Match of the Millennium

Description: In the slums of Metro City, there is a fight hall that serves as the backdrop for a modern day battle between a tech savvy David vs. A bestial Goliath. Can the fight survive the clash between the two?

[BRAUN]
"You've got to be jokin'.. Seriously?"

First a gigantic scrap yard...and now what is positively a step -under- that in terms of slumming it in the down and dirty dives and dank sectors of Metro City. If he didn't know any better, he might think that the organizers of this tournament were trying to say something about him or send a message.

And so, just outside of this wretched wet cardboard box of a warehouse sits Braun, lounged atop his massive red and black motorcycle with the languid boredom of some massive alleycat surveying its domain. In Braun's case, it's a look of disdain. It's not as if he hasn't been to places like this before. In fact, he's been to even worse...it's just.... Well a -little- glitz and glamour wouldn't hurt from time to time. Now he's two for two in fighting in what is basically a form of a trash heap.

He's punctual at least, having left his teams headquarters in enough time to make several rounds to local bars and liquor stores and now he's arrived here...mildly drunk...but at least present. He takes the extra time to down a few more brews and then slovenly wipes his fanged mouth with the back of a meaty hand and drags himself up from his bike to start walking with heavy steps towards the warehouse entrance. A half rumble, half belch, escapes him as he reaches the main doors and presses them open with his immense frame to begin the process of entering into the actual prepared space for his match. For all his complaining, the combo of his looks and outward demeanor pretty much fit him right into the overall cadence and atmosphere of this place.

[KENZO]
While Kenzo has been well traveled and has been to Metro City before, his travels never brought him to this neighborhood let alone a fight venue like this. It's dingy and grimy. There's relatively fresh blood splatter from a fight from earlier in the evening to join the splatter from fights long past.

When Kenzo enters the fighting area he leans on the skids acting as a barrier. There's cheering and shouting and there are few spectators not above shoving people around. One of those spectators who was doing some shoving earlier ends up getting shoved while drinking out of a blue plastic cup. He loses control of the drink as he gets shoved into one of the Team Metal bodyguards and spills his drink on Kenzo. Kenzo doesn't even have a chance to react as one drops blue cup with a straight while the other gets dropped by another bodyguard with an elbow. After that, Team Metal's corner is given wide berth by the spectators. The Fulgore units are outside but close by just in case.

Kenzo however between his tech combat suit and eyewear, does not fit in here.

[BRAUN]
He had seen the Fulgore Units on his initial arrival before pulling around to another corner of the warehouse to relax and grumble and gripe. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking at but now, upon entering the interior of the warehouse and moving around from the back and opposite corner of where Kenzo and the Team Metal entourage are stationed, Braun begins to put two and two together and he furrows his brow in a mild combo of confusion and curiousity.

He is afforded a wide berth as he moves. Being seven tall and nearly four hundred pounds of furred clawed muscle probably does much for that and his garments do little to hide his features or the sheer size stacked onto him. IF that wasn't enough his near predatory movements begin to kick in as well, a sort of prowling menace as his instincts fire up and his hackles raise at the overall density of the aura of this place. It was less noticable to him on the outside but in here..violence lives.

"Hnn...maybe I blew this place off a little too soon.." he drawls before he finally vaults over the barriers cordoning off the fighting arena from the rest of the warehouse and he lands with a solid thump and a scoring of his clawed feet into the warehouse floors.

"'eeeeeey. Let's get this show on the road.." he calls out over to Kenzo. "Sorry..I aint got my bodyguards or showgirls here to add some flavor like you do kid. I guess Team Blaze is on a bit of a budget.."

He beckons for Kenzo with a massive claw tipped finger. "C'mon. I heard good things about you from Hawksley..."

COMBATSYS: Braun has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Braun            0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Kenzo has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Kenzo            0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0            Braun

[KENZO]
When the tech-ninja hears the Blaze brawler call out to him, he stands up to his not-nearly-as-massive height and nods before glancing at the man behind him responsible for getting all of that drink all over his hair and his back before stepping forward towards Braun. He was silently grateful for having made sure to waterproof his wearables in preparation for his previous fight with Chevy.

"Being on Team Metal does have its benefits."

He calmly pulls out his kusari-gama spinning the weighted chain his side as he holds the sickle in the other hand. He takes in the readouts in his combat specs before taking a breath and glances over to the official taking a moment to bow to Braun. His eyewear is directed to the brawny Braun.

"After such a glowing endorsement from him, I better not disappoint."

When the official gives the signal to start, he sends out his weighted chain to wrap up the larger fighter before electrifying the chain. Instead of pulling Braun to him, like his usual execution of the move, he pulls himself towards Braun as he delivers a shoulder charge into the abdomen before finishing with a slash with the sickle of his weapon, likewise charged with energy.

COMBATSYS: Braun blocks Kenzo's Lightning Snare.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Kenzo            0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0            Braun

[BRAUN]
As anticipated, Braun indeed holds his ground as the chains spiral about him. So rooted and braced against the warehouse floor, he's not unlike a tree enabling Kenzo to quickly close the distance in towards him as the spark of electricity begins to crackle to life about the weapon and about incoming body of Kenzo, moving like a blur across the bottlefield towards the massive beastman.

At the last second, Braun twists, wrapping a massive hand about the chain to yank on it while also bringing his free arm up, forearm coming in like a tree trunk to take the slash intended for his belly and absorb the shock of electricity as it races into his body and then down towards the warehouse floor.

The chain links of the kusari gama seem to sing with movement as Braun brings his arm around again to free himself from their coils and ready himself for a counter attack.

"Said you were fast and smart!" he bellows out in the instance before his counter attack occurs.

His other arm swings around, clawed tips gleaming and dragging through the air a jagged mass of white and red energy as if he were cutting a scar through the fabric of the air itself.

"I guess we'll find out!" he bellows, a fanged grin on full display as he leans his body into the swipe and attempts to drag his attack across Kenzo's own torso with violent force.

COMBATSYS: Braun successfully hits Kenzo with Beast King's Decree.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Kenzo            0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0            Braun

[KENZO]
The ninja has to admit that Braun is a lot faster than his size would suggest. With Braun still being able to grab the chain and pull him off balance, he doesn't have the positioning required to defend against Braun's counter. In a desperate bid to redirect it he raises the sickle and instead the claw and energy alike slips around the weapon scoring a claw mark across his body.

Kenzo stumbles backwards as he touches torso and pulls the chain back in readying himself for another attack now that his opponent had released it. He steps forward once again this time going for the leg as he uses the back end of the sickle to get behind his knee and pull the first leg from under him and unbalance him before grabbing his waist and attempting to dump him on his back.

He goes quiet, at least for the time being preferring to focus on pressuring the large opponent in front of him. Focusing on fighting him and picking up the information on his readouts is probably going to be difficult enough already just based on what he's seen so far.

COMBATSYS: Braun blocks Kenzo's Medium Throw.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Kenzo            0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0            Braun

[BRAUN]
So he's not much of a talker. That's a bit different then his last match wherein Buford just wouldn't shut up and things got akward from there. Here, Kenzo is all business.

It suits him just fine but the focus is noted. It means that rattling the young ninja with verbal taunts and chatter is likely going to be useless since he's already proving to not be easy at taking the bait.

Nor is he willing to yield to the pressure Braun has already placed onto him. The trip attempt wraps leg up and sends him rocking backwards as he comes out of the momentum of own attack. When Kenzo grabs his waist, the giant bruiser visibly sneers, curling his lips into a deep throated rumble with leonine connotations before his world is up ended and he goes tumbling down towards the ground....

Only to press his huge hands forward before him to catch his fall before he truly shoulders the full force of the toss. He twists again, indeed far faster then his giant figure would suggest. Lunging with the power and speed afforded the great hunting cats he seems to have some legacy relation to as he coils up, weight fully onto both hands, and then kicks out a thunderous strike with a massive leg, using the pressure of the strike to not only potentially slam into Kenzo - but to also aid in his movement as he vaults away from the young fighter to put some distance back between them.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo dodges Braun's Light Kick.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Kenzo            0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0            Braun

[KENZO]
With the bruiser moving as fast as he is, Kenzo knows that he can't afford to let Braun hit him at will nor can he afford to cede ground to him for too long or else those long limbs are going to be problematic even if Kenzo has the chain weapon to make up for having a reach disadvantage.

When Braun kicks out, Kenzo decides he just doesn't want to be there, suddenly darting to the side and then takes a step forward just as Braun vaults away focusing on keeping close to him. If there is to be distance between the two, Kenzo would prefer for it to be on his terms rather than the bestial bruiser's.

The ninja moves in for another grab. This time about the waist with both hands as he takes to the air, ideally with Braun as an unwilling participant. When the leap reaches the apex, Kenzo tilts backwards until he can divebomb the ground with Braun's head first and then rolling away.

COMBATSYS: Braun endures Kenzo's Izuna Drop.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Kenzo            1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0            Braun

[BRAUN]
It's -almost- comical given the size difference between the two. It doesn't seem feasible and yet up he goes and then back down again before he even has an inkling of exactly what's going on.

Instinct kicks in just before impact as his body tightens and then rolls enough into the impact to blanket the force across his entire massive frame such as to grant him additional momentum as opposed to completely flatten his senses all together. Any taunt that he might have had rising now dies on his lips and as his eyes squint his teeth bare into a growing snarl as his temper flares and wrath boils into him.

As Kenzo leaps away, he lingers in that upside down pose for half a second, body beginning to tilt over before he suddenly rolls into the fall and then presses his massive arms against the ground to vault away and land forcibly, skidding backwards a few additional meters before coming to a braced stop.

"Alright.." Braun rumbles, grinning abit. He then lunges forward, both of his tree limb sized arms splayed out at his sides and claws gleaming again.

A rumbling roar ripples from him as he skids to a stop and drags both of his massive arms forward. A ripping blast of physical force tears through the air towards Kenzo in an 'x' shaped cross slash as both of his immense limbs whip up infront of him and cross over each other. The jagged blast of force ripping into the floor of the warehouse and sending debris flurrying and flying as the attack rockets out at the ninja.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo blocks Braun's Sky-Rending Claw.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Kenzo            1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0            Braun

[KENZO]
While the growls and roars probably would intimidate most, and possibly even Kenzo outside of a fight, the focus he's putting on obtaining and utilizing the data he's receiving both from his eyes and the readouts on his combat specs is helping him keep his head in spite being confronted by an adversary like Braun.

More concerning than those sounds being made is the 'x' shaped energy slash, accompanied by the bits and pieces of debris and the most recent of those roars. Kenzo temporarily drops the weighted end of his chain to pull his fan so that he can use it as a shield while reinforcing it with the sickle that he has no plan on dropping at the moment. The energy plus bits of ground and broken glass force the much smaller ninja to slide backwards with a grunt.

Now that Braun has the space that he fought so hard for, Kenzo decides he doesn't want to give his opponent time to enjoy it. Braun is about to get front row seats to that speed that was mentioned earlier in the fight when Kenzo goes from at a bit of a distance to right in Braun's face once more. The fan he was using to shield is stowed away. The weighted end of the kusari-gama is back in his hand and the sickle is slashing across his chest.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo successfully hits Braun with Flicker Edge.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Kenzo            1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\1            Braun

[BRAUN]
It's less a matter of wanting to earn the distance and instead wanting to reset the playing field and command the melee on his own terms. Needless to say, Kenzo is not making that easy and as his air shredding attack is blocked by the ninja, Braun sneers in partial disappointment but also with partial respect. He didn't like that, no, but it's hard to not be impressed when it's earned.

He's no time for a snarling response, witty or otherwise, as Kenzo manifests seemingly from nowhere, right ontop of him. Braun is fast as well but that was practically a flash step in its own right and the giant beastman is unable to to regain his defensive footing fast enough in the aftermath of the momentum of his previous assault. Blood sprays as his toughnened hide is scored and by the flashing of the ninja's blade and the massive beastman grimaces while dashing to the side to regain his balance as his teeth grit with the white-hot fire of pain that bursts through his body from the successful attack.

But he recovers, perhaps too quickly, and regains his footing while maintaining close combat quarters. His body pivots around to the side, bringing a massive hand jabbing forward with a clawed strike right for Kenozo's side as a reward for invoking a successful injury on the leonine man.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo interrupts Aggressive Strike from Braun with Whirling Chain Blitz.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Kenzo            1/--=====/=======|=======\=====--\1            Braun

---

## It is very dark in here. ##
## You are likely to be eaten by a grue. ##
## Fulgore has been eaten by a grue. ##

[OOC] Kenzo says, "Hope that wasn't one of the ones outside of the fight."

[OOC] Braun says, "haha"

[OOC] Braun says, "Maybe. Metro City Grue's kinda rough."

---

[KENZO]
Kenzo continues to press the attack with steady unrelenting pressure. With Braun on the back foot, he doesn't want to let up. The fact that the massive brawler was able to strike so fast and hit so hard that he was slide him back that much even through his guard made the ninja concerned that if he let the leonine man get off an attack from a position of strength, he was as good as done.

Kenzo's eyebrows rise in a way that would suggest a widening of his eyes as soon as Braun suddenly and violently retaliates to his slash. He had already committed to the pressure to the point that escape from the clawed hand was unlikely. In that case, staying in the pocket and attacking back was in order.

As soon as Braun's hand connects with his torso, Kenzo's chain crackles with electricity as the weight strikes the bruiser's arm keeping it from hitting as hard as it could have. But that was only the beginning. Kenzo continues the onslaught, rapidly and repeatedly going in a figure 8 pattern as he bashes the arms, shoulder, head or whatever he can strike with the electrified weight.

[BRAUN]
He might as well have been struck by a sustained lightning bolt. For all the visual effects and blaring lightshow that ripples across Braun's body...Kenzo might have been a better fit for Team Thunder then Team Metal.

It's not a pleasent experience to say the least...particularly as the onslaught continues to surge wildly into him setting his insides and outsides alight with electrical fury. A roar rips from him. A furious painful thunderous cry that rattles windows and shakes floors and walls. Yeah that got him.

But the roar continues, shifting from pain to that of menace and then wrath. Braun's entire body seems to begin to enlarge, morphing right infront of Kenzo's eyes, gaining at least a foot in height if not slightly more. Widening outwards as his mane like hair take on a blazing crimson hue and expands in size and his visage becomes more bestial like by the second. His clothes stretch and strain, morphing with him as crackling tendrils of crimson chi blast about, mixing in with the electrical energy as Braun looms larger and larger over head as if drinking in strength from the chaos around him.

"Not bad!" he bellows, voice laced with that great cat like fury, the rumbling roar of a sabretooth tiger, lion and more roiling forth as he brings both of his now support pillar sized arms up. "This is just how I like it!"

With that the now truly monstrous wild maned and furred bruiser begins a flurry of rapid fire strikes that trail roaring behind them in a blazing blitzkrieg of assaults. At the last, he springs forward attempting to literally cross Kenzo up and dash past him with a final trailing x shaped double armed strike to end the devestating combo.

COMBATSYS: Braun successfully hits Kenzo with Monarch's Relentless Fury.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Kenzo            1/--=====/=======|-------\-------\0            Braun

[KENZO]
Braun's roar shakes the arena and the occupants of the fight club itself. Kenzo himself gets jarred out of his focused state not used to dealing with sounds at that level of volume. With a quick breath he's able to reassert control over his mental state. It is fortunate that Kenzo had faced Buck in an earlier NFG and was in the ring with Tamaki during the Rumble. He probably wouldn't have dealt with the Braun's changing of size as well as he is had he faced him earlier in the NFG. Where before the transformation would have been intimidating, now it is yet another variable to deal with.

Kenzo doesn't deal with that particular variable well as the additional reach plus terrifying speed equals Kenzo getting shredded by vicious attack after vicious attack. The tech ninja manages to brace himself for the attack and that is likely the only reason he manages to pick himself off of the floor.

Kenzo nods to Braun both to acknowledge that his opponent got him and as a sign of respect. He doesn't open his mouth, not trusting himself to not scream once the flood gates are opened.

Kenzo moves into slashing range once more and this time he's going to respond in kind to Braun. One furious series of slashes in exchange for another. Kenzo once again electrifies the chained weapon slashing over and over with an electrified sickle. Chest, arms, legs are all fair game for the ninja.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo successfully hits Braun with Shredding Spark Frenzy.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////                        ]
Kenzo            0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0            Braun

[BRAUN]
Blow for blow is returned. Slash for slash. Strike for strike. Braun's flurry of attacks is met in return and the now giant beastman finds his blood sprayed wildly over the fight arena as red and white slashes of jagged chi intermix with the bright blue flares of electrical energy that bursts wildly into the air. the lights flicker. Some pop all together and the violent brawl continues onward until Braun grimaces, eyes widening as he senses the incoming push beyond his limits as Kenzo's flurry of attacks pushes in as his ends.

Disappointment boils in him, felt through the pain, but a begrudging respect for the ninja as well. A nail biter, this one, but seems that Kenzo's efforts are winning out.

"Yeah..." he breathes out heavily as the final slash rips through his massive belly, scoring a burning scar mark along the muscled midsection that semes to be the last push to tip the goliath over the edge. Almost.

A final grinning snarl is given towards Kenzo, his expression determined but at the same time acknowleging the tech-ninja's skill. Then he lunges again, a final jagged swing that drags downard towards the very floor of the warehouse ripping jagged gouge marks into the concrete as claws ignite with energy and the leaps into a massive jumping uppercut that drags that wave of force behind it.

Hit or miss, the energy rips away from him, carrying with it his enhanced size and returing him back to his more 'modest', seven foot self and his landing is a rough tumble that puts him down, unable to stand back up.

COMBATSYS: Braun can no longer fight.

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

COMBATSYS: Kenzo dodges Braun's Raging Thunder Roar.

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

[KENZO]
Kenzo doesn't need the readouts from his combat specs to tell him that the massive leonine bruiser is on his last legs. He just needed to survive the final retaliation. Considering how fast and furious Braun had been in this fight. How heavy each and every blow that came in whether intercepted, redirected, or taken directly. Kenzo could not afford to let it land. Braun was just too dangerous.

As the claws scrape the ground, Kenzo marshals his energy for one final defense. His entire body crackles and sparks with energy. When Braun takes to the air, Kenzo darts backward and away from the energized clawing attack looking not unlike a bolt of lightning leaping away from the bruiser. After a few moments, Kenzo lets that energy go leaving only the smell of ozone in its wake. Using such a massive amount of energy like that in such a short time is not without cost and he looks at the fallen form of Braun. Kenzo gulps massive amounts of air and then he stands fully upright before giving a nod of respect to Braun.

"That was an intense fight. A wrong decision here or there, and it easily could've gone the other way."

Kenzo bows to Braun and heads towards the Metal bodyguards, glances at the still unconscious guy who spilled the drink on him and heads out of the ring to continue to catch his breath.

[BRAUN]
He's too exhausted and beaten to answer Kenzo and rightfully so. But the hairy giant does end up lifting a clawed thumbs up towards the ninja at the bow and just before he leaves out. He's not pleased about the loss, no question there.

But a fight that intense is by no means something Braun can complain about.

"Next time, man. Next time.." he rumbles out and then just decides to enjoy teh cold warehouse floor for awhile yet.

COMBATSYS: Kenzo has ended the fight here.

Log created on 19:58:36 09/24/2023 by Kenzo, and last modified on 11:47:21 09/26/2023.