There's the one-two of the hits in only a moment, but it feels much longer as Hayley staggers and then soars backward across the arena. Her transit is punctuated by the creaking crunch of a table that had the misfortune of being her landing zone.

And afterward, Hayley works her jaw for several moments before even thinking about getting up. When she does, it takes her a moment to plant her hands on the fractured particleboard and push up onto her feet, where she staggers to keep her balance.

"So fast..." she works her jaw, this time with her hand. "But don't count me out yet!" Hayley surges forward again, this time going lower, she tightens her stance, pulling close and striking out once with a low palm toward the Korean's belly.

COMBATSYS: Jae Hoon blocks Hayley's Medium Punch.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Jae Hoon         0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1           Hayley

[JAE HOON]
"You are putting up quite the fight!" Jae Hoon calls as Hayley rises, having taken quite the beating from his assault. Offering up a kind smile, albeit slightly influenced by an underlying competitive nature, he adds, "I am truly honoured to be sparring with you today!"

No word of a lie, either!

Genuine happiness fills every inch of his handsome features, even if he is appearing a fair bit more serious during the event itself. There truly is no greater joy to someone like him than to have a pleasant, well-fought and equal match with someone who is willing to showcase their skills and passion for the art they practice.

On this day, the youthful Aussie has quite honestly earned his respect.

And again, she comes for him.

Determined to remain in his personal space, she leaps right in, stance tight and arms intent on striking into his midsection. Swiftly, Jae rotates himself so that his palm swings down, batting her wrist from it's destination. A smirk tugs at the corner of his lips. "Getting in close, hey?"

However, his challenger may notice that the momentum isn't forceful enough to direct her away completely.

That open palm would then attempt to find purchase securely at her wrist, in which his fingers would wrap tightly and allow him to tug her into him. His other arm would then extend out to find the crook on the outer side of her upper arm, just above the elbow. If this is successful, once Hayley is drawn near, the teen then would turn the entirety of his lithe form so that his opponent would roll up and over his shoulder, effectively tossed into the air and away.

COMBATSYS: Hayley interrupts Tai-Otoshi EX from Jae Hoon with Hunting Dingo EX.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Jae Hoon         1/-----==/=======|=------\-------\0           Hayley

[HAYLEY]
"That's right!" Hayley answers in turn, having closed the gap. When he punch is deflected she pivots, ducking and weaving to try and pull back and away after seeing the speed of the taekwon's last reaction. When he grabs at her wrist, Hayley is pulled forward toward a grab.

But the Aussie reacts in turn, snapping forward toward the other side with her free hand. Spike-like "claws of chi pour forth from her fingers, briefly, before her aura flares, flickering almost like a broadcast with a poor signal. It sparks and flickers before snuffing out and leaving Hayley's claw strike coated in that metallic, iron-like chi instead. The Aussie winces when it does, but the blow itself packs extra power and force. Rather than a claw of chi, her fingers become steel-hard as they wrench, pushing against Jae to break from the hold before a second claw strike comes from her freed hand to try and drive him back and away.

[JAE HOON]
Unexpectedly, Jae falls short of what he intends to do.

Expectedly though, Hayley delivers a blow that would serve to impress the teen, but only after he's been hit by it.

She's quick, ducking into an open space he doesn't realise he'd left open. Almost blinded by the flashing aura, his eyes widen to the size of moons as he begins to understand just how detrimental those forming claws would be to him. Without much of a chance to break away, he's struck by these metallic razors, feeling their steely edges embed diagonally across his chest and torso.

Not quite broken from Hayley, a secondary stroke by these dagger-like claws sears pain into him. The force of it sends him staggering away, with torn fabric and droplets of blood spattering where he once stood.

Clutching his chest a moment, the young scion breathes heavily. Earthly coloured irises lift, meeting his opponent's gaze in turn. Slowly, he nods, that smirk returning to his face, a clear indication of his impression of her attack.

"That didn't feel so great..." he tells her, bringing himself back to a low fighting stance. With some distance created between them, he steps in, breaking into a run. Right as he encloses on Hayley's personal bubble, his entire height suddenly is crouching in front of her.

Pushing energy into his feet, he generates heat into his ankles, and as he rises upwards into the air, a side kick thrusts out from his centre core. The heel of such, bursting with chi-imbued flames, aims for his opponent's chin!

COMBATSYS: Hayley blocks Jae Hoon's Hien Zan.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Jae Hoon         1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0           Hayley

[HAYLEY]
Hayley's right eye closes slightly and her teeth grit as her aura adjusts, waxing and waning with that surge of power that turned the Aussie's strike sharply metallic instead of purely energy. "S-sorry," Hayley mumbles. "It came out a little differently than intended..."

But then Jae Hoon has closed the gap again, invading Hayley's bubble with an assault that has begun anew. The flame erupts and Hayley can feel the burst of heat like someone igniting an open fire, but there's no time to dwell on it. The rising kick comes for her core, and Hayley reacts in turn.

There's a flicker, again. A glimmer of metal as her body shifts slightly and the kick strikes against her forearms, the light of the flames dancing across them as she deploys that iron-like chin again. It drives her back, but the Aussie leans away from it, narrowly avoiding a boot to the chin this time. She backsteps, almost stumbling, but rights herself with a shifting of her stance. Learning onto her backfoot, she curls like an adder ready to strike, then launches into a low, sliding kick toward Jae's feet.

COMBATSYS: Hayley successfully hits Jae Hoon with Diving Kick.

[                          \\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Jae Hoon         1/-======/=======|=====--\-------\0           Hayley

[JAE HOON]
"Worry not. I am much sturdier than I look." A battered body didn't reflect the soul within, which roared with a spirit so intense that it kept him moving regardless of his wounds.

So, as intended, he's on her once again, though she does manage to deflect his abilities from her in a rather impressive show of speed. A dazzling display of fire on metal sparks in the narrow space between them, likely aweing the audience and judges that witness the scene before them. They're showered in this glittery substance, yet it does not yield either one of them.

Withstanding one blow of this energy is one thing, knowing that Hayley may perhaps be slightly surprised by its appearance. The ripple of the newfound chi that envelopes between them is pungent, not remotely close to evaporating from existence.

In fact, it seems to eagerly flicker, glimmering and catching Jae's attention for the briefest of moments.

Enough that it distracts him. What an error on his behalf.

Hayley shifts once more, crouching low, and it is only when a heel encloses mere inches from his ankle does the Korean boy see it in its entirety. In a feeble attempt to dodge it, he motions to leap upwards, but the timing is off. What normally would be something that would just sweep him off his feet ends up colliding like he'd tripped over a scrap piece of metal.

The joint aches terribly from the impact, and he ends up toppling over himself towards the ground, smacking down harshly onto concrete. Mildly winded, he lays on his side, his handsome features contorting with the pain of such a crash.

Rolling halfways up, his torso twisting so that his palms may spread out on the ground, the youthful fighter knows he is right at his limits. However, determined to have his final stand, he lifts and spins his lithe form until he is positioned beneath his opponent. "Once more!"

With a burst of rapid movement, he shoots himself upwards, letting his legs come up and under her chin once more, intent on bestowing a flurry of kicks into her. Each kick would explode around her if they land, burning flames imploding from said explosions, searing with a heat that would burn a little... differently than they should.

COMBATSYS: Jae Hoon can no longer fight.

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

COMBATSYS: Hayley fails to interrupt Chou Hou'ou Kyaku from Jae Hoon with Wombat's Crushing Blow.
- Power fail! -


COMBATSYS: Hayley can no longer fight.


[HAYLEY]
Hayley rolls backward, planting her palms on the ground and vaulting up into a somersault back to her feet. For a moment, there is a brief gap between them. This is good in that it gives her a moment to plan her next move and to react to what comes for her next.

The blizzard of kicks, raining down upon her in a flurry, explode with fire...fire that is often. Toxic. Like a grease fire. Or a chemical burn. The Aussie pivots, trying to position herself to intercept, to take the blows in a way that the blows are absorbed by more...robust portions of Hayley's physique, but her timing and position is off. Critically. The first kick impacts her collar bone, and it all spirals from there.

Blow upon blow batter the bluenette as she slips in and out of full consciousness. When Jae breaks away, she staggers, back stepping once, then twice, before falling down onto her back with a thump. She does not get up immediately.

[JAE HOON]
In a brave display, Hayley is encased in intense blows that - quite honestly - seemed to hit more intensely than anticipated. Maybe it's the foreign chi that does it, although he could suspect much without confirming anything.

Probably unnecessary to do so anyway.

Ceasing his assault upon completion, with his body anchored barely to a stand, he watches what unfolds beyond. The Aussie girl teeters before him, succumbing to the flurry and taking to the ground with a weighted 'thump' that causes Jae Hoon immediate pause.

... Is she not getting up?

It seems not...

Hefty breaths draw in and out, expanding and deflating his lungs almost desperately. Balance already unstable, Kaphwan's scion also tips himself back in an effort of exhaustion, his bottom hitting the concrete with a slight thudding noise as well.

"... What an honour," he mutters out to no one in particular. Arm drawn up, it is used to brush the sweat from his dark brow as his head tips up toward the sky.

Such a lovely day for a fight like this. Truly the greatest pleasure to participate in a match with someone like her.

This is something Jae Hoon vows to tell her. At least, some other day.

Log created on 21:06:06 01/06/2022 by Jae Hoon, and last modified on 21:52:33 03/09/2022.