Match of the Millennium

Description: Kongou, the Cerulean Gigas with power overwhelming will face the violet haired pop princess Athena. Will her slick moves and glittery powers be enough to topple the giant? Will Kongou's terrible joy crush Athena? Will Kongou ask for an autograph!?

[ATHENA]
The World Warrior venue scouts are always in search of interesting places worthy to feature the battles of the most famous tournament in the world and for this next match they have certainly landed something memorable. The Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works interior has been set to be the next locale featured for a match that will be watched around the globe. Outside, thick clouds of steam and smoke billow into the sky from massive concrete smokestacks covered in black soot from decades of continuous work while inside many automated systems continue to function as if it was business as usual.

But one need only see the crew busy at work at fixing cameras to their final angles and observe the way all of the plants workers have been cleared out of the central, cavernous area to bear witness to the upcoming bout behind chain link fences to recognize that this is no ordinary day at the plant. The rattle of chains, the hum of conveyor belts, the hiss of steam leaking from shaking pipes routed in and out of thick iron industrial machinery can be heard throughout the factory. Overhead, massive buckets of molten metal dangle from a system of rails while the searing hot metal stored within casts an ominous red glow against the metal ceiling.

The factory floor is no less full of potential obstacles, with a tall pyramid of metal barrels assembled to one side and the other side occupied by a network of elevated metal walkways and tightly wound steel step stairwells. The floor itself is constructed of solid, concrete slabs arranged in even rows and columns, though many are showing signs of wear with cracks and chips visible on their surface. Black tick metal chains with massive hooks dangle from the ceiling in places, high enough off the ground as to not be a hazard for most who would pass through here.

While some systems have been spun down due to not having anyone in place to actively monitor them, industrial machinery continues to chug and rattle in places, with one side of the floor occupied by a bulky, ancient looking machine spitting sparks across the concrete floor in what has to be a violation of any number of safety codes.

Just as in the previous World Warrior tournament, Athena Asamiya has taken time off from her demanding school schedule and popular stage appearances to challenge herself against many of the best that the world of fighting has to offer. Every match a challenge to overcome, every opponent a chance to learn something new, every test a trial to stretch past her limits, how could she not? Now that she stands on the floor of the industrial site, prepared to face a fighter she has never fought before, it feels real as the heat broiling the room from overhead.

For this tournament, an outfit of her own design will work well to meet the needs of appearance and practicality. A sleeveless rose red tunic with gold embroidery covers her from neck to thigh, featuring golden tassels on the side and a pair of long ribbons trailing down the back. Beneath it a white garment is visible only in the open-shoulder sleeves that extend to her elbows and the fringe of it that extends down a bit past the end of her rose tunic, matching the white shorts she wears underneath. Darker maroon gloves and ankle-high boots complete the outfit while her iconic hair band with its single star on the right fits in her long, dark violet hair.

Lifting her right arm to wipe across her forehead, purple eyes flick up at the molten metal drums above before lowering to take in all of the potential risks and obstacles covering the factory floor. She's in this for herself, but she can't help but think of all those watching as well. The pressure is on to demonstrate she belongs here as much as any other in the tournament. A taste of adrenaline already courses through her blood as excitement settles in, forcing a bright grin in her features in spite attempts to stay focused.

"All right, I can't wait!"

The young fighter spins on one foot before snapping her other leg down and pumping her fist once.

[KONGOU]
There is no doubt that this is indeed a venue worthy of champions. A place for a cinematic spectacle to dazzle the eyes, stir the soul and boil the blood...perhaps literally! Hopefully the safety precautions in place for the gathered onlookers are secure enough to keep the potential for lawsuits at aa minimum but the electric atmosphere and burning anticipation is enough to keep most people unconcerned about health and safety. One must risk much to see much after all and the sight of Athena already has hearts racing and adrenaline soaring.

So WHERE then is the other challenger?

"Why is he -late-??" hisses one of the organizers to one of the technicians.

"Can we reach him?"

"How?! He doesn't have a phone! How is this even supposed to wo--"

*tooom* rumbles through the air. Echoing through the entire structure seemingly coming from all directions at once and urging silence from those gathered, including the complaining officials. This is followed by another *toom* then a *Thoooom* and a *BOOOOM* and then a *THOOOOM* with the vibrations causing chains to sway, the ground to shake and seas of gathered molten metal to roil.

Across from Athena by some distance, the air begins to distort and shimmer as if a mirage was lifting itself up from the floors of the chamber and rolling upwards like a carpet to around the height of a two story bulding. An indistinct shape begins to appear as the distortion shimmrs and then begins pressing outward from some vast force that cannot be fully defined. Wrapping it like some sort of saranwrap before a final *TWHOOOM* occurs and a massive object bursts through, nearly twenty feet up from the ground.

It is a gigantic---dumpster?? One of those massive twenty yard or more renta-dumpsters usually attached to trucks used to haul away debris and rubble. The massive thing begins rumbling through from 'nowhere' seemingly levitating slowly into the chamber. It's also....uh..filled with what looks like tons of Athena merchandise.

Another *TWHOOOM* and another shape begins to appear, this one beneath the dumpster, pressing in with that saranwrap like effect warping and wrapping about a physique so monstrously huge and muscled it looks lke a VFX job. The very air parts and warps and with a final burst of blue-white aetherial energy, Kongou the Strongest Titan, The Walking Mountain, the Iron Bodied Colossus, *pops* into view underneath the massive dumpster, holding it aloft balanced on a single hand.

"HELLO!!" his deep voice booms. The bass tenor rumbling through the area and the continued *TOOMS* now quite clearly the result of his massive footfalls.

As the audience reacts with both confusion and elation, the officials stare on at this spectacle until one simply says:

"I thought he was blue?"

[ATHENA]
Those who have come to agree that Athena's rumored reputation for being a psychic isn't simply a reach for publicity would probably not be surprised that the diminutive idol fighter can easily sense the uncertainty sweeping over the venue crew as her opponent fails to make an appearance. While she can't hear them over the continuous din of the factory or the steady shouts of a crowd attempting to communicate with each other over said din, she can still easily intuit what has them so anxious.

It WOULD be disappointing if her first match out the gate was resolved without so much as a single exchange of blows, but something tells her that their concerns are ill-founded. Call it a hunch, or perhaps a glimpse forward through the stream of time, or just plain ol' optimism, but the smile that is reflected in her eyes doesn't fade with the passing moments.

Clasping her hands behind her back, she sways back and forth on heels and toes, maintaining perfect patient balance as she waits.

The wait comes to an end, however, as something reverberates through the factory, swaying chains and causing some of the dust on the concrete floor to puff up into small clouds. Pausing her movement, she waits with hands still clasped behind her back as curious purple eyes sweep around the factory before coming to rest on a point of interest across the way.

There is nothing to see yet, but she senses his arrival eminent. Given the magnitude of his spirit, how could she not?

A large mass forces its way into the here and now, as if vying with a veil strong enough to provide friction but not enough to prevent its passage. Eyes widen with surprise at the manifestation of first a commercial grade massive dumpster and her mouth opens agape as it is followed by the arrival of the colossal fighter.

Eyeing him up and down, her look of open surprise returns to being a bright grin accompanied by a sparkle in her eyes.

"That's some entrance! I could use your help planning my next stage show!"

There's a laugh to her voice even as she sweeps her gaze upward to take in the literal ton of Athena themed paraphernalia. Figurines, posters, albums, outfits, pillow cases, sheet sets, T-shirts, stickers, branded makeup kits...

"Goodness."

She unclasps her hands, right hand lifting so that she can tap her right cheek a couple times in thought.

"I hope you didn't have to rescue all that from a landfill!"

She shakes her head, sounding more amused than legitimately worried, comfortable with a touch of self-effacing humor in the presence of such a grand entrance.

She would be lying to herself if she denied the presence of some trepidation in facing such an incomprehensibly massive opponent. But fighting others larger than herself is an implicit part of her career in this world... she'll need to keep her wits about her and utilize her gifts with as few missteps as possible, just like any other match.

Breathing in then exhaling, she lets the excitement of the crowd, the energy of the showy arrival of her opponent, and busy attention to detail of the World Warrior crew wash over her.

Stepping to pivot her left side forward, left arm extended, her right arm lifts, bent at the elbow at shoulder level. Bouncing lightly on her toes, she relaxes a small portion of the mental barriers she's learned to keep active in her mind. The shockwave of psionic energy that radiates out from her is felt even if most won't realize it, an unseen presence that only serves to amplify a resonance between the gifted idol and an excited audience.

"Let's give 'em a show!"

COMBATSYS: Athena has started a fight here.

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

COMBATSYS: Kongou has joined the fight here.

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

[KONGOU]
"Oh hoh!"

The brute's glowing eyes widen, brightening in anticipation and good humor as Athena reacts to his arrival with bubbly anticipation and optimism. So many would have either backed off, gone weak at the knees, outright fainted or any number of reactions to him but she seems more than ready and as the pulse ripples forth across the battle zone, his grin widens. He doesn't exactly recognize -what- it is nor can he interact with it but as a creature of such magnitude, presence and pressure, there's no way he can miss it or help resonating with it.

"Splendid!" Kongou bellows, tone cheerful as he lifts his free hand up and clenches a fist. A sound like the grinding of boulders and the cracking of sequoias can be heard as his knuckles crack and his sinew creaks from the pressure of his grip. The air ripples and warbles around him once again, as if the 'here and now' is struggling against him, restraining him, and trying to force him back to where he came from. This 'thing' doesn't belong here and the rules he's bringing with him are straining credulity. It's like someone taking a marker and writing over top the regular sized words on carefully structured pages with letters far too big and bulky for the weight of the paper or space set aside for the words.

"No dumpster or landfill!" he cheerfully intones, "I simply needed something to carry these in. I have acquired these legitimately in hopes of having you autograph them for my collections! I could not resist once I learned of this match!"

Surely he does not intend for her to autograph every-single-item. Right? ....He probably does want that.

He presses the massive container up and down a few times, tossing its weight with flexes of his fingers and balancing it as he opines affably. "I was hoping to do so before our match but I see I am late. My sincere apologies. I was--uh--hoping some of my 'students' would have joined me. The NFG fighters, I mean."

He stares at her still grinning before blinking and suddenly going, "Ah yes...The fight!"

Still holding the container aloft with one arm, he suddenly steps forward. A loud *TWHOOM* occurring as he rears back his other arm and then slams it forward. Power ripples violently through the movements which resounds with a loud *KABOOM* as he suddenly halts the swing and causes the air itself to blow back outwards away from him. The sheer brutal strength ripping a thunderous shockwave into existence from the aborted swing. The air pressure rips across the battlefield in an expanding and widening cone towards Athena at breakneck speeds.

COMBATSYS: Athena instinctively blocks Kongou's Shockwave Burst.

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

[ATHENA]
While she has had hours and hours of vocal training in how to project her voice, Athena is confident the towering figure before her needs no such effort for his words to boom throughout the factory over the continuous underlying noise all around them. And at the unsettling sounds generated by his single clenched fist, she can't help but balk inwardly at having to contend with the power behind it. But she's a performer and part of her skill set includes being able to present an image that might not fully align with how she is feeling. To the naked eye, the young fighter doesn't seem to flinch at all.

Besides, she had faced power incarnate before - brute force given form, strength manifested in the strikes and blows of some of the world's mightiest. This wasn't her first World Warrior, nor had her life been free of dangerous encounters between public bouts. Steely resolve resist the temptation to waver... she will have to trust in her skills to see her through.

When he explains the massive collection of merchandise, however, she actually visibly draw back, eyes widening as she blinks a few times.

"I-Is that so..." Asamiya stammers at the idea that she would lend her signature to such a tremendous amount of goods. But she recovers, the confident grin of a celebrity idol returning to her features.

"Well, you can't leave disappointed. All right, I got it! A deal then! Ten autographs for every attack you manage to land cleanly against me."

He mentions his students and the NFG event and Athena nods, "Maybe they're watching then. This place isn't the easiest to get to. We'll each have to do our best then. For your students!" And for the sake of her wrist, she thinks to herself. Still, a friendly wager on the match progression just adds an extra layer of fun to it all. Audiences will undoubtedly eat it up.

The crew don't seem to be rushing the two fighters either. The pre-fight exchange is almost as good for ratings as the battle to inevitably follow. But as she encourages that they get to it, Kongou answers in turn.

That he is attacking from range seems clear to her from the distance between them, unless there is some kind of trick to his reach she needs to watch out for... But what she didn't expect was the crack of violently displaced air, a blastwave of kinetic energy surging toward her violently across the space between them. Sucking in her breath, the idol fighter braces, pulling up her arms in front of her chest and face like a boxer might, tensing her legs, bending her knees to better absorb some of the power behind the roaring shock.

The energy behind it is enough to send her sliding back, feet losing their traction against the old concrete flooring, but by combination of effort and force of will, she manages to come to a stop after a few meters.

The hyper compressed air washes over and past her then, smashing against the pyramid of barrels and sending them flying, bouncing off the wall and slamming down against the floor as they rain down all over Athena's side of the plant.

Nimbly, she springs to one side, then skips to another, narrowly avoiding barrels as they smash and bend against the floor all around her.

"Whew!"

There are still a few more banging around when she decides that she's safe from any others hitting her and that is the moment she decides to return the favor. Sweeping her arms behind her, and arcing her back, rose pink energy courses along her slender limbs.

"Psycho-"

Declaring the names of her techniques has made them iconic parts of her style, and for this event, she leans into it like usual as she whips her arms forward past each other, unleashing the gathered up energy into a singular, large hurtling sphere of vibrant pink psionic energy.

"Ball!"

Her aim is usually pretty good, and against an opponent this big, can she possibly miss with the projected energy sent flying toward his bastion-like chest!?

COMBATSYS: Athena successfully hits Kongou with Psycho Ball.

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

[KONGOU]
"Mm! Deal!"

There's little time for verbal praise or a verbose acknowledgement of her skill. She's already on the move and though the behemoth is affable he's affably dangerous. An incarnate of brute strength indeed. Experienced in such forces though she is, he seems intent on not making this easy for her and perhaps even elevating his position among such beings.

Kongou is,a after all, The Strongest Titan and perhaps an -actual- embodiment of the concept and not merely the hyperbole of the fighting world or the simple talents of other super beings.

At least...so some rumors say . The reported seal and limiters on him make this less then certain or provable or so he claims. He -is- certainly odd..that's for certain.

Odd enough that he hasn't even put down the massive dumpster yet. He balances it, now on the tip of his fingers, as his gargantuan frame steadies itself after his first attack wave and then looks on, still grinning though somehow more wild eyed, as Athena launches into her assault Then with what appears to be a mere flex of his fingers, suddenly launches it upwards in defiance of common sense and believability with the ease in which he does so. By some additional miracle none of the paraphernalia spills out either. Packed tightly and in juust a good enough way that even the posters stay put as the whole thing spins into the air not unlike Dorthoy's house caught in some tornado.

It's just in time - the Psycho Ball splashes against the landscape of his monstrous torso, avoiding a massive hand that raises too slowly to catch the attack and instead the blast washing across the hulking pectorals and sending waves rippling up and down the inhuman flesh. He..doesn't move. Barely blinks. But he does purse his lips in subtle acknowledgement of the blow.

"Hmm!" he rumbles unintelligibly as the dumpster reaches the apex of its toss near the ceiling of the cavernous locale..dangerously close to the hanging vats.

As it hang times he pushes forward into a leap, the ground shaking with the force of a bomb detonating as his gigantic body crashes towards Athena. His huge chest pushes outward, dispersing what remains of the energy as it seems to inflate in size from an expanding flex and inhalation of air. The pectorals bunching up, audibly creaking like industrial leather stretching, sinew dividing and sub dividing into visible upper and lower masses threatening impact against an unstoppable force as he looms in like the rapid approach of the front of side by side semi truck cabs.

COMBATSYS: Athena dodges Kongou's Muscle Collidor.

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

[ATHENA]
The idol fighter's hands sweep past each other until her arms are half folded as she follows through the motion of launching her first attack at the behemoth opponent. Keen eyes stay focused on him as the hurtling sphere of power crashes into his unguarded torso before the rose incandescence splashes and dissipates. Given his lack of recoil or reaction, it can be hard to read if her attack did anything at all. But while that thought does register, for now, Asamiya considers it simply information to be kept in mind - it was only the first volley of her arsenal after all.

Of almost equal interest is the spinning dumpster of merch high above. Along with the final metal barrels that smash down around her, deforming slightly against unyielding concrete, it provides just one more thing to keep in mind from above in this already intense battle. Fortunate nothing is flying out of it at least, or things would be even worse!

Speaking of things falling from above, there's also suddenly a Kongou.

She hadn't anticipated that would be his course of action as he tensed his body before leaping, but now he's joined the array of other hazards all threatening to crash down on or around her if she isn't quick on her feet.

Slipping around a few falling barrels is one thing. Making it out of the path of the plummeting goliath is on a whole different level. Room to act is limited, and the time to do so almost nonexistent. But she hasn't become famous for her speed in combat for nothing.

In one step, she's bounding up into a quick hop, right foot coming down atop one of the barrels still teetering adjacent to her. Her right knee bends as she makes her landing, and the instant her left foot joins her right, the smaller fighter rockets herself upward at an angle, the trajectory taking her narrowly out of her opponent's 'splash damage' range - or so she hopes.

But Athena isn't simply retreating, twisting her body around in the air with an execution of grace and precision, her right hand drawing low and back, fingers extended...

"Psycho-"

More of that signature energy of the famous fighter flares into existence along her right arm, bursting out past the ends of her fingers by a solid four feet. Even as the shadow of the falling titan almost completely obscures her from the red hot glow of molten metal above, her own energy illuminates the area around the rising star with a pink brilliance of its own.

With skill - and no small amount of luck - she'll slip past Kongou's side, the immense mass missing her just so, and sweep her arm upward, taking the psionic blade into a clean slash through his side. Its edge has no width, and to date, she has never encountered anything that it can't pierce. And while it will render no physical damage, this sword is able to cut to the quick of one's soul.

"Sword!"

Or in the case of this tremendous presence, at least sting a lot.

COMBATSYS: Athena successfully hits Kongou with Psycho Sword.
- Power hit! -

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Athena           1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1           Kongou

[KONGOU]
It does quite a bit more than just sting.

Whether due to his nature, Athena's power or, most likely a combo of the two, the sword rips right into the compressed essence that is Kongou's embodied form and tears right into what passes for his soul. He lets out a, for him, high pitched "Hrrrnnghhh!" landing violently from his missed lunge and his eyes widening in the shock from having something within him literally shorn free and sent spinning into the aether and back from whence it came.

There's also the problem of those precious Athena Merchandise. It comes falling back down now. Dolls, posters, movie dvds, blu-rays and more, starting to lift up from the top of the container as it descends violently looking ready to crash onto the battlefield right on top of the two warriors.

That is, until Kongou springs into action, moving with what seems an almost supernatural awareness of the incoming thirty yard or so dumpster and reaching one arm up for it while steadying his leaning body with the other arm as he recovers from the assault. The dumpster lands with a loud *TOOOOM* and then swivels and spins this way and that as he moves his arm about to catch the falling dislodged paraphernalia and spins the container as if he were handling pizza dough and not some multi ton monstrous box filled with stuff.

"Very good!" he bellows. Cheerful and charismatic despite his injuries. His free arm pushes off the ground and he twists again, turning to pull the load bearing arm back and to bring the free arm forward as it clenches into a boulder of a fist that swings around after her to try and catch her before she recovers from her attack in full.

The monstrous fist closes in and then - juusst before contact - it stops and his pointer finger flicks out, attempting to brutally thunder into her like a battering ram and launch her away with power in vast contrast to the simple gesture.

COMBATSYS: Athena blocks Kongou's Ten-Ton Finger EX.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Athena           1/----===/=======|=======\-------\1           Kongou

[ATHENA]
Against most opponents, Asamiya is able to get a good sense of the impact of her attacks on her opponents. The sympathetic resonance that exists simply by fighting within the psychic's aura is enough to help her understand if her powers are inflicting enough effect to rattle someone's will to press on, or driving their psyche toward submission, or simply leaving them in enough pain to continue. Given how few of her attacks leave physical marks, it could be hard to tell otherwise...

But against Kongou, any feedback she gets is confusing. There was a sense of something being cut away by her rising slash, as if somehow the figure that remains is diminished on some minuscule, incomprehensible level.

But just looking at the titan makes that hard to even imagine. If anything, he had only seemed to get larger with his last attempt to crash right into her!

Either way, she has little time to think about it, still ascending gracefully out of her leaping attack in an aerial spin until she reaches the apex and begins to drop back down toward the floor. With the ease that she took to the air, one might get the mistaken impression that she could almost walk on it. But in the end, she's as beholden to it as anyone else and a second later, the padded soles of her shoes clap against the concrete floor, her long dark violet hair falling into place against her shoulder.

In spite her harrowing brush with being crushed, her expression is radiant, purple eyes bright, lips drawn back in a grin as she strives to defy the imposing threat of her massive opponent. Her attention snaps upward, remembering that Kongou wasn't the only large scale threat from above, but her opponent continues to marvelously keep it under control, catching the impossibly heavy motherload of merch with another showy display of strength and awareness.

"Thanks!"

Athena's reply comes instantly as she begins to rush forward, intending to keep the pressure on, only to skid to a stop as he brings his free arm back around at her unexpectedly fast.

Given the size discrepancy in play, attempting to contend her defense against such a fist would be ludicrous. Yet that's exactly what the idol fighter attempts to do, planting her feet, bending the knee of her back leg, bringing her arms up and palms out in what seems to be a very misguided plan to stop a speeding train.

Only he doesn't strike with the might of his fist, but with a single finger. And while the the power behind his whole arm might have completely overwhelmed the smaller fighter, his finger is not that far off from other strong attacks she's weathered in her fighting career. Did she know he wasn't going to punch? A half-second's glimpse into the future? Or did she just get lucky?

Either way, she's sent sliding back from the kinetic exchange, compressed air blasting past her to send dented barrels rolling as Athena comes to a stop near one of the sparking machines.

Fighting to ignore the numbing pain coursing through her arms, she grits her teeth, continuing to force her bright idol's smile.

"All right - time to really give them a show!"

Planting her feet she squares her shoulders, closing her eyes and bowing her head in a moment of intense focus. To even chance taking her eyes off an opponent like Kongou imposes significant risk, though it becomes clear that her plan isn't entirely foolhardy as a violent storm of psionic energy erupts around the girl. Rose colored energy bathes her from head to toe and a swarm of dark violet, super concentrated Psycho Power surge up and around her, orbiting in a wild pattern and serving as a warning from anyone actually trying to attack her in that moment - to date, no one had ever succeeded in breaking through.

"AaaaaaaAAAAAH!"

Any fan of the young fighter would be well aware of what comes next. Amidst the psychic storm, Asamiya raises her hand over her head, finger pointing upward, and all of the power around her surges up into a singular locus, the violets becoming darker, the crackling rose lightning brighter, until the entirety of it is forced into a hyper compressed sphere.

Lifting her head, eyes snapping open, her expression a mixture of exuberance and conviction, Athena swings her arm forward, launching her attack with blistering speed like a Kongou-seeking cruise missile!

COMBATSYS: Athena issues a challenge!!

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Athena           2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\1           Kongou

COMBATSYS: Athena successfully hits Kongou with Shining Crystal Bit EX+.

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

[KONGOU]
It's quite the show isn't it! Beauty and the Beast for certain. The show organizers know how to set it up, that's for certain and Kongou, ever the consummate fame seeking showman, is all too eager to lean into it. Perhaps to his detriment. He is, in a way, trying to fight with one armed tied behind his back, so to speak.

But then again, the way he's handling the cargo may suggest it's not really much of a handicap to him after all..

The vastness of him does much to hide the great lead she's already got on him though, the injuries being as much spiritual and psychic as not contributes to that as well and as he straightens up to his full height he raises his vast bulky cargo high overhead, straightening that colossal arm out and squaring his body as he watches Athena recover and prepare for her counter offense. Several of the barrels slam into him, rebounding like crumpled tin foil hurtled against a battleship and his grin slowly returns.

"How interesting!" his basso rumble declares with absolute sincerity and he beckons for her just as she leaps and her assault begins closing in on him with a distortion of the air and the psychic energies of her impending impact washing over the area like a tidal wave.

This is followed by a truly thunderous impact that roars out like the detonation of a building in a war zone. The energies ripple up and out in a kaleidoscope of wild colors. Barrels and crates are shorn free and hurtle in all directions and audience members stagger and fall beyond the safety zone that had been sorted out for the fighters.

Kongou doesn't move.

His grin is unfaded, his immense body an immovable frame as if she'd simply attempted to slam right into the side of a condensed mountain range. The force of her impact ripples up and down his form, lurching the fleshy masses of his muscles cracking the earth and sending loose merchandise shooting into the air from the top of his upheld dumpster like pieces of popcorn.

He twists again, leaning back and bringing his free arm behind him. It flexes, manifesting a surging bicep that gives the impression of a buick in size as shipping rope sized veins stand out against his flesh. His eyes wider and wilder: "-MAGNITUDE-" he begins...and then swings for the ground. "EIIIIIGGGHHHT!"

Upon impact an explosive shockwave rips a massive sinkhole into the concrete floor and a force wave capable of triggering seismometers blasts forth in all directions. The chains and vats above whip about as if caught in the eye wall of a hurricane. The walls of the arena are compressed outward, girders give way and the area yields to expanding shockwave. His other hand grips hold of the underside of dumpster, however, holding it in place. Can't lose that!

COMBATSYS: Athena dodges Kongou's Magnitude Eight.

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

[ATHENA]
As the psionic attack is spent, the interior of the factory loses some of its intense luster. The bright light and crackling energy of Asamiya's threatening attack fades away and she's left staring at her opponent from a little ways off. She knows what her eyes saw - of the Shining Crystal Bit colliding with the large target Kongou presents... but with the way he stands there unphased, there is a moment of internal confusion that works its way into her expression.

Stature alone dictated that she was dealing with someone tough. But so far, at least, it seemed like her attacks were getting through. But now he stands before her in the fading glow of such vibrant energy and as far as she can discern, it's as if she hadn't attacked him at all! It does inflict a momentary crisis of confidence... but she's been trained better than to give up just because she hasn't figured something out yet.

'Return to the basics, rebuild from there.'

She can hear the voice of her sensei in her mind reminding her of how to center herself when facing the unknown. Sucking in her breath, Athena pulls up her arms, pivoting her left side forward, smile working its way back into her features as she bounces lightly on her toes. The distress of not seeing any impact of such a significant attack fades from her mind. It doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that she has to expect that he is going to retaliate with something significant!

And in that, she's proven absolutely correct a moment later as her Titanic Opponent draws back his arm, clearly winding up for something. But she's out of range of him, isn't she? Of course his reach is far greater than any person she's ever fought when it comes to his strikes, but...

The realization of his intent registers an instant before his massive arm makes its swing down toward the concrete floor. It isn't the reach of his limb that is the danger here!

Planting her feet, she brings both arms forward, just about to exercise her will to force a barrier into existence - a psionic shield that has protected her from many powerful ranged attacks before now. But it's in her mind's eye that she gets one of her fleeting glimpses of what might come - the view of her barrier shattering against the magnitude of the incoming shockwave, and of her being blasted back harshly as a result.

It's a testament to her speed that she can still correct in time and as the blastwave rips through the space where she was standing, bringing heavy debris and shattered concrete in its wake... Athena Asamiya is no longer there. In fact, she's no where to be seen for a long moment. The replay footage on the cameras would show the truth of it - of her form blurring as she vanishes in a small flash of vibrant pink only to reappear at the one place Kongou can't possibly see from his vantage point:

Clinging to the side of the heavy dumpster in his arm on the side safe from the hemisphere of destruction unleashed by his powerful blow.

He'd likely hear her before seeing her next, the gasp of relief, the intake of breath, the soft grunt of exertion as she launches herself up and over the dumpster to drop down toward the Colossal Outsider from above.

Whipping her hands over her head, a torrent of Psycho Power courses down her limbs, surging with greater strength than demonstrated with her earlier Psycho Ball.

"HaaaaAAAH!"

When she swings her arms from over her head to forward, she's right about to land on his tremendous shoulders - their width providing more than ample space for her to maneuver, and in that instant, the cheeky fighter attempts to cover his entire head with a large sustained spherical projection of crackling weaponized willpower!

COMBATSYS: Kongou just-defends Athena's Round Psycho Reflector EX!

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

[KONGOU]
Never let 'em see ya sweat. He's not -truly- inviolable after all. Being absolute in strength and resilience is beyond his grasp still. A seal for the sake of sanity on this being from the outside. Oh he's trying to unlock it, tip toe around it, deal with this perpetual 'cold' as he describes it. Movement in this world is like molasses and he can feel what he's missing but it's like a master painter suddenly stripped of his tools and forced to work with crayons.

But even a crayons can produce a master piece and occasionally the world slips up, the aether buckles, and Kongou grasps a piece of himself and draws it in.

Strange chance for this to happen not once but twice in this conflict! First when the raw energies of that previous attack washed into him. He remembered 'something' about himself in the space between spaces. His body grew strong and immutable and her attack held no immediate promise of injury. He'll pay for that shortly. Already the echoes of that psychic attack are clawing back into him, shredding his spirit invisibly

The -second- time however, right behind the first, seems to be him remembering 'more'. Her attack explodes into his head. It rushes over neck and down the other side of his upper body in a blisteringly brilliant display of tenacity and determination. He stops moving, standing in the center of the still expanding crater caused by his previous attack, rebalancing the dumpster with his immense arm and looming there as if stunned into an offline mode.

The fading light show reveals much otherwise. His face is revealed. Grinning visage seemingly unflappable and unphased as if a water balloon splashed against him. The look no doubt unsettling potentially as his looming expression fills up her field of vision as she touches down on the landscape that is shoulder mass.

"Well done!" he declares, "I have yet to earn your autograph! I am embarrassed at my weakness... I must use a touch more percentage of my strength!"

He suddenly shifts again" His shoulder practically the back of a heaving and lunging bull attempting to dislodge its rider. The dumpster tilts and spins as he moves it away to grant him more range of movement and he crouches down leaning forward and into the incoming swing. His muscles surge in size. Sinew bulking and building up violently once again with the sound of an earthquake in his flesh before he swings once more.. This time a tremendous uppercut that blasts upwards towards Athena like some sort of trebuchet unleashing its payload. The air parts again in a shockwave preceding the swing but the fist continues on its path. Should it impact her, by some miracle of speed and preternatural awareness of his own might, his arm would attempt to swing her around and versus blasting her away from him upwards rotate her completely in a wide arc would then send her crushing violently back towards the ground...forcing her to deal with first the power of his blow and then the full weight of his body bearing down on her against the earth afterwards!

COMBATSYS: Kongou knocks away Athena with Gargantua Fist EX.

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

[ATHENA]
The massive churning sphere of localized psionic energy is sustained point blank over the head of the colossal outsider - a localized sun of brilliant rose colored, weaponized willpower generated by one of the most powerful users of Psycho Power on the planet. Lighting up the interior of the factory, Athena's point blank attack lasts for five seconds, then five more beyond that, her hair whipping around behind her, her feet planted squarely on the shoulder of the behemoth presence.

When she can sustain it no longer, there is a soft exhale, a slight lean forward, her arms dropping slightly, open palms clenching into fists. Surely, that had to be enough, wasn't it? Could anyone endure an attack of that magnitude unguarded and remain conscious?

There is a stillness about him. Perhaps the giant was knocked out on his feet, the innate strength of his body keeping him standing all the same. Maybe he was still clinging to consciousness, dazed, on the edge of collapse...

Eyes adjusting in the fading glow of her own attack, Asamiya quickly realizes that neither idea holds true. Coupled with his lack of response to her previous attack, it's enough to suggest that he is in fact simply immune to psionic energy all together. A rapid adaptation? A trick that she can't see through? Is his own ego somehow forming an unfathomable barrier to her attacks...?

He speaks, proving that he is still clearly conscious, and Athena takes a partial step back. There's no time for solving the mystery of his continued combat readiness afforded this instant as he suddenly moves his shoulder down than up, launching the featherweight fighter airborne, arms briefly flailing. The height alone is no concern for her - a free fall to the floor holds no fear for her, and given even half a second, she'll effortlessly deliver an acrobatic recovery to make sure she lands on her feet. But no such chance is given, his massive fist surging up to smash Asamiya out of the air. There is a last second attempt to try and blunt a small amount of the force with a hasty guard, but against such a strike, there simply isn't any defense beyond hoping not to get hit.

The initial impact plants her against his curled fingers as the momentum of the blow presses her violently up and then around back down against the nearly unyielding floor of the factory, forming a new, smaller crater nearly adjacent to the previous one. Having been hit by a truck's worth of kinetic power then pressed through the worst carnival ride in existence, the young opponent is stunned nearly senseless by the time she is slammed against the floor beneath his fist.

The entire match, she thought she knew the menace his swings represented. But now she has cold iron certainty of it. Ears ringing from the sonic displacement behind his punch, mind unsure of all the damage inflicted by that singular attack, it would be easy enough to quite there and resign herself to the titan's apparent immunity to her attacks. And if she had not been already battered on the anvil of previous trials and forged by the guidance of those who had taken a hand in her development, maybe she would.

"That-"

She spits blood, grimacing as she tries to move.

"Only counts as one!"

She vanishes then in a flash of pink light, reappearing behind Kongou's right leg where she swings out with her palm, arm glowing like a torch of Psycho Power.

She's relieved to find that her legs work and her arm swings like she wants it to. She isn't out of this yet. She follows up the energy infused palm strike with a spin kick, rose hued energy enveloping her foot. A double palm strike next, both hands glowing.

It's obvious that the physical strikes are not meant to topple one such as he, but the energy each blow is laced with is another matter. Maybe further from his mind, his defense will not hold so true?

She vanishes, appearing behind his left leg, dishing out three more rapid strikes in a blur. Each individually perhaps nothing, but collectively, perhaps she can inflict a toll?

She appears mid-air next, in front of his mighty torso, lashing out with three rapid stomping Psycho Power infused kicks before backflipping away to try and vault back across the open factory floor. Perhaps if she can break through, it will be enough to steel her resolve to make it a little longer... to maybe find the limits of his immunity!

COMBATSYS: Athena successfully hits Kongou with Psychic 9.

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

[KONGOU]
"Only one?!?" protests the giant in clear dismay. It seems almost as if that's more important to him then the fact that his strike didn't put her down completely. He clearly has his priorities in order. "But how will I pick just one?! This is rather distressing."

The earth shakes as he draws his massive body back, away from her in a slight hop that carries him several yards away and out of the pair of craters that have been formed from the conflicting powers of the two titans, for make no mistake she is a titan. He of the physical realm but hers of another domain all together.

A domain that -is- starting to get to him. Upon landing his expression twists slightly. That unflappable grin of his being strained and pulled at in the first signs of her steady commitment to this battle actually beginning to get to him. Kongou has a fantastic game face you see and it seems his endurance is boundless and his durability some sort of unfathomable well....but it only -seems- that way. Through the haze of his crushing power and drunkenness of the adrenaline of being in such a high octane fight he feels the clawing grip of his limiters and the psychic rents in him.

But he's a consummate performer. He has fans of his own after all! When she flashes to him, he's already bringing that damned dumpster around again, catching more of the falling paraphernalia in deft spinning movements of the colossal item and simultaneously attempting to turn to bring a defense against her blinking attacks. "Hrnngh!" he rumbles. An unintelligible earth shaking basso resounding rumble as her rapid fire assaults pierce his physical defenses and ripple into his spirit once more, combining with the building pressure from the other attacks. He doesn't bow or bend to it immediately however, his flesh once more visibly bunching up like an earthquake occurring beneath his skin. Shifting like the movements of tectonic plates.

"You are worthy." he says, tone actually lacking for an instant that cheerful bravado from before and instead quite frank and serious in his acknowledgement of her. "But..I wish to prevail. May my fist, grant my wish!"

That arm comes around again. Hurtling upwards for her. The sinew again grinding together and what passes for his blood boiling through cargo rope sized veins. His fist closes in with another shockwave building. A violent destructive impact of air and flesh both as he seeks to launch her straight upwards in a building shaking uppercut.

COMBATSYS: Kongou successfully hits Athena with Orbital Launcher.
Grazing Hit

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

[ATHENA]
Kongou's alarm over autographs provokes a short laugh, heard first behind his right leg, then suddenly continuing behind his left as he pivots to try and keep up with the lighting fast idol.

"It was a ten per one hit offer, remember!"

She appears in front of him, dishing out the last three rapid stomping kicks of her combination assault before back flipping away in an effort to reset her positioning against the towering powerhouse.

She hears his words - an acknowledgment that in spite the vast disparity in their statures, they meet here as peers in this concrete floored battlefield. Declared by one with no lack of experience or passion for combat... carries with it the weight of validation for the smaller combatant.

And while there is a flicker of reflection on that statement in her soul as she sails through the air, it is the movement of his tremendous arm that is demanding her immediate focus.

Perhaps having learned from last time, however, she changes her approach to survival, bending her legs up, tucking in her knees as she leans just so that the soles of her ankle boots face toward the incoming threat.

An instant before impact, she unfolds, kicking down with both legs while straightening out her body. Instead of trying to simply brace against the impact with no leverage in the air, the experienced Kung Fu artist tries to move with the blow, allowing it to launch her upward with titanic pressure.

The exchange of forces is no less intense for it, as Athena is launched violently toward the ceiling, the lower half of her ankle boots thrashed to the point that scraps of material rain down beneath her. The jarring pain in her legs and spine rattling ache in her torso from absorbing some of the power provokes a soft gasp, but she keeps her wits about her, flipping upside down before reaching the extent of the factory's interior space.

Repeating the process, she lands against the ceiling with her legs bending and flexing to bleed off as much of the momentum as possible.

"I-I might let that count as half!" she forces out through clenched teeth, clearly trying to speak through the pain coursing through her body. She had to acknowledge the speed of his reprisal after all. A split second passes before she kicks off from the ceiling, diving down at an angle way from her opponent. Athena's hands pull up over her head as Asamiya plunges upside down from above, another huge surge of Psycho Power flowing readily to her fingertips.

"Psycho...!"

Drawing on that vast fount of power burning deep within her soul, the falling girl swings her arms forward, palms outward, sending another psionic sphere Kongou's way. A fierce amount of Psycho Power, compressed into the form of a dark violet sphere of churning energy, hurtles toward Kongou now, with swirling rings of rose hued energy straining to barely maintain its shape.

"Shoot!"

COMBATSYS: Kongou overcomes Psycho Shoot EX from Athena with Megaton Hammer.

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

[KONGOU]
The ground lurches again. Recoiling from the rebounding shockwave that roars downward from Kongou's strike to rip yet another crater into the ground...and through it all Athena persists. She survives. She may even be nigh close to prevailing for the titan feels his reserves reaching their limits where she seems to be becoming yet more glorious.

Perhaps he should have put that dumpster down.

Or not! It seems an extension of his movements so much so that it's never hampered him. He's given his all. Besides, he's got merchandise that needs autographing! It might not even all be bootleg!

"Hmmm..." he rumbles, grinning despite the lack of seeing an unconscious body hurtling back downward but instead Athena summoning more boundless power to bring to bear. "You are amazing!" he opines. "I must admit that to be so!"

As the energy builds and his very essence ripples against the invisible waves of force coming from the charging psycho power high above, he brings the dumpster around and straddles his arm across its top, gripping its far edges to one side as he braces his body against the sundering cement. The stone ruptures and chasms as he pushes downward, sinew coiling and slabs of flesh bunching up together with the impression of sliding tectonic plates. "MEGATON..." he begins....before suddenly lunging forward and swinging a vast upper cut at nothing, "HAMMER!!!"

Earth and air before him rip upwards and sunder apart as he leans his whole form into the swing. A visible shockwave carrying debris and ruin arcs up whirling tidal wave to crash into the incoming psychic bomb carried by pure power alone. Such is the shockwave that it rips apart the energy, sending its excess spiraling in all directions in a wild rainbow hued display of shimmering bursts of energy. The wave travels onward towards the descending Athena but Kongou visibly huffs, staggering slightly from some particles that yet burn against his hide.

They both do like those attack call outs though, don't they.

COMBATSYS: Athena dodges Kongou's Megaton Hammer.

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

[ATHENA]
Falling head first toward the concrete is, by almost any definition, a precarious position to be in. But in that moment, Asamiya prioritized firing off another one of her dazzling projections of vibrant Psycho Power over taking control of her careening plunge toward an unyielding factory floor below. If she can just keep hammering on him, maybe there is a limit to what even one such as he can withstand! One more attempt. Keep going. Don't give up.

She watches him respond with violent, destructive force, obliterating what little had yet to be broken of the concrete flooring, sending pebbles and slabs of cement flying, and once more she's forced to contend with the shockwave such power projects by its very nature.

Sucking in her breath, she pulls her arms back and seems to move her hands toward her neck. In the same instant, the nimble girl twists herself suddenly in the air as if hoping simply to turn her back to the inevitable impact and hope for the best...

But as before, she vanishes in a bright flash of pink energy that lingers behind for seconds after the idol that created it is gone. It may take a moment to realize where the psychic fighter has relocated to as she reappears above and behind the destructive giant's head, still falling head first with the same velocity she had when she vanished an instant before.

Only now she has something held between her hands - the dark purple beads almost invisible in the dim shadows of the factory identify it as the beaded necklace she is seen wearing with most of her outfits. Now held between her arms, she holds it out in front of her, hands apart as she dives down toward her near invulnerable opponent and attempts to hook the necklace around his head.

"I'm not sure if you can even be stopped..."

Even though it has always hung loosely around the idol fighter's neck, it in no way is generous enough to make it down around Kongou's head. But it might hook around the top of his skull - a circular crown of dark purple beads - and provide Athena with an anchor to stop her fall against, flipping down and around to hang from the back of his head by her necklace.

Of course, this in and of itself has no chance of toppling the titan of battle... but the sudden surge of Psycho Power that courses from her hands into the beaded necklace, allowing to to serve as a conduit to once again attack his mind almost directly, just might!

"But if so, I'm going to find out!"

COMBATSYS: Kongou fails to interrupt Psychic Bit from Athena with Juggernaut Destroyer.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Athena           1/-------/=======|

COMBATSYS: Kongou can no longer fight.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Athena           1/-------/=======|

[KONGOU]
The titan turns, already moving even as the beads set upon his head. He twists about, bared feet grinding into the ground and once again sending seismic shudders through the battlefield and beyond as he makes a play to attempt to shake Athena loose. Shake her free and into the air where once more she may offer an opportunity for his tremendous form to come slamming into her.

But fate intervenes. His speed is not enough and even he may feel fatigue such that his efforts come a split second too late and his mind, or what passes for it given what he is, is seared with purple-white light and psychic flame that ripples further into his body from top to bottom with invisible but yet meteoric force.

The light show ripples back up again, blasting out from his eyes and open mouth as he actually emits a rumbling, "Hwooagnngth!!!" The unintelligible cry yanked forth from Kongou followed at the last by steam and smoke that gouts forth from his eye sockets and mouth as if he were just burnt to a crisp on the inside.

It would seem as if she's found the answer to her question. He -can- be stopped but it takes..considerable tenacity and power it would seem. Both of which the idol has proven to have in abundance! The earth rocks for, perhaps, the final time here, as the giant falls forward and down to his knees, huge arms going limp and the great dumpster of Athena material goes sliding down his shoulder and to the ground to eventually tip over and send dolls, dvds, blu rays and even a Athena themed karaoke machine, spilling out. The machine slides a short distance and then blinks to life playing one of her classics.

"...It would appear I can no longer move... Yes. I think I am done." notes Kongou as he sits there on his knees like some sort of depowered machine, staring blankly ahead in a slightly bizarre look before finally losing his balance and tilting over to fall to his back like some bested kaiju for a final earth shaking impact and plume of dust.

[ATHENA]
Athena clings to the necklace for dear life. No rodeo bull rider would have any idea the kinds of whiplash her body is put through as she tries to brace herself against the mighty titan's upper back. That her lifeline - the necklace wrapped around the top of Kongou's head - holds at all is testament that it must be made of some truly sturdy stuff.

Hanging on for dear life as she is occasionally whipped around like a living flag, Asamiya applies every bit of the mental fortitude she can spare into channeling her psionic energy through the necklace and into the head of the giant. The toll it takes on her remaining strength continues to build, pushing her to rarely reached limits of her capacity. Just a little longer, she tells herself, eyes squinted shut, jaw clenched as she feels her strength waning.

In the end, it proves to be just enough. The thrill ride no amusement park can ever hope to match comes to an end at the same time her ability to project her power is thoroughly exhausted.

As the Collosus of Combat drops to his knees, the smaller fighter hanging onto the back of him comes to rest against his back, gasping for breath, fingers still wrapped tightly around her beaded necklace. With a grunt of exertion, she runs her finger over a release near the center of the necklace and it comes loose, sliding around Kongou's head and allowing her to drop to the shattered concrete amid the suffocating cloud of powderized dust lingering from his rampage.

Covering her mouth with her hand, she rushes to the side to get some distance between her and her opponent, not leaving anything to chance when it comes to this one. A moment later she steps out into open view of the cameras and what audience has been bold enough to stay to witness the climax of the match, proving that she had indeed, against likely all expectations, survived the encounter with the massive fighter.

Gasping for breath, she lowers her hand from her mouth and turns to face Kongou as he finally falls onto his back, sending another tremor through the ground and renews the plume of dust that had only just started to settle.

The mountain of Athena merchandise spills out across the floor, some of it coming to rest at her bare feet, including one battery operated karaoke machine. Looking at Kongou with a mixture of bewilderment and relief, it takes several seconds of rapid breaths to finally get control of her breathing. Brushing dust from her outfit, bewilderment turns to amazement as her smile from before breaks out brightly, radiant in spite the blood at her lips brought on by just one of his mighty blows.

"Wow! I- That- Wow!"

Shaking her hand, she plants her feet and raises her fist in the air.

"That was incredible! You are something else!"

Lowering her hand, she brings her arms to her sides and bows toward Kongou then, eyes sweeping along the spilled paraphernalia, her beaming smile becoming a lopsided grin.

"Thank you for the experience."

She stands upright, not sure if he can hear her in his state, but continuing on all the same.

"I owe you fifteen autographs... make it twenty for such a match!"

The audience that braved out the conclusion of the match makes their excitement known by loud cheers from one side of the factory and not forgetting them, Athena takes a moment to wave in their direction as well. If this is anything like what World Warrior has to offer her this time around, then she's really in for quite an experience!

COMBATSYS: Athena has ended the fight here.

Log created on 22:04:40 09/08/2023 by Athena, and last modified on 00:20:33 09/16/2023.