Match of the Millennium

Description: A decade ago, Calgary, Alberta, Canda's Saddledome suffered a horrific flood, claiming dozens of lives. Today, the water's ankle-deep in its forever-condemned basement and rising slowly, ever since this desolate space gave rise to a new friendship powerful enough to conjure tears from the drowned dead. Down here, the Last Yagami and the Strongest Titan are granted an opportunity to sink ever deeper into the Descent or be washed away.

[IORI]
The defeat at the hands of Kain was, surprisingly, not too humiliating. The other man, who Iori is still not sure if he's friend or foe, was correct. Deeply, deeply correct. His power, the fire, has always been tainted. His family's shame and source of Iori's hatred for that Kusanagi. Did it have to be that way, though? Could the tainted fire be driving the dark impulses, the murderous urges?

Could Iori ever be free?

These are the thoughts that plague the Last Yagami as he stands in the fetid water in the basement of the Saddledome, awaiting his assigned opponent.

[KONGOU]
Fortunantely he would not have to wait over long and be left alone to confront such weighty questions of destiny, purpose and curses. Indeed, the arrival of this opponent could be said to be rather attention grabbing as a serious of resounding *BOOMS* suddenly ripples through the area, shaking the already unstable basement to its core and causing the rising waters to warp and roil violently from the seismic force that ripples down into them.

The roof shakes, splintrs, cracks and then suddenly explodes into a rain of debris as the goliath, Kongou, makes his full presence known. His entrance is..meteoric to say the least. Literally dropping into the basement with his monstrous arms folded and remaining as such as he plummets the remaining distance from ther breached roof down to the waters below. When he impacts, he barely crouches, bending at the knee with minimum recoil and his massive physique squashing lightly and then straigthening up again. His arms remain folded and his overall posture remaining unchanged.

But he is grinning. His brutish demeanor seems..affable? Friendly? The odd glow in his eyes might be off putting to some. But probably not to Iori. "Greetings! I was hoping to face a shokan but...hmm? Now this -is- rather interesting...!"

[IORI]
In this moment, Iori is unflappable. All of his attention and turmoil is directed inwards. The booming gets his attention, and he looks up just in time for the very, very large man to drop through the ceiling and into the, for Iori, ankle deep water. His expression, as always, is sour as he looks up, up and up at the very large man. He tilts his head slightly.

"You wouldn't know a Marduk, would you?"

For a moment, Iori wonders what a 'Shokan' is, but it flees soon enough. "Regardless, I am your opponent today. You face Iori Yagami, shall we begin?" Splashing, his feet shift, his arms rising to the ready. He seems loose and relaxed, and no sparks fly from his fingers.

COMBATSYS: Iori has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Iori             0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Kongou has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Iori             0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0           Kongou

[KONGOU]
The answer given..is a physical one.

Lumbering and slow. Perhaps that is the expectation and in truth - Kongou does take awhile to wind up usually. But sometimes pure strength is enough and there are sudden bursts of action and energy that can be brought to bear. Such as now. There is a resounding *BOOM* as he springs forth, lunging at Iori like an incoming Semi Truck cab. His arms unfold and a massive fist draws back and arcs around as Kongou twists and attempts to slam it into Iori so powerfully he may actually be pressed down into the basement floor itself and briefly immobilized. Possibly a serious problem considering any displaced water will rapidly surge back.

"No. I do not know Marduk."

COMBATSYS: Kongou successfully hits Iori with Seismic Crush.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Iori             0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0           Kongou

[IORI]
Iori is a very skilled fighter, able to read body language and sometimes get an inkling of intent by feel alone, as is the purview of matyial artists. Still, he's surprised at how ''fast'' Kongou hurls himself. He weighs his options in an instant, and crosses his arms to defend himself. The impact is titanic. Bone jarring and teeth rattling as Yagami is driven into the stagnat water and the floor with a splash. Stunned for an instant, Iori grits his teeth. Stillness is death. He must react.

He lashes out with both hands to grasp for Kongou's massive wrist, his fingers clawing. He roars like a beast, wrenching backwards through the water to gain power and leverage as he seeks to throw the titan across the room before he gets back to his feet.

COMBATSYS: Kongou just-defends Iori's Power Throw!

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Iori             0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0           Kongou

[KONGOU]
IT's like trying to wrench a sequoia up from the ground. Kongou merely stands there. Well..that's how he sells it at least. He -is- bracing.. titanically. Iori's strength and skill is such that despite Kongou's unrelenting size and proportions he's not out of the realm of being thrown by this beast.

But right now? He simply grins while hte basement floor sunders and cracks slightly from his weight and the fetid water rages about them.

"Very good!" he rumbles while clenching the fist of his free arm. "But I am afraid..it is noooooot quite enough." His knuckles crack, sounding like boulders splintering...and then he swings. A huge thunderous upper cut arcing for Iori with a palpable shockwave racing behind hit. On impact it will literally launch him skywards. Quite, quite high.

COMBATSYS: Iori parries Kongou's Orbital Launcher!

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Iori             0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0           Kongou

[IORI]
It's been a while since Iori has fought a big guy. Well, one this big. Marduk is large, but not inhumanly so. The only things that are inhuman about Marduk are his hygene and table manners. He lets go of Kongou's arm, drawing slow, calm breaths. The cracking is disturbing, and the force of the fist is incredible.

Yagami slips free, getting to his feet quickly. His boots slide through the fetid water as he pivots. The terrible swing comes for him, and he bends like a reed, thrusting his hands out to redirect the mighty blow so that it doesn't turn his face into ground meat.

He kicks the cracked floor beneath him, skidding backwards with a wake before he redirects his momentum, leaping into the air. Licks of violet flame start to erupt across his arm before he tenses, stopping them in their tracks, leaving only smoke as he tries to crash upon Kongou from above.

COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Kongou with Tsumagushi EX.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Iori             0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0           Kongou

[KONGOU]
The behemoth's grunt is a mixture of annoyance and approval. He seems quite delighted at the challenged but he really, really, wanted that last punch to hit.

Even more bothersome is the counter assault. One can only be impressed so much, after all. He's too slow to bring his massive arm back around and up to block the incoming strike and those flames..he indeed sees them and their presence draws a curious frown from the giant followed by lips pursing as the force of the blow actually staggers him and forces a few earth shuddering steps backwards.

His arm lunges around again, pushing through the air towards Iori with fingers reaching out and for Iori's legs before he can push away from him following his attack. Should he grab him..the giant will twist and swing..bearing him down towards the ground with the full weight of his arm behind him.

COMBATSYS: Iori interrupts Grasp And Pound from Kongou with Oniyaki.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Iori             0/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1           Kongou

[IORI]
Iori bounces off of Kongou as the hit lands solidly. He hits the ground with both feet, his eyes alert and focused, the little voice in the back of his head ignored for now. He's not stressed enough or hurt enough to even consider letting it win, so he pretends it doesn't exist. He rolls his neck, letting loose a satisfying thunk as he awaits the follow-up from the titan.

Before he can kick away, Kongou's meaty paw comes grasping, and Iori has a choice. It's not a great or easy one, but he makes it all the same. He opens the door to his power just a crack. Just enough to engulf his right arm in flames of violet. Kongou rushes for him, and Iori ducks through the grab, crouching before springing upwards in a spiral, hand clawed as he strikes. His arm trails licks of purple flame as he lands, shaking his hand out as he closes that door.

Just a little taste. It can't hurt, right? The fire is his.

[KONGOU]
Purple fire whirls and spirals, clawed hands rip upwards and Kongou blinks in surprise and shock as the flames boil into him and explode violently..forcing him to take shuddering steps backwards and nearly tipping his massive body over all together. Steam rises and fetid water bubbles and pops around the two warriors and Kongou sunders and shudders the earth as he braces his body once again.

And then grins.. "..I see now! How fascinating! I thought you were holding something in you but I wasn't sure...but.." he stands up, straightening and shaking a massive finger at Iori, seemingly unperturbed that he himself yet smoulders and burns, "I want to see more before I know for sure. You are holding back. Why?"

Kongou crouches and then ..suddenly that explosion of speed once again. He lunges at Iori - his own energy crackling aorund him in a violent blue-white hue as his fist swings around with intention of slamming into Iori like a train.

COMBATSYS: Kongou knocks away Iori with Gigaton Crush.

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Iori             1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0           Kongou

Impact would send Iori flying backwards. Hurtling the distance of the underground stadium's basement and water parting violently in his wake..only for Kongou to suddenly appear behind him. A thunderous *BOOM* shaking the area as Iori tumbles in and slams into the body of the behemoth. Kongous' massive arms quickly enclose around him and he leaps, spinning upwards into the air, backwards, to finish the assault with a final thoooming bodysplash, Iori beneath him and water again wildly displaced from the force.

[IORI]
Things happen so quickly that even Iori's skilled senses cannot follow. How can this behemoth move ''that quickly''?! The fist strikes, and Iori feels bones fracture. Indeed, some part of his ribs may now be -powder-. He doesn't have time to worry about it, as the fist was only the initial strike. He's thrown, literally, by the force of it, and somehow Kongou is there. He hits the big man who may as well be a wall of granite for all the give he has.

Yagami is encircled by the behemoth, and driven into the ground. It's horrific. Bones splinter and crack, and by all rights, he should be dead. Beyond dead. He should be paste. He is not.

Somehow, he worms his way out. Somehow, he gets back to his feat. He spits blood from his mouth even as it runs from his eye sockets, making him look ghoulish. His speech is harsh, ragged. "You want to see it?" He says, his expression twisting into raw hatred. Hate for the living. Hate for the dead. Hate for Kongou. Most importantly, hate for himself for failing.

He erupts into an inferno of violet, the water around him flash boiling. His hands claw as he almost crouches like an animal. Wordlessly, the only sound being the roar of the fire and the hiss of the water, he throws himself at Kongou. He lashes out with burning, clawd hands again and again, throwing brutal flaming headbutts in there just because. As the flurry goes, he starts to, somehow, look more and more unhinged as the tainted fire rages.

"You want to see?! THIS IS WHAT YOU ASKED FOR!"

COMBATSYS: Iori dazes Kongou with Yaotome!

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Iori             0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0           Kongou

[KONGOU]
It is a berserker assault worthy of myth making. The flooded basement cannot withstand this fury. The ground cracks, the water is parted. Pillars are split assunder and Kongou is..driven back. His massive feet dig grooves into the ground as he steadies his torso, somehow remaining upright through all of this but his body staggered and his eyes glazed from the furious onslaught. As the fire explodes violently and Iori's claws and fists attempt to gouge into him, the behemoth seems pushed wholly into another world by the chaos and he wobbles..teetering at the last only to once again secure his footing and brace his vast body upright..holding his ground with a stunned look to his face.

"Amazing!" he declares, "Truly this power is it was described to be!"

Like some unyielding fortress, the goliath yet remains but his follow up assault is unsteady as he lunges a hand out for Iori in an attempt to grab him and just hurtle him away to try and create some distance and reset the playing field. "I must consider this madness!"

COMBATSYS: Iori blocks Kongou's Fling.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Iori             0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0           Kongou

[IORI]
Iori is a wreck. His flesh and bones held together and upright by fury and will alone. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind that are not rioting, he feels remorse. He cannot worry about it now. He is a feral animal, frenzied if only to survive. Kongou lashes out to hurl him, and Iori backdashes at the last second, the big man's hand striking but not gaining purchase. Hunched and panting, blood falls from his lips into what little water has not boiled off or been hurled elsewhere.

Iori's eyes are wild, one of them almost completely red from burst blood vessels and the other rapidly becoming the same. His breath is hot, rippling the air as his chest heaves, but still, he moves like a snake, striking hard and fast and entirely without mercy. Still on fire, he dashes in close, driving an elbow at Kongou. His hips twist, ligaments screaming in protest as he tries to use raw strength and momentum to take the big man to the floor.

Successful or not, a pillar of violet fire erupts from the floor where the titan would land. The purple light casting harsh shadows as even more of the moisture is immediately removed from the ruins of the basement.

COMBATSYS: Kongou fails to interrupt Kototsuki In from Iori with Muscle Collidor.

[                        \\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Iori             0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0           Kongou

[KONGOU]
Something is..wrong.

Kongou has little time for a full assessment of himself but he feels it. A strange alteration to his chi. Is it what throws off his reaction time? His ability to counter Iori? To show his strength? Possibly.

Or it could be that Iori is just freaking nuts. That's probably a big factor right now. The giant has pushed him over the edge and..well..that's a problem.

"Enough.." he rumbles, attempting to turn his vast physique towards the incoming beast and to bear his full weight forward and against him, to stop him in his tracks. But that 'wrongness' of his chi is there. His timing is off. He underestimates Iori's strength and suddenly the behemoth is taken groundwards. A thunderous pillar of fire exploding upwards around him as Iori's assault continues and explodes through the basment ceiling and into the stadium above. "Hrrgh!!"

[IORI]
Iori does not fear the flames. They erupt around Kongou and continue upstairs into the stadium. The damage is incredible. Iori does not care. He does not have the mind available to marvel at his own doings. No, all that is in him is destruction and death.

Only Kongou is here to receive it.

His eyes, blood red and reflecting the light from the dying flames, rest on the titan. His hands curl and uncurl like a predator trying to decide how to end this. It's not too inaccurate. His motion is sudden, like a lunging cat. Flames still lick at his fingers as he drives them towards Kongou's meaty torso, palms up. With a roar, he leaps impossibly high, dragging his fingers along the way, rising higher and higher until he starts to arc backwards, landing on the now dry floor to watch the aftermath.

COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Kongou with Sakahagi.

[                         \\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Iori             0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0           Kongou

[KONGOU]
He is a fortress being battered. A mountain range being worn away. Kongou may give the air of an invulnerability but in truth his time is almost up and he fan feel his physicality being sapped, such as it is. And yet, he doesn't seem to mind. Sated curiousity gleams in his glowing gaze as Iori bears down on him and those flames and terrible hands once more rake across the expansive terrain of his torso. Fire boils and whirls like a tornado, scorching his magic summoned flesh and cooking what passes for his internal make.. but the goliath still stands and stalks, even though he wobbles abit as reality warps and distends around him to accomodate him.

A surge of summoned strength erupts and he crouches ..and then leaps, trailing what passes for his lifeblood behind him from Iori's assaults.

A loud *TOOM* resounds as he lands, going into a crouch and then lunging forward..swinging a monstrous fist up towards Iori with intention of slamming it into him with enough force to lift him upwards once again..but this time to bear him up aloft on his fist, spin and then bring him back around with another crushing, sinkhole forming blow.

"This is..enough!" he declares wheni n action as if anticipating how this may end.

COMBATSYS: Kongou can no longer fight.

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

COMBATSYS: Iori fails to interrupt Gargantua Fist from Kongou with Fierce Combo.


COMBATSYS: Iori can no longer fight.


[IORI]
Iori is on his last legs. Somehow he still stands. Somehow he can still fight. Somehow, somehow, somehow. He lands from his ruthless brutality and waits, his ruined face expressing just a little shock that Kongou can still move and fight, even if it is a last hurrah, a phyrric effort. Iori's lips twitch in a feral grimace.

He keeps his feet at Kongou's thunderous landing, but even he has limits. He moves to dart inside the titan's offense, but makes a simple mistake. He chooses the wrong direction. Iori is ''smashed'' into the ceiling, brutalized by the output of power. He sticks to the cracked cieling for a moment before he falls to the floor. He lands facedown, somehow not a boneless heap of meat, his violet flames dying to embers as his body shuts down from massive damage.

[KONGOU]
"Well done!"

It is merely a quirk of his nature that Kongou is able to speak. He is assuredly 'done' as well. The fact that Iori probably very well cannot hear him is besides the point. Instead, he merely calls out cheerfully while, at the same time dropping to his knees with his massive arms falling to his sides as if he's some sort of machine that has just powered down.

"I believe I have learned all that I can and that you have defeated me and will advance. How curious. I did not expect to lose twice to you humans but here we are..."

He looms there, silently, and just looks on at Iori..eventually realizing that the man isn't getting up, and simply rumbles, "I believe we'll just sit here for awhile. I'm afraid....I can't move anymore."

Log created on 19:55:53 07/21/2022 by Iori, and last modified on 19:21:17 07/22/2022.