Match of the Millennium

Description: Out in a nameless Southwest desert, a Greyhound Motor Bus riddled with bullet holes and blood spatter will see a confrontation between Illyria's regal swordsman Leo Whitefang and the blood-soaked mystery known only as Lotus.

[LOTUS]
Night falls in the desesrt near an old Greyhound motor bus. Bullet-holes criss-cross the aging vehicle, and blood splatters can be seen on the windows inside as well as on the stairs entering the vehicle.

The darkness of night comes quickly..... TOO quickly, as if some supernatural element is at play..... Soon, there is no light at all.....

A spot of light suddenly appears in the pitch blackness, lighting up the bus as well as the ground in a good sized radius. The terrain around it is impossible to make out, despite the dusty sand covering the ground, and no light source is visible to produce such a beacon.

None the less, it is here, and with it come the combatants it is intended for. Out of the darkness saunters the chaotic murderess, Black Lotus. She has drawn her weapons, and stares off into the blackness, looking for her target. Precisely HOW she got here, she isn't sure, but for the time being, she doesn't really care. "Come out, come out, whatever you are!" she calls, grinning viciously.

[LEO WHITEFANG]
"No need to shout. I'm already here."

Leo Whitefang's baritone voice echoes out from the darkness, accompanied by a loud *thump* and a groaning, creaking sound of metal bending as the large Illyrian King makes his presence known from his perch atop the abandoned motor bus. The vantage point grants him a good view of the entire desolate battleground and Lotus as she prowls into view, her killing instinct and aura palpable to the Sacred Order knight turned king.

"I take it you're not here to sight see and are probably not responsible for the sorcery that envelops this place. I wonder what I've gotten myself into."

The tall man then stands and springs up from the bus, landing solidly to the ground and facing Lotus. He brings his arms up, Iron Cross blades infusing with chi and extending in size on either arm before he crouches down into a swaying combat stance. "Well, let's get this over with."

[LOTUS]
"Definitely not responsible for the magic hoo-doo-voodoo" Lotus says with a shrug ".... BUT definitely here to get this over with!".

She gives a manic giggle as she turns to face him, body tensed and ready for movement!

COMBATSYS: Lotus has started a fight here.

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Lotus            0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang has joined the fight here.

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Lotus            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LEO WHITEFANG]
"Eager for violence eh? True, this is a tournament but it's clear to me that blood letting is a routine for you.."

Leo's eyes narrow as he crosses both of his blades before him, "But I didn't come here to pyschologically examine you." He crouches low, powerful legs flexing such that the muscles press visibly agaist his trousers, "I came to win!"

That declared, the Second King suddenly lunges forward at Lotus, a racing dash that sends him across the field of battle like a bolt of lightning. Dust rips up behind him in his wake and both of his blades trade jagged trails of iron aspected chi that cut through wind in an attempt to cross Lotus up with this opening salvo of swinging blades.

COMBATSYS: Lotus dodges Leo Whitefang's Kaltes Gestober Erst.

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Lotus            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LOTUS]
Leo's blades swing true, but find only empty air as the object of Leos ire has already lept into the air at the last minute.

She grins down at him, almost as if the moment was in slow motion, as she descends from above, knives out and ready to be brought down on his shoulders as she lands literally ON him if able, an easy feat considering the difference in size between the two "Oh, don't bother trying to psychologically examine ME. You won't sleep for years after".

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang blocks Lotus' Catch the Prey.

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Lotus            0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LEO WHITEFANG]
Sparks fly and the sound of metal clashing rings out as Leo spins, coming easily out of the recoil of his missed opening assault, and instead bringing one of his blades up to take the brunt of Lotus' attack with speed that belies his figures. His coat and belts whirl around him almost like a curtain as he shoves back against the attack, attempting to push her backwards and then he brings his other sword arm up and crosses the blades together. "Fast.." he admits before pulling the blades apart with another singing sound of metal scraping and iron chi bursting. An ornate looking blazing 'x' shape of pure chi energy erupts into being from the whipping movements and the projectile llasts out away from the Illyrian King, attempting to catch Lotus before she is able to touch back down and recover.

COMBATSYS: Lotus blocks Leo Whitefang's Graviert Wurde.

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Lotus            0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LOTUS]
It's a smart move, honestly..... if it were anyone else, it likely would have worked.

Lotus does something unusual, however. Instead of try to avoid the energy, or stop it with her arms or some other shield, she times her landing so she lands ON it with a hard strike and a sharp cry! The projectile is negated, with Lotus only taking minor damage to her person.

In the same instant, she reaches back, pulls out a long thin stiletto, and throws it in return to try to catch him unawares. The unnerving grin remains, as she tilts her head "You're no slouch yourself, kit cat!".

The Stiletto has a hollow core, and a hole in the pommel. If it strikes him, blood will drain through the blades core and leak onto the floor through the back of the pommel.

COMBATSYS: Lotus successfully hits Leo Whitefang with Pinprick.

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Lotus            0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LEO WHITEFANG]
It's a clean strike. He's had worse, far worse, but it doesn't make it not painful and it certainly doesn't do one any good to see their blood being taken through a manner of such intentional visual cruelty

If anything it spurs his aggression onward, causing him to lunge in towards her after a gestyre and series of movements dislodges the stiletto as he closes the distance.

"Not bad yourself." he utters before his weapons come hurtling around in a series of rapid strikes, whirling this way and that in a series of blurring chi trailing arcs attempting to push her backwards in a sudden burst of furious energy and rapid-fire attacks. Towards the end of the combo he even attempts to draw her in towards him with his leg kicking out to try and send her tumbling to the ground violently.

COMBATSYS: Lotus dodges Leo Whitefang's Armed Combo.

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Lotus            0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LOTUS]
With a cackle, Leo will notice that as he blurs into motion, so does Lotus! She matches his speed move for move, his strikes missing by millimeters each time.

When the kick comes, Lotus leaps forwards, plants her hands, then kicks upwards, performing an impromptu flash kick of sorts, aiming for Leo's jaw with her foot!

If not impeded, she lands in a handstand, and backflips a few times to get distance, landing in a crouch, weapons at the ready!

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang blocks Lotus' Random Strike.

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Lotus            0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LEO WHITEFANG]
The Second King of Illyria remains undeterred. The kick is thwarted by a push back from the flats of his crossed blades and then he's lunging in again, darting through the sands in a violent rush of movement as he gives chase to Echo. An great cat unleashed and unwilling to yield its prey no matter how fast it may be.

And Leo seems to be perpetually getting faster. He presses in on her, blades spinning in anticipation and then he suddenly dashes in once again, closing the distance with a blur of movement that sprays dirt, dust and sand in every direction as his weapons drag iron chi behind them. He again attempts a cross up, blades singing with the pace of his assault, but hit or miss he comes back, the opposite way, for a second crossup attempt. A slide-through dashing slash that would put him back on the other side of her once more.

His body shifts, adjusting into a violent blur of movement from that position as he springs. His great blades wheeling like a spinning pinewheel as he lunges in for yet another strike with blinding speed. His body hurtles upwards, dragging the blades with him in rising slash as he thunders out loudly, "EISEN STURM!!"

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang blitzes into action and acts again!

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Lotus            0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

COMBATSYS: Lotus dodges Leo Whitefang's Kaltes Gestober Zweit.

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Lotus            0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang successfully hits Lotus with Eisen Sturm.
Grazing Hit

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Lotus            1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LOTUS]
Lotus, for her part, actually is completely correct in her estimation.

She sees a LOT of power in his windup, and a lot of velocity!

She races towards him, and slides low, his swings going right over her by millimeters! She leaps forwards into a forwards vault, avoiding his second attack almost by accident!

The third attack ALMOST catches her completely off-guard though! She is only barely able to leap back as Leos upward swings nick her regardless! Despite being only a grazing strike, they do a LOT of damage, creating two large, blood-spurting gashes parallel in her torso!

She coughs up a gout of blood, her grin and manic expression only increasing to feral levels as she breaths hard, cearly hurt decently and suddenly. In her frenzy she races forwards, LEAPING at the large warrior with complete reckless abandon, bringing both knives down hard, not caring at present what she's hitting, only that it makes him bleed nicely!

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang interrupts Crushing Strike from Lotus with Konigliches Gesicht.

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Lotus            1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\1    Leo Whitefang

[LEO WHITEFANG]
A whirlwind of blades, chi, muscle and that luxurious mane of hair! Well not as luxurious as in the past as it's been cut short but..the rest of it is accurate! Leo spins like a wild storm and lands roughly a few yards away..sliding to a stop from the momentum of the Eisen Sturm and frowning lightly to himself at the same time.

He barely has time to blink. A twinkle of an eye before her killer instinct is upon him and he whips around to see her descending with death in her madcap gaze.

Timing is crucial and Leo has no time to bring his blades up for a counter..but he is not without resources even if this resource is literally using his lion's pride as a weapon. A burst of chi billowing up around him in a wide area of effect burst that takes on a shape as he thrusts his chest outwards and upwards and sends the chi image of himself colliding upwards with Lotus -just- before she truly strikes home.

The force of her madcape assault still rips down into him, even through the chi-bust, tearing into his reinforced overcoat and the garments beneath to score more wounds upon his frame.. But he remains standing - pushing her back violently with the images explosive force.

[LOTUS]
Lotus screams in pain as her body becomes alight with Leos firey chi energy! she'd be 'lion' if she wasn't!

She falls through it, intent on keeping on him! She's realized his speed is half his battle, and by keeping on him, she hopes to deprive him of manuevering room! She commences with a frenzy of slashes and stabs, seemingly with little regard for herself!

Just as her attack commences, her knives and body glow with a faint, unplacable white glow that is gone again as fast as it appeared. She, however, seems oblivious to this.

COMBATSYS: Lotus successfully hits Leo Whitefang with Slice and Dice.

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Lotus            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=------\1    Leo Whitefang

[LEO WHITEFANG]
Teeth tightly gritted, his burning chi giving his expression the illusion of lion fangs in his mouth, Leo holds his ground furiously and attempts to bring his blades up in a flurry of movements to block Lotus' efforts. Her strategy seems to have some merit as forced to hold his ground against her his lunging, dashing movements are kept at bay and he becomes badly pressed. His blades fail to find their mark and her slashes rip into him, tearing past his coat and magically toughened regalia to find the tough flesh beneath. Flesh every bit as tough as some protective wear but still subject to her slashes as blood sprays and coats his garments and the ground beneath.

He doesn't cry out however, instead his eyes seem to light up with a sudden burst of reserve that once more fills him. He notes the strange flash of light. Senses the aspected chi..but this is no time to comment on it as she is like a beast upon him.

So he responds in kind. A King of Beasts. His body lunges again, despite the close distance, blurring into speed like some sort of giant monster truck that has hit the accelerator. His twin blades lunge out at her, burning with fury as a series of rapid fire blurring slashes whirl through the air at her in an extended combo of assaults followed by him bracing his legs and then leaping again, attempting to knock her airborn with him if the blow lands. A brilliant slashing iron-cross shape of chi blazing around them both in an attempted aerial finish on the brutal combo of steel.

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang knocks away Lotus with Leidenschaft Dirigent.
- Power hit! -

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Lotus            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LOTUS]
There is some advantage to being a monster. Most can't handle such a frenzy, either by physical weakness or outright fear. Lotus, when in a frenzy, can indeed be little more than a bloodthirsty beast, and generally, she ends up lucking out a bit and managing to survive through things due to her unnaturally fast reflexes and inhuman regeneration.....

This is not one of those times.

She is unable to evade in time, and is caught up in Leos chain of strikes! Bits and pieces of her are shorn off outright! Flesh and blood rain onto the ground beneath the pair as he continues his assult, her bones visible in places so deep is the damage inflicted!

The final strike does a SERIOUS number on her! It misses a COMPLETE bisection by inches, and instead impacts her shoulder, sliding down and out through her waist, taking off the arm and a nice chunk of her torso cleanly! The last hit sends her flying, where she collides with the bus with a loud *CRASH!*, leaving a large, gore-covered hole.

A moment later, there's motion! She's not yet down for the count.... somehow! A bloody hand pulls herself up and out, revealing the mess she currently is.... half her head is missing, the exposed brain tissue quivering, one eye filled with madness locked on him. Blood is POURING everywhere as she manages to stumble up. Her breath comes in ragged bubbling gasps, only half her lips still in place. She says nothing, because she can't in current condition or is in too much agony, who's to say? She flops to the ground outside the bus, before pulling herself up shakily, that half-mouth sliiiiiiiding into what it can of a grin. Even now, Leo can visibily see the ragged edges of the injuries slooowly beginning to somehow regenerate ever so slightly, ever so slowly.....

COMBATSYS: Lotus takes no action.

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Lotus            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LEO WHITEFANG]
THe truth is that he did not intend for such devestation to be wrecked upon her. He did sense the sorcery of the place, meant to keep fataility and lethality at bay in a realm of non permanence but his intentions were never to out tight kill or cause such damage that an opponent in a tournament, even one that carries such risk, should be outright slain and let us be clear - this would have killed many.

He has seen death and dealt it but there is a time and place for such things and a way to unleash violence that still leaves the other able to live or at least be salvaged. Here, Leo looks on with a stern frown on his features and an internal rebuke. Perhaps there is something cruel here in this place that is pushing this level of aggression upon the Second King? Or perhaps not. He'd like to assume there is.

But seeing her grin, her smile, snaps him out of it and the warrior king returns. Pity and concern is replaced with determination and he pauses in his assault to gather his focus and ready for her counter assault.

"You can yield, if you wish to.." he offers, "I will not attack an opponent who is down. But you only get one opportunity to do so before I cut you down.."

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang focuses on his next action.

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Lotus            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LOTUS]
What a generous offer! Normally, when injured as badly as Lotus is currently, the smart move is to accept such.

Then again, this is Black Lotus we're talking about.

At first it sounds like a bubbling rasp.... but quickly it becomes clear she's laughing at his offer as best her condition will allow. That mad eye fixes on his own "DoN'T WiMpOuuT oNm e NOw" comes the gutteral response as she somehow manages to LEAP forwards in a jumping forward kick aimed at his midsection! Compared to previous attacks, it seems more to goad him than do serious damage, BUT it likely WILL hurt if it connects!

As she closes in, Leo would clearly see that her body is actively healing itself faster than one would expect..... even now the bleeding is just starting to slow, despite the MASSIVE injuries!

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang blocks Lotus' Strong Kick.

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Lotus            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LEO WHITEFANG]
He sees it. His warrior-king's pride means that to attack her while prone, regeneration or not, would have required a more dire circumstances then a duel in a tournament he's investigating for his own reasons..

But it does not mean he intends to lose nor get into a battle of attrition against a being who can rapidly heal.

This reality is made known as he brings his arms and blades up to knock aside her attempt with the flats of the weapon and his considerable well revealed strength. In doing so he attempts to push her to the side and send her away from him as he turns and then leaps, pressing into the air once again in a spinning whirling attack that sends an extended leg kicking out towards her and then as his rotation continues, both his blades come whirling around as well with a rapid brilliant burst of chi following in their wake.

COMBATSYS: Lotus parries Leo Whitefang's Blitzschlag!

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Lotus            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LOTUS]
Two things should always be remembered when dealing with Black Lotus:

One, she heals fast and is tough to put down.

Two, if shes not dead or unconscious, shes a very real threat.

This is perfectly on display as Leo moves in for his attack, she allows herself to be pushed aside, playing the 'weak' card. When the leaping attack comes in to finish her, she makes her move! She ducks the leg, and leaps up and forwards over the whirling blades, closing in! Her mouth opens wide, strings of green saliva hanging from her teeth mixed with blood fly as she attempts to BITE down on his neck. HARD, infusing blood and her toxic saliva into his bloodstream as well as take a chunk out of his neck!

COMBATSYS: Lotus successfully hits Leo Whitefang with Deadly Kiss EX.

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Lotus            0/-------/---<<<<|=------\-------\0    Leo Whitefang

[LEO WHITEFANG]
To be fair, Leo's neck is very powerful. To be fair this still hurts. -Alot-.

Leo cries out, a thundering roar of pain. The first of the combat and potentially his last if things don't take a turn back in his direction and with the poison now coursing through his body..they probably won't.

He brings his blades up, attempting to push back against her and fight her off while also tightening the muscles of his neck, flexing furiously to prevent her from hitting anything vital that might end him here and now. It's messy and dramatic and the point may become moot should he fall.

"Not....yet!" he grits out, teeth clenched and expression full of fury as both of his blades cross together and then in a point bank whirling bit of movement he spins, leaping into the air with her still upon him, forcing her loose and bringing his swords together and then apart with a ringing sound of magical steel and a burst of iron chi that explodes infront of his body. An ornate iron-cross of pure chi forms, exploding into existence in a violent display and a shower of sparks as it attempts to force the two apart and hopefully tear into her in the process.

COMBATSYS: Leo Whitefang can no longer fight.

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Lotus            0/-------/---<<<<|

COMBATSYS: Lotus parries Leo Whitefang's Krone Kreuz!

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Lotus            0/-------/---<<<<|

[LOTUS]
Lotus rides the whirlwind that is Leo, teeth sunk deeply in his neck! His actions only make her bite down harder in a mad attempt to hold on!

Finally, he gets her off, using his final attack to try to finish her off as well as save himself! As she flies backward, she positions her sole remaining arm and dagger right at the point of impact, deflecting both strikes with it's curve in the process by some twist of fate! She leaps off him with both feet just as he performs the explosion of chi, riding the wave into space, landing in a crouch on the ground and skidding back several feet, ending on one knee on the ground.

By now, her wounds have clotted and no longer bleed, though she still lacks an arm, shoulder, and a quarter of her head.

Par for the course for Lotus, honestly!

COMBATSYS: Lotus takes no action.

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

[LEO WHITEFANG]
"Urgh! I...you.."

Leo staggers, stumbling backwards and putting a hand up to his neck to apply pressure. He's tough but he's no regeneration. He does, however, know magic as many of his Order do and he's already applied such skills to begin to halt the bleeding and protect vitals.

It's not enough to keep him up and he staggers and then, with a final pained and furious look to Lotus, he tumbles over and falls, defeated.

He showed mercy, and played to the honor of his kingship and knighthood and..it ended up biting him. Quite literally! For now, this madcap match is done.

[LOTUS]
Standing there, Lotus watches Leo fall. He was a tough fight! It's been awhile since she was hurt THIS bad! The pain is atrocious, but it's an old friend.....

She catches a glimpse of her reflection in one of the busses still-intact windows, noting how zombie-like she looks, what with half the head gone, an arm and shoulder gone, and half her lips missing, and a chuckle starts. She stares at a random direction, as if there was a camera there, unable to resist the reference as she says "iTcHy.... TaStY....".

She erupts into wheezing, spasing laughter as she mockingly shuffles away, with one leg dragging, doing her best imitation of a Resident Evil zombie for the giggles!

Because it's ALWAYS the giggles!

COMBATSYS: Lotus has ended the fight here.

Log created on 23:06:54 07/10/2022 by Leo Whitefang, and last modified on 09:00:58 07/16/2022.