Match of the Millennium

Description: Zarine and Braun, the SUPERPREDATORS clash in the first round of the final New Fighting Generation tournament!

[BRAUN]
Well this is it. It's been a long journey - longer for some mind you - but still one full of trials, highs, lows, controversy and a host of other things that have colored this unique contest. Even shipping. Definently shipping.

Now, at last, the final battles are set to begin. Sort of. There seems to be a little bit of housekeeping left to do in order to make that fully viable and Braun has found himself part of that last effort. To be certain, he's not completely happy or satisfied with his placing and that this has to happen to begin with. It's not that he minds fighting it's just...no clear wins during the Metro City round have left him slightly chagrined even with the good fights he's had. Lady luck jus wasn't with him and fightes who have managed to obtain more experience have been sufficient roadblocks. Them's the breaks though and if there is an opportunity to yet be seeded, the burly beastman is going to make the most of it.

Thus when he arrives it's some burning determination. He makes his way towards the ring, ignoring the roars and cheers of the crowd, and some jeers even as it seems those labeled as Darkstalkers have had their share of issues here in Metro City. It's all water under the bridge as far as he's concerned as, upon reaching the ring, he leaps up and grabs hold of the top rope to fully vault his massive body over it and into the massive stage. His landing is a heavy thud, going forward into an tense combat stance before straightening up and then finally turning to raise both arms and emit a thundering bestial roar from his fanged maw that echoes throughout the stadium.

Annoying though this is, might as well give them a show.

"Alright...let's get this over with..."

[ZARINE]
One win, one loss and one double knockout. Zarine has had an okay run of it, short though it may have been. She's still not convinced that cheerleading isn't some form of sorcery. Even so, she's fairly ... not pleased, but okay with her performance. What can you expect after a long sleep?

As requested, she arrives on time. She's dressed for the show in her long black dress that's pulled short in the front, heels that add three or four inches to her height, and the headband that looks like it's made of iron thorns. She clicks up the ramp towards the ring at a stately pace, her expression placid as marble. She doesn't regard cheers or jeers, her focus entirely upon the upcoming brawl.

As she reaches the ring, she doesn't hop in. Her body collapses inward, turning to silvery mist which flows up into the ring and reforms. Her left hand extends, and in a wisp of shadow, her almost too long, thin sword manifests, her hand coiling around the scabbard. Elegantly, she draws it, swinging the shining metal through the air and bringing it to bear.

"Good luck, Master Braun."

[BRAUN]
"Oh this is about to be a mess... I hope there's some sorta content warning.." remarks Braun, bemused sarcasm dripping from his voice as he watches Zarine arrive. He'd taken to leaning against one of the posts while waiting for her but sraightens back up again and rubs the back of his nose with a massive hand as he takes a few steps forward.

"After your fight with Laurel I was wondering if we'd ever get paired up. I guess now's as good a time as anyway.." he drawls, deep voice languid and lazy despite the tense and downright dangerous scenario before him.

"Alright yeah. Good luck t'you as well.."

He dips low into a combat stance now, letting one arm hang infront of him, palms up and massive talons gleaming as they crackle with barely restrained chi. His other arm raises up slightly, ready to strike and his legs coil, muscles bulging visibly and straining hsi garments as his sinew tenses, ready to spring him forward.

"Ready when you are..."

COMBATSYS: Zarine has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Zarine           0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Braun has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Zarine           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Braun

[ZARINE]
It's a marked contrast between them. Zarine is diminutive, tiny even. Braun is, comparatively, enormous. That's not the only difference. He tenses as he levers himself to the ready, his muscled coiled like springs. The vampire, on the other hand, seems relaxed. Serene. No tension in her at all. Which is probably why it's a surprise when she moves like a shot. One instant still, the next, launching forward in a swirl of far too frilly dress and pale flesh. Her red eyes gleam in the stadium lights.

Her opening salvo is quite basic. She moves to race past Braun, lashing out with her sword in one swift arc of silver, the blade singing as it cuts through the air seeking flesh.

COMBATSYS: Braun blocks Zarine's Black Planet.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Zarine           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Braun

[BRAUN]
She's fast. A barely visible blur of darkness that lances across the ring like a burst of dark lightning for the giant bruiser. She's on him in the space between the blinks of an eye. Perhaps even too fast for the high speed cameras to keep up with easily. Wind warps through the ring at her movements, attempting to keep pace with her and she's, an instant later, warping past Braun with her blade trailing the hint of scarlet with it in its passing.

But only a hint. At the last possible instant, the giant shifted his stance, bringing his arm up defensively to and pulling back slightly to side step her swiping assault. Her sword glanced against his toughened hide, scoring a slight slash mark but nothing as actually intended. It seems that he's fast as well. Too fast, perhaps, given his great size. A shell fired from a battleship or a missile launched at high speeds.

It is with that speed that he lashes out at her with a counter assault. His body blurring with jagged movements that sends his other arm swiping around and trailing crimson hued chi behind it. Claws and energy rending and gashing the air itself it as he drags his limb around in a massive swiping swing for her.

COMBATSYS: Zarine dodges Braun's Beast King's Decree.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Zarine           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Braun

[ZARINE]
The vampire frowns slightly as her blade doesn't bite as it should. She shouldn't be too surprised. He looks tough, after all. Still, the trickle of red feeds up the sword and into Zarine's hand where it vanishes. She seems unsatisfied. Still, a little is better than nothing.

His retaliation is much swifter than she thought it would be. The beastly man rounds on her, claws crackling with power. For the vampire, time seems to slow as a sliver of her power wakes. To mortal eyes, it must look like animation with frames missing as she pivots, twisting her sword to the vertical and bracing it with her free hand. Mystic sparks fly as she catches his claws and, with a little pressure, redirects them from her seemingly frail body.

Her eyes shine as she tries to press the advantage, calling upon the power of her blood as she twists back. She brings the sword into both hands and swings it down at Braun with brutal efficiency, the razor edge gleaming hungrily.

COMBATSYS: Zarine successfully hits Braun with Sunless.

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

[BRAUN]
Well that was a blow now wasn't it. It comes i with such lightning ferocity that even Braun's reaction seems momentarily like that of molasses. He's unable to keep up and the blade rips itself across his vast torso, drinking deep of him in the process and sending the giant beastman attempting to lurch backwards with a sudden springing movement in order to reset the battlefield. She's on him, however, keeping pace with him and his eeys, likewise, gleam from the rise of fury fueld by painand frustration at both the lack of purchase in his previous attack and the ferocity of her counter.

Some snappy banter or witty comment would normally boil up from him but instead he directs his frustration into a sudden springing action that rebounds his body right for her and brings both of his hands around, claws gleaming as his mouth pulls into a snarled grin, fangs and incisors massive and teeth full despite that she put him on the back foot.

If he closes in successfully, both hands would grab her and he would leap, spiraling her up into the air and then back down again in a massive piledriver with claws digging in deep onto her frail form along with the crushing pressure of his weight.

Or he may simply whiff and grasp at the air once again--

COMBATSYS: Zarine fails to interrupt Cyclonic Driver from Braun with This Corrosion.

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

[ZARINE]
Now she's getting cocky. The good hit, plus the dodge has her feeling in some kind of groove. So much so that after her strike hits and the blood helixes up her weapon, her smile turns a little cheeky.

This is her downfall.

Braun comes for her, and she flickers forward to thrust with her blade, but this time he's just that much faster. He breaches her guard and grapples her, stealing Mike Haggar's signature move in his hometown! The crash is horrific, and the snapping of bones is audible.

That's fine, because an instant later, a swarm of bats erupts from Braun's grip and reforms into Zarine on the other side of the ring, her bones, visibly broken, starting to knit as she stands.

[BRAUN]
The ring shapes as a whirlwind ripples out from Braun's spinning movements and the final impact against the mat. It was close indeed, her attempt at a counter assault. A dangerous game to play. As fast as they both are, that could have gone either way, but fortune seems to have favored the burly beastman and Braun lifts his massive clawed hand up for another attack, thinking her pinned beneath him only to hold the attack back as she congeals into a swarm of bats and escapes his grasp.

"Nnn...committing to the 'bit' are we?" he rumbles out.. quipping for the first time as he glances over towards her and narrows his eyes upon seeing her wounds so rapidly healing.

She may have time to answer him, but not by deliberate choice on his part as he is immediately on the move again. His massive frame springs for her, going into a great flipping leap which then has him descending down towards her, both clawed feet extended to try and pounce upon her once again.

COMBATSYS: Zarine blocks Braun's Light Kick.

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

[ZARINE]
This may be the first time that Braun truly can feel Zarine's true strength. He arcs up and drops in with a heavy, two footed kick, and she pivots, bringing both her arms up. He impacts on her arms, and she slides back, heels scraping across the ring. There's no grunt of exertion, no exhaled breath. Just the impact on her tiny frame and not as much motion as Braun would likely want. She gives a shove to free herself, spinning back in a whirl of black and red.

She doesn't let things sit. She just moves. She drarts at Braun, almost seeming to flicker as she jukes left and right, thrusting the sword in lightning quick stabs. She's trying to keep them shallow, but the ribbons of dark red that fling off the end in slashing waves might not be helping.

COMBATSYS: Braun blocks Zarine's Ribbons.

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

[BRAUN]
"Hrk!"

He wasn't expecting the block quite like that. Braun presses down with all of his great weight and strength but in the end is literally forced to vault back up into the air where he lands roughly back towards the middle of the ring and slides backwards a few paces kicking up dust and warping the mat briefly int he wake of his passage.

He looks up, instinct and speed alone saving him, as the first of Zarine's strikes come hurtling inward like the twinkle of an eye. His claws catch the sword as it comes in, turning it aside with a sparks flying and chi crackling like red lightning against the red ribbons of her own roaring fury..

Agai and again he swings, blocking and redirecting her attacks before finally ducking to the side in a sudden flash of movement that seems to almost cause his body to disappear and then reappear again in an explosive burst of force.

The ring shakes as a shockwave rings out from his movements as he slides to a stop and then drags both of his massive arms up infront of him, crossing them over each other and then splaying them back out once more in a wild burst of movement that rips a jagged tear of 'X' shaped bestial chi into the air and launches it violently across the mat towards Zarine.

He bursts right into movement after it, once again flashing with speeds that defy his massive frame. His mane like hair crackles red as his body seems to enlarge in size, growing into amore vast almost battle-form like visage as he tries to cross her up with his previous assault. His gigantic arm lunges down and then up again as he leaps going into a wild spinning upper cut that drags yet more of that wild raging energy behind it as he spirals upwards with the vampire ideally caught between the rapid fire asault.

COMBATSYS: Braun blitzes into action and acts again!

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Zarine           0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0            Braun

COMBATSYS: Braun successfully hits Zarine with Sky-Rending Claw.

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

COMBATSYS: Zarine parries Braun's Whirlwind Fang!

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Zarine           1/----===/=======|=======\-------\1            Braun

[ZARINE]
Blocked again. Claws meet blade sending red arcs of power off and to ground into the posts of the ring. Zarine grits her teeth and takes a hop back to get a little space. Some room to breathe if she actually needed to. Red eyes narrow as she watches what he does. She can feel the buildup of power. It tickles her nose. The shockwave from his movement catches her off guard and she wobbles, which is enough time for him to launch the ragged X of power her way unmolested.

She brings her blade up to try and intercept, but she's not fast enough. The burning chi consumes her and she howls, hair rising in wisps from the static, her skin darkening and cracking almost like it's real fire. An undead ruin, her beauty and poise have been shredded by the wave of power.

She's not finished, though.

He follows up, hurtling across the ring like a hunting cat. No fear, all ruthless, efficient aggression. Her eyes glow balefuly as she moves as well. He grows, or at least seems to, as he comes, and she surges to meet him.Her blade meets his massive hands with a flash of power, and she's launched upward, batting aside his strikes even as she rides the vertical momentum. Her free hand lashes out to the side, drawing in some of his crimson power even as some of her own blood emerges to mingle with it, forming a crackling red blade of sanguine power.

She ascends even further as the uppercut launches, impacting upon the crossed twin blades. She spirals upwards, dress flaring almost like wings as her heels impact upon a lighting rig. She hangs for a moment, almost seeming to stick as she draws upon every last ounce of power in her blood. Her eyes burn red, both swords burst into black fire.

She looks like she wants to say something, but she doesn't. Instead, her knees bend, and she rockets downwards, her launch wrenching and warping the metal of the rig. Like a bullet or a bolt of crimson and black lightning, she races downwards at Braun. Her blades are drawn back, arms crossed over her body. When she is in range, they swing in tandem once single time like a great pair of shears. They leave trails of bloody chi and black fire in their wake as they strike.

COMBATSYS: Braun blocks Zarine's Sisters of Mercy EX.

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

[BRAUN]
Any semblance of 'seeming to' grow is gone when the beastman lands roughly following his spiraling assault. The raging fury of his bestial chi has transformed him, enlarging him by more then a foot and cranking his physique to proportions that would make the likes of Kongou proud. Certainly within the ream of the 'biggest big boys' around to say the least. His hair is a glwing fiery red, mane extended and framing his bearded face and even a leonine tail whips about behind him. Whatever changed him also changed his garments, or at least strengthened them to work with his new proportions. Thankfully. NFG needs no more scandals right now.

But such a 'hulk mode' is fleeting and Braun sneers, already feeling shackles clamping around his spirit to pull at the beast form to try and drag him down to earth.

There's little time to reflect on that though as he spins and brings his enlarged clawed hand upward in a sweeping wave of roaring chi to meet Zarine's decent. A loud roar escapes him from the force and fury of this and the contest of power that rages as she impacts against his defensive measure. The monstrous chi raging and pushing back and forth against each other as her strike drives him down towards his knees, even in this enhanced giant form...until finally he shoves back and sends her away from him, deflecting force, fire, blades and fury and nearly rent to the ground by the effort of doing so.

His eyes widen and then narrow before trailing light behind them as he dashes into a counter attack, bounding on all fours to chase after her and then lunging into a spiraling leap that trails flashing energy behind him, his entire body turning into a massive comment of muscle, fur and fangs that seeks to crash into her carry her completely across the ring with meteoric force.

COMBATSYS: Braun successfully hits Zarine with Chimeric Crash.

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

[ZARINE]
Zarine hits the ground after being forced away from Braun. Now, finally, she makes a sound. She growls deep in her throat, the predatory sound rumbling through her chest. She's not quite gone feral, the predator within isn't loose, but it's close. It's enough to prod her into action. The second sword burns away into nothing, leaving wisps of shadow.

She bares her teeth, fangs clearly visible as she lifts her sword in preparation. Braun comes and she surges to meet him, pressing her blade against his charge. She meets him strength for strength in a stalemate of power, his burning aura causing her skin to blacken and crack once again. It seems like the press will hold, an eternal stasis of implied violence.

Then the heel of her bracing foot's shoe snaps.

All of the built momentum is unleashed in that instant, and Zarine goes flying, impacting on the edge of the ring hard. Hard enough that her shoes fly off. Which is probably a good thing, since the sword clatters to the ground, and she slumps for an instant, until a switch seems to flip. Her hands curl, ragged claws sprouting from her fingertips as all trace of humanity leaves her face.

Like a feral animal, Zarine hurls herself at Braun, one last outburst. She swings her arms in great raking motions, strikes that would shred a normal human to ribbons. Luckily Braun is something more.

Either way, after her flurry of frenzy, she crumples, fingers returning to normal as she just ... looks like a corpse in the middle of the ring.

COMBATSYS: Zarine can no longer fight.

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

COMBATSYS: Zarine successfully hits Braun with The Spider's Strategem.

[                         \\\\\  <
Braun            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|

[BRAUN]
With displays like this, it can, perhaps, not be hard to undrestand why some of the other members of the NFG were a bit wary of the likes of Zarine and Laurel. For whatever reason, Braun never quite got the same bit of ire. Perhaps he's just to beastly burly and good looking.

But this particular display is indeed truly monstrous. He attempts to swat her final desperate attack aside but misses by the thinest of hairs breadth from doing so and her own jagged claws lay into him. It doesn't help that he's still in his monstrous giant beastform meaning there's just that much more of him to barrage with those horrible claws, sending his bloodf lying and his teeth gritting and then finally letting loose a loud roar of pain that ripples through the entire stadium like a herd of great cats bellowing in unison.

She blitzest past him and he staggers a few steps backwards, nearly slipping in his own blood, but then stopping and forcing his weight onto his back leg to steady himself. One hand goes down to the floor of the mat and a sudden thunder crack of energy ripples over him, bringing his size back dont towards more svelte seven foot frame.

He huffs and puffs a few times and then blinks, realizing he's still up and capable of moving and as such he slowly stands and turns towards Zarine's prone form.

".....Damn girl.."

Log created on 20:36:56 10/21/2023 by Zarine, and last modified on 12:13:31 10/31/2023.