Match of the Millennium

Description: After many a fight in the World Warrior tournament, the Sun Dragon of Southtown faces off against the Strongest Titan. Several properties in Yokohama pay the price for their meeting.

[TAIRYU]
The ports in Yokohama are calm this time of the year. It's not that there isn't *any* cargo vessels coming by, but the winter conditions in japan do make easy ingress for vessels en masse difficult.

Which is why there's barely anyone working through the ports now. There is a single ship docked, but this small stretch of concrete road running alongside the oceanline is free of such things blocking the view to the waters in the bay.

There's no warehouse workers moving around here either. The reason for that probably has something to do with the camera drones hovering about in the air here and there, just barely visible to the naked eye and silent for all excpet the most atentive ears.

And more importantly, the single man in a black suit and a dark-red button-up shirt with a popped collar and the top two buttons undone. Stood by the very edge of the dock, staring into the waters, back turned to the rest of the city. A faint waft of smoke hovering up ahead of him. A thin line of light-gray to suggest the presence of a cigarette.

Waiting. Mentally preparing.

[KONGOU]
The port shakes. A rumbling that could, perhaps, be dismissed by the passage of a semi truck on the roads nearest to the the shipyards or the approach of a massive oil tanker...save no such thing is happening.

But then it rumbles again. Then again. Then again. On and on in a steady onslaught akin to massive steps coming from..somewhere?

Eventually the rippling of the waters themselves make it plain that whatever is happening is happening therein. A certifiable earthquake that begins to eventually wend and wind its way towards the ports, rattling warehouse equipment and shaking parked vehicles until, at the last, the ultimate source finally reveals itself.

The top of Kongou's head breaks free from the ocean surface, pushing upwards as he strides forward rising up and up and up like some sort of grinning bodybuilder Kaiju that has decided to make this particular landing point on his quest to say hello to the citizens of Yokohama. . His expression is a full toothed grin with his brow raised upward and glowing eyes big and bright as he continues looming up larger and larger and ultimately fully emerging from the ocean to step upwards upon a sloping large incline that would likely be used to normally help ships taken landwards for repairs make their way back into the sea. Water drains down his body like immense waterfalls but he seems to come equipped with self drying upgrades as a crackle of blue white energy warps over his body, steaming it away and trailing it behind him as he continues to move further onto the docks.

He gradually raises a monstrous arm upward that is wrapped in what appears to be anchor chains normally used to keep ships docked. "THE MOUNTAIN HAS ARRIVED!" He declares, bass voice rumbling out through the area with palpable force. A bicep the size of a Buick flexes, the chains strain and snap like wet twin, bursting apart all along his arm as the mountainous flex ripples through the behemoth and down into the earth, triggering a shockwave that rocks the area and then----!!

And then....and then...Kongou looks around and realizes that there is nobody around really. No crowds. No cheers. no camera crews. Nada. He looks absolutely disappointed as he lowers his arm and then simply says, in confusion, "..But....where are my fans?!" It's then that he sees Tairyu and he turns towards him. "Ah...there's one!"

[TAIRYU]
No one could be blamed for running away from such a display of titanic proportions and force. But sadly, as Kongou has observed, there is nary a soul to be witnessing it in person.

Well, save for the single man in a suit -- and even his observation of the giant is unflappable in spite of it all.

"...Afraid not," Tairyu offers, actually sounding vaguely apologetic for the titan's benefit even with the words coming past the cigarette hanging from between his teeth. "The place was said to be too hazardous for on-site spectators, with all the containers and equipment and everything. Apparently."

It might have something to do with Kongou's particular method of outpouring strength considered to be an awfully bad combination with all that.

The japanese man draws his fingers to hooking along the cigarette, drawing a deep inhale from it that draws the embers at the tip to char through a centimeter or so of it's length. The cigarette is drawn out after, and the intake from it is allowed to linger for two seconds before it is blown from his lips.

"Smile, though," he offers, turning the cigarette between his fingers to point up towards the sky, shaking off some of the ash from the end at the same time as he gestures for the almost-silent drones. "You are on six cameras in the sky. Probably at least three more on the ground somewhere in the distance I haven't seen yet."

The cigarette is dropped down, and Tairyu's foot quickly stomps upon it once it lands on the ground, grinding his heel over it to make sure the tiny flame is snuffed out.

But though the flame down there fades, the air around Tairyu seems to waver, as if distorted by immense heat. Distorting further and further, until a shape seems to form there-- a mirage of a long, azure eastern dragon hovering behind the man, staring upon Kongou over his shoulders.

"...As for me, it appears I am your dance partner for today, Kongou-san."

COMBATSYS: Tairyu has started a fight here.

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

[KONGOU]
"D'aawwww.....were they worried because of my match with Athena in that smelting factory? Nobody was burned by molten metal or crushed by falling crates and machinary. I even managed to save all of my merchandise! But alas. This entire tournament has been quite interesting with its methods of setting matches up and match locations!"

The colossus seems cheerful, regardless, and he laces his massive hands together and cracks his knuckles. The sound echoes out over the area like the sound of boulders breaking or great trees splintering.

"Very well! You are extremely cool from what I can tell! I sense a confident attitude and 'main character' energy!"

Whatever that means!

"Make this fight interesting for me, alright?" Kongou unlaces his fingers and then gestures with his massive pointer finger at the appearance of the apparition of the dragon. "I sense you will do just that, Master Tairyu! Shall we begin?"

COMBATSYS: Kongou has joined the fight here.

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

[TAIRYU]
"... Sorry, what?"

Apparently Tairyu does not know the meaning behind 'main character energy' either. He's been called a lot of different things before, but that one? First time there.

The two questions that follow are much easier to process, at least.

"Yeah."

The draconic apparition turns down, coiling about one of Tairyu's arms while the his hand at the end subtly curls it's fingers.

"Let's go."

A quick stomp of one foot to the ground turns into a kick that sends him damn near flying forward to dash across the ground towards the Mountain called Kongou.

[KONGOU]
"You know! The leading man! The story lead! Or, perhaps you're the cool rival!"

Kongou's attempts to explain -nearly- cause him to miss that Tairyu is indeed as ready to go as one can be and he snaps his attention from his monologuing to level his gaze on the incoming dash.

THe ground cracks under him as he presses backwards, coiling his gargantuan strength into his legs and then letting the power ripple forth through him to send his huge body lunging forward like some sort of semi truck cab with legs.

HIs body twists as he moves, bringing up a clenched fist and then sending the massive limb hurtling around as he leans into the attack. The swing comes in fast. Perhaps too fast, like a cannonball that'd just been fired out as he attempts to drive his massive hand into the body of the smaller fighter before he can get close enough for a strike of his own!

COMBATSYS: Tairyu blocks Kongou's Gigas Collision.

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

[TAIRYU]
The titanic swing comes.

tTairyu's eyes lock on to it almost instantly, though. But even with that, it's too fast to avoid entirely. Instead, his own arm draws up besides him to shield his head -- no, more like the entirety of his body, considering how enormous the incoming fist is.

The fist comes colliding in, and Tairyu quickly snaps his other hand to press aside it to help provide further support to brace himself with. Grunting from both the great effort required to keep himself outright and the physical shock of the impact resonating through his bones.

But still, he doesn't tumble. Leather shoes skid across the ground, and though he isn't completely blown away, he is sent several meters back like that regardless. Those shoes were probably not built for something like that, but...

"Hrh..." The man in the suit grunts out, giving a quick shake to his arm while he's leaning his weight forward and downwards to forcefully bring his momentum back forwards. "Gonna lose my arm like that."

His posture remains low -- no, it gets even lower, when he pounces forward to get back in for Kongou's proximity. His other hand goes even lower -- not clutched in a fist, but rather with fingers subtly hooked like a claw. The chi-shaped mirage of a dragon rapidly coils about that shame arm, fanged jaws held open. And then, as his foot stomps down right in front of Kongou, his palm thrusts up to him with the rest of his body springing up -- and the dragon sweeps right up alongside him, parallel to his arm.

COMBATSYS: Tairyu successfully hits Kongou with Rising Claw.

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

[KONGOU]
A veritable rain of flashing energy and chi sparks into the air as the flame red of Tairyu surges into the blue aetheric aura of Kongou and colors roar about them as the nimble fighter rakes his dragon infused strike along the torso of the giant. Scorch marks are left behind on the billboard sized canvas of his massive upper body and Kongou 's huge body slips a leg backwards to regain his footing as he corrects his bracing attempt against the force of that blow. The shockwaves of the attack ripple through the ground and into the local environment, shaking warehouses and rattling vehicles as the behemoth recoils.

And yet he still smiles, eyes widening and becoming perhaps a touch madcap despite the force of the attack against him.

"Well done!" he booms, encouragingly.

Energy crackles about his body again, seeming to surge his sinew ever larger in a disturbing display of size and muscle power. His fist draws back again, only just now recovering from his initial swing. Knuckles pop and crack like rupturing canyons as his fist squeezes and then he brings it down - low to the ground - and then up again like a swinging trebuchet.

A shockwave precedes its movements as it whips up and around in a violent attempt to slam into Tairyu with a counter uppercut to potentially launch him skywards and back away from the behemoth should it land.

COMBATSYS: Tairyu counters Orbital Launcher from Kongou with Dragon's Clutch EX.

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

[TAIRYU]
The draconic mirage sweeps through, azure flames trailing behind it -- only to seemingly snap out of existence again after reaching a certain height, and appear hovering over Tairyu's shoulders again. Right in sync with him, in turn, pulling his arm back again.

He doesn't get to rest on his laurels even after such a successful attack with someone like Kongou, though. Tairyu's eyes are thus rapidly sweeping along, looking to catch for signs of movement -- and then lock on to the threat of the fist drawing back.

Tairyu has to continue his own draw back from his assault, too. A split second behind Kongou in that recovery. But the instant the enormous arm comes swinging in for an uppercut, the suit-clad man's body is sweeping to the side with sliding footwork. Even swiping one hand to the side of the giant arm with a surprising amount of strength -- enough for a subtle redirection. Enough of a redirection, in turn, to let him sweep past and along the arm to close in further while the draconic manifestation of his chi extends out and coils around Kongou's arm to maintain that redirection in a slight constriction.

All leading up to Tairyu's feet kicking him up off the ground to suspend him into the air with the further help of the dragon extending from his arm and over Kongou's, ultimately guiding a knee to snapping for the thick mass of muscle over the titan's midsection.

The dragon remains there afterwards, still, even when he drops back down onto the ground -- like a living chain temporarily connecting the two fighters together.

[KONGOU]
The redirected swing sends a shockwave blasting upwards from the giant, ripping in a wide arc along the concrete of the docks and upwards and upwards in a funnel cloud of pure force that follows the wide wild trajectory of his mammoth arm before it's movements are forced to a stop by the tightening coil of the astral dragon wrapped about his immense limb.

The knee slams home into the vast belly of the brute, sending a powerful shockwave rippling through him that actually causes his eyes to widen slightly as he acknowledges the force of the assault and his body staggers a touch sending a rumble rippling through the area with violent force as he staggers and regains his balance.

'Wholfgh!" he grunts out, lips pursing abit and then teeth gritting into that big smile of his once more.

He pulls his arm back, tightening the muscle and then bulking it up immensely like a small mountain under his flesh as he pulls back to test the strength of the ethereal image attempting to restrict him.

"Fascinating!" he rumbles, "As said I've fought a pop idle who was a titan on the landscape of espers - and a samurai woman with one arm who moved faster then the wind and a champion of the Earthrealm! You, good Tairyu, are keeping pace with all of them. Worthy of being in World Warrior. Perhaps, I will stop holding back now to keep pace with you.."

As he speaks, his grin enlarges with aether once more crackling over him as he readies his gigantic form.

COMBATSYS: Kongou focuses on his next action.

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

[TAIRYU]
"I wouldn't know, I suppose," Tairyu rumbles, his feet slowly shuffling along the concrete covering the portside ground in order to shift himself along Kongou's perimeter with the dragon still tethering them together. "I wasn't there."

Suddenly, Tairyu's arm with the dragon's tail coiled about it yanks back. Perhaps in part with the aim of attempting to guide the immense weight of Kongou closer in towards him, but mostly to untangle his own arm before he sweeps in for the Titan. Both fists raised.

Leaning in close. Aiming a right straight for Kongou's center.

Quickly leaning left, to flow smoothly into a curving hook for the titan's side.

Rebounding back from the second punch, his turning center of gravity is taken advantage of to snap his right leg up into a high kick, with the dragon returning to swoop along the length of that limb in a fiery spiral again.

And still keeping on the pressure, be it in continuing pummel against Kongou's guard or spearing past it, his foot snapping back down kicks into the ground to launch him into the air for a sudden, low somersault that in turn sweeps his leg into an aerial spinning kick, the dragon's flames trailing behind his foot drawing an azure crescent shape over his own head with the flip before landing again.

COMBATSYS: Kongou blocks Tairyu's Soaring Assault.

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

[KONGOU]
The area shudders, windows crack, concrete breaks and Kongou stumbles backwards, attempting to regain his footing and clearly on said back foot at the moment. His eyes light up, widening with intense surprise but also a sense of satisfaction as if the fact that Tairyu is harrying him is of immense fascination as opposed to concern.

His gigantic body seems impossible to miss. A looming building of flesh and sinew that fills up the vision of the incoming attacker and as he lifts one arm up, muscles pulling against the summoned anima of dragon binding him, he seems all the more vulnerable to the incoming attack...

Only at the last instant his other arm comes around, massive forarm lifting up to take the raking attack across its flesh and to push back against the powerful warrior , batting away both the physical attack and bursting through the flames that arc over head and rain down towards the giant in its whirling display of power.

He's suddenly upon him, swiftly leaning down and into another looming attack that brings that same arm around again and hurtling towards the stoic fighter. His palm turns upwards and his fist clenches with that terrible sound of his sinew creaking and his bones groaning as that monstrous limb bears down.

Then at the very last instant, it seems to come to a stop, only for his gigantic pointer finger to come flicking out, hurtling forth like an unleahsed battering ram despite the simplistic brutish gesture of the attack being a simple finger flick - albiet one carrying with it a full on shockwave of force behind it that rolls through the giants body like a blast of thunder.

COMBATSYS: Kongou successfully hits Tairyu with Ten-Ton Finger EX.

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

[TAIRYU]
In the air as he is, the swipe of Kongou's arm that deflects the final flaming kick ultimately results in the smaller man sent flipping back the opposite direction all over again. But Tairyu shows a masterful management of aerial motion, finding him gracefully finding his feet down on the ground in a crouch despite the uninted motion.

But then comes the giant's counterattack.

There is actually a momentary hint of concern in Tairyu's eyes, the only thing betraying his otherwise stoic demeanour. Not that the rapid springin up from his crouched posture isn't plenty enough to show how serious he finds his predicament, too.

The dragon swirling around his limbs dives into one of his arms, disappearing somewhere within with a bright azure glow underneath his sleeve as a sign of it's infused presence within while he guides that arm to guard him.

But too late. Or aimed wrong. Whichever the case, the pillar-sized finger flicks into a wrecking ball -like strike dead into the center of Tairyu's torso. Even without a direct hit, the shockwave along would have been enough to send him flying away -- which is exactly what happens here. The smaller body flipping back into the air like he was caught into the pull of a spontaneously-appeared whirlwind. Spinning twice over around his own axis, even bouncing off his on the concrete before continuing to fly two more meters' worth of distance.

But finally, he manages to slap one hand against the ground in an effort to forcefully anchor his motion to an extent, enough to find his feet on the ground. 1.5 meters more skid back like that.

"Ghuh--!"

The azure glow shines through his clothes along his chest this time around. But it disappears right after he has steadied, seeming to make way for the dragon to burst up into view from behind him all over again.

Now, when he springs up the rest of the way from his knee, his arm sweeps itself out, fingers stretched and palm open -- and the dragon, now coiled around his arm, holds it's open jaws parallel to that palm, bellowing out a sudden column of azure flame to burst back for Kongou.

COMBATSYS: Kongou overcomes Dragon's Breath ES from Tairyu with Shockwave Burst.

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

[KONGOU]
The port shakes, rocks, rattles and rumbles as the behemoth begins an inexorable tread to follow after the tumbling and tossing body of his opponent. His grin has become more of a tightly pressed close mouthed smile now as he lumbers forward confidentally with an oversized hulkish sway to his limbs like some sort of kaiju version of a bodybuilder.

His movements are decidedly unhurried as well though given the sheer length of his legs it won't take him very long to close the distance and as Tairyu recovers rapidly from the strike, both of his heavy brows lift upwards and his eyes gleam again with a hint of crackling aetheric energy within as he looks on the other fighter with an approving expression.

As the dragon surges into view, Kongou slows his walk and braces his body again. The fist he used to strike at Tairyu raises up once again, curling backwards just as the eruption of azure flame fills the area and begins racing towards him with unbridled raw fury.

He suddenly lunges forward again, bringing his leg forward to stomp onto the gorund to support him as he pistons his massive arm directly infront of him. HIs fist hurtles forward and then, at the last instant, he recoils backwards and brings the swing to a sudden halt. The sheer force of the brute causes a loud *KABOOOM* to rip through the area as the concrete and air infront of him shatters and another shockwave ripples out and funnels away from him in a directed cone towards and into the azure flames. The shockwave disperses the fire as it barrels through it and continues onward whilst the giant fighter recovers from the force of his own swing and sways back towards a ready position.

COMBATSYS: Kongou successfully hits Tairyu with Shockwave Burst.

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

[TAIRYU]
"?!"

Tairyu can't claim that he has ever seen someone channel air pressure and pure kinetic shockwave to cut away the flames.

And the same shockwave blows Tairyu back. This time he doesn't get flipped around in the air, at least, but...

That just means he is sent to crashing back-first against the wall of a warehouse with such force that the wall actually crater behind him, a wide spiderwebbing spread further across to make way for small pieces to fall down with little clouds of dust.

"Gh."

Tairyu's body rebounds off the wall with a few seconds' worth of delay. He doesn't quite slump down from there, however -- managing to gather control over his body just early enough that he lands down onto one knee with one hand bracing onto the ground for further support.

"...Keep pace, huh," he grunts behind a hand wiping over a dust-covered cheek, bringing himself to rise up to stand on both feet again. Head turning to tilt to one side to stretch his neck with a an audible pop, and then to the opposing side again.

And the whole time, his eyes narrow further and furhter upon the Mountain. The Yakuza's left hand lowers down, fingers curled into a tight fist held at waist level, knuckles pointed to his right foot. The right fist, held up, knuckles pointed skyward, nearly at the level of his jaw.

The dragon, having disappeared momentarily in the wake of the shockwave, surges out once more -- hovering even closer to his head, almost creating an illusion of the apparition being directly overlaid with the man.

"Come. Let's keep going then."

COMBATSYS: Tairyu focuses on his next action.

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

[KONGOU]
Bulbs begin shattering. Electrical buzzing fills the air. Hair may stand on its end. The distinct smell of ozone begins lingering as the invisible fire of electromagnetic energy begins to surge and react from the building pressure of the behemoths essence. Visible tendrils of energy crackle about his body, slowly enveloping him in a growing aurqa as he lifts both of his arms up before him and clenches his fists.

His sinew bulks up and bulks up yet more. An unending mountainous display as his freakish physique piles on more mass and more strength. The ground beneath his feet sundering and cracking from the force of merely standing there. A warbling rippling mirage like effect billows out around him as if the very essence of the world was attempting to restrain the gigas and bind him again.

"Very good!" declares Kongou, eyes now alight and crackling with steady discharges of elemental force.

"You are granting my wish and making this interesting, young Tairyu. So..I will continue to do the same!"

There's a final burst of energy that ripples out and then the giant, immensity and presence even more enlarged, comes crashing in with a sudden leap. The docks sunder behind him as he lifts off and then comes sailing downward with both of his fists raised and then plummeting in with a two fisted piledriver like attack for the general area where the yakuza stands!

COMBATSYS: Tairyu counters Hammerblow from Kongou with Tiger Drop ES+.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Kongou           2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0           Tairyu

[TAIRYU]
"... How large can one man get, seriously?" the Yakuza mutters while he watches the bulking display of the already titanic gigas.

The increase in bulk becomes all the more worrying when said bulk is coming crashing down towards him like a comet sent straight down from the heavens to obliterate the entire district.

Tairyu's eyes track this motion the whole time. Staring straight upon the falling death even as fists larger than himself fall towards him.

Any sane man would try to run upon witnessing such a sight, surely. Tairyu, too, does take two retreating steps back, but...

Then he takes one lunging step back forward, just half a second before the meteoric impact.

His high-raised fist draws back, only to be launched forth when his knee drops down. The upward angle is slightly akward for the motion, but the end result--

Tairyu's fist collides directly with one of Kongou's own.

A deafening shockwave rings out through the whole port, sending dust, discarded newspaper and even small rocks flying away from the center of the meteoric collision. The ground underneath Tairyu's feet craters.

And yet, in a complete and an utterly gross defiance of the laws of physics, the Yakuza doesn't buckle, not even while the combined sheer force of the collision and the flexing of muscle underneath causes the sleeve of his jacket and the shirt underneath both tear and fragment to reveal skin painted in intricate inkwork depicting swirling flames and scale-like geometric patterns. For a split second, it may well even look like the mountainous giant is kept suspended in the air by that momentary connection of knuckles.

But then, the draconic manifestation of Chi bursts forth from that arm.

It passes straight through Kongou's fist, the long body of the beast swirling like a spiral of flames that continue on to slam dead center of the titan's chest. Another shockwave colored by blue-hot flames, aimed to both burn and knock the mountainous man away just as Tairyu's fist snaps back again.

In the end, it was not an effort that didn't take anything out of the man. Though his overall stoic mannerisms may work to hide some of it while he calmly rises back upright amidst the partially-burning rubble, the truth is that the Yakuza's breathing has sped up considerably, and perspiration of effort drips visibly over his brow by now. A great amount of effort in an incredibly short amount of time.

[KONGOU]
"Wha---"

Kongou's voice rumbles out, augmented, louder, heavier, and clearly confused and briefly thrown off by the impossible feat of literally halting his attack midstrike. Lost in his confusion, the gigas is unclear on if he should actually cheer -for- the Yakuza or not as the shockwave of the impact reverbates throguh air and earth and pushes back against the goliath while leaving Tairyu unharmed by the force of his blow.

Then that power rushes forth, racing through him and eruptin from the mortals arm up through the fist and into Kongou's body with force that carries both the physical force of Tairyu's strike and the maniefstation of that azure fire that rips into the giants very being and shreds apart his essence even as the force of the blow rocks his physical frame.

"HUARRGH!" he bellows, actually reacting and visibly recoiling in pain and shock. He's not nearly as indestructable as footage and presentation would seem to imply it seems. He can feel pain - and the shockwave that ripples back out into him blasts him backwards into the air and then sends the giant tumbling backwards through the air where he slams violently into cargo hauler, crushing it under his falling frame and sending nearby crates flying in every direction.

His eyes are squinted shut, face contorted into pain and teeth gritted in shock as he rolls backwards....and then suddenly arrests his movements as his eyes fly open - a sudden blazing force crackling forth as his gritted teeth turns into a madcap grin.

The giant vaults back up to his feet and presses down into a crouched position. The area around him depresses into a growing sinkhole that cracks and spider webs out form in in all directions form the sheer pressure of his crouch...and then he springs once more, leaping into the air and sailing up over the docks towards a great height.

"Well done!" he declares, "Your great strength has opened a door for me that is rarely opened. The riddle of strength is that strength hones strength! Let me show you!"

His body is suddenly enveloped in a blinding flash of light as if a star had just gone nova. The pulse of energy expands outward, encompassing the area and enveloping it in a hazy distorted dome as if Tairyu and a portion of the dock were caught in some strange mirage. The domain expnasion continues as the light around Kongou pulls back to reveal a truly monstrous form. A gigantic monster-titan whose shadow swamps over the entire area like some sort of hovering building. Great horns curcling from the giants back and a great metal mask over his visage, his body adorned some sort of cosmic barbaric titan with a horned helm, wide belt and plates of armor against his upper thighs.

"EXATOOOON...IMPULSUM!!!!"

like a meteor, the giant desends, pulling his fist back as he falls and then bringing it down infront of him. His size is such that he aims less for Tairyu directly and more the entire area around him. Upon impact a thunderous eruption of landscape leveling force would erupt outwards. A devestating roar of mass destruction that ripples in all directions - however the domain expansion will contain the incredible destruction though the immediate area of the attack may suffer greatly.

COMBATSYS: Tairyu blocks Kongou's #Exaton Impulsum EX#.

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

[TAIRYU]
The all-overtaking flash of light forces Tairyu to shield his eyes with one arm held in front of his face, grunting at the momentary abuse to the retinas.

But after that. Oh, after that. Something much worse for him to have to shield himself against.

But how could he? THe fist coming down upon him is so large even running away from it seems like a futile thought. The stoic expression the Yakuza usually holds cracks some, just then.

"Shit."

Both arms are held up high, as a boxer would to shield his face. It is in absurd thing to do, when the size difference between two is reaching cosmic proportions.

But then the dragon swoops through. Coiling around the held-up limbs first, then further on over the man's head, his chest--

Impact.

A bomb may as well have been dropped upon the port. Ground shatters, the walls of the nearby warehouse crumble, A cloud of dust and smoke overtakes the area. Even one of the camera drones that have been following the fight loses control from the shockwave and plummets to the ground.

"Rrrhaaah--!"

Suddenly, a small portion of the cloud parts, and from within Tairyu's figure swoops into view. The clothes on the upper half of his thoroughly-tattooed body are gone, with only a small scrap hanging defiantly off his wrist a clue to their fate. Nothing left to hide the inkwork -- the soaring dragon painted upon the skin of his back.

Tairyu soars through the air now, too, at the apex of a mighty leap from amidst all the destruction. The fingers on his right hand clench -- but he finds them not quite as responsive as he'd like. Both his arms feel numb already.

So instead, when his body arcs back for Kongou - or as high as he can reach right now anyway - his leg thrusts out instead, guiding one foot clad in leather into the backside of a mountainous knee.

COMBATSYS: Kongou blocks Tairyu's Medium Kick.

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

[KONGOU]
A plume of dust. A rain of debris. A sundering of the earth and a cratering of the area. All this roars and rolls throughou the docks as the strike buckles the very ground upon which the yakuza stood but somehow, -somehow-, he managed to brace and absorb the brunt of the unleashed strength by the gigas and weather the storm enough to come forth with yet another attack.

This, just as the titanic transformed form of the goliath rebounds back up from his own strike, looming large and vast as the smaller fighter darts i like a fired off shell from a battleship only to be met by another blaze of light as the vast form of the behemoth diminishes away and the world wraps restricting chains around him once again.

The sudden size shift and Kongou's own momentum contributes to the defensive gesture he makes that twists his knee away from the incoming assault and instead lets the foot go slamming into his palm - blunting the attack as the giant looks on with great surprise but also delight.

"You are amazing!" he rumbles, cheerfully, eyes wide and grin large.

"Stalwart indeed!"

The earth sunders yet again as he slides backwards and then jumps upwards once again with a trail of ruin following in his wake.

He seems to hover overhead once again - and then descends with his huge arms and legs splayed out as if he were performing the mother of all belly flop attempts down onto the sturdy fighter. Energy still trails behind him though it begins diminishing away as it follows in the wake of his movements.

COMBATSYS: Kongou knocks away Tairyu with Meteor Splash.

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

[TAIRYU]
There's not much Tairyu could do from that close now. He already finds himself unable to fully raise his arms, and...

Frankly, it was already too late to try to jump out of the way.

The only reason any spectators cannot say a new crater is formed is because the surrounding area may as well already be nothing but a mess of intermixing craters, after all the exchanged blows between the two. To say the ground is shattered is now redundant; it is merely more so now.

And the Yakuza is caught amidst it, underneath.

Something cracks. A rib? Maybe ten?

It's only by the grace of the ground continuing to shatter under the weight of the titan that the smallest gap opens between the concrete - no, the soil underneath it by this point - that allows Tairyu to wiggle and rolls his way out from underneath after already suffering the immense weight. Though at the end of the roll that only manages to bring him a few paces away, he has to force his barely-functioning arm to press down underneath him to keep himself supported while he coughs and hacks.

Blood splatters on the dirt underneath him. Stains his lower lip. That's probably not good.

Still. He pushes up, even if primarily by the leverage of his knees over his arms, left hanging at his sides once he's upright. Well. Mostly upright. On his feet is good enough for now.

"... Like climbing a mountain..."

Or fighting one, in this case.

With said mountain still towering above him, Tairyu still does not run, though. Instead, he is taking a slow breath through to his abused lungs, and his weight leans back on his bending knees...

A snap of sudden motion. A springing of legs kicking down, launching him into the air. High. High up, enough to even overcome the great height of Kongou. Flipping halfway around his own body there, to bring one foot aimed directly skywards, and held even higher up.

The dragon sweeps across that leg. Sets it ablaze -- and then trails behind the foot as it comes sweeping down in turn, gravity and Tairyu's continuing mid-air turn working to bring down both the limb and the draconic apparition with the force of a blazing guillotine. A crescent trail of blue flame trailed in it's wake.

COMBATSYS: Tairyu successfully hits Kongou with Dragon's Descent.

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

[KONGOU]
The bizarre alien gigas is not the only mountain present. Tairyu's resolve and incredible strength are clearly on display and as Kongou repositions himself ater his last attack only to find the azure rage of the dragon lancing donw towards him .. he's forced to purse his lips in sheer surprise once again.

It is, perhaps a little strange. He doesn't seem to 'bleed' or show outward signs of incredible damage but there is a sense of a lessening of him. A slowing down. A continued sense of regression and restraint as if whatever force that exists which enables him to manifest and also bind him is gaining more and more strength the more damage he takes and in that fashion he is 'wounded' as if his very essence was being strained to its limits by the tenacity of this fighter.

He raises a massive limb upwards and stretches his palm out to literally seem to catch the scything fire. It slams into him, blazing and burning around him in a raging inferno of fury that whirls and whorls in every possible direction until he twists and the sheer momentum of his brute strength and essence rips the flames away and seemingly leaves him undeterred and unbowed like some sort of military trawler weathering another attack.

"Hnnnn!" he rumbles.. "I sense that we are nearing the end of our contest, friend." THis is said with no grin no. Just a solemn statement of perceived facts and determination. It would seem Tairyu has finally knocked the smile off his face.

He bursts in again, bringing his massive palm down and then arcing up to try and slam it into the body of the Yakuza dragon. Should he land, it will indeed be like some sort of massive boulder slamming into the body of his opponent but he does not stop there and instead attempts to push his opponent upwards with the force of the blow - and then grab him mid flight and swing him around to send him slamming down towards the ground with yet another potentially earth shattering strike should the blow land.

COMBATSYS: Tairyu counters Gargantua Fist from Kongou with Dragon's Tail EX.

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

[TAIRYU]
"Hhh--!" Tairyu's teeth grit tight while his foot grinds against the held-out palm. The blaze still persistently surges out in an inferno, the dragon within lashing out -- until his body is forced to rebound.

It pushes him into a backflip through the air, and landing several meters away from the giant. With his arms still out of order, he nearly loses his balance upon his feet finding the ground, but he manages to push through that too. Breathing heavy while he studies Kongou from there.

"...I see now," he rumbles, rising again slowly from the post-landing crouched posture. "It's not really a 'body' that I am striking, is it?" There's at least a measure of understanding in his eyes. He can't claim that he truly understands it, but he would at least like to think he is at least a step closer to solving the mystery behind the existence of this alien being.

"It is a 'concept'."

A slow breath taken in there. An attempt to steady himself. The fingers on one hand curl closed and open again, to test the functionality of the limb altogether. No luck. Probably at least half a dozen fractures in the bones on each one, on top of the massive bruising built up in the muscles.

"Yeah," comes Tairyu's agreement to the giant's declaration regardless. "No holding back now."

The giant doesn't disappoint either. Which would probably be considered a bad thing under most circumstances-- but neither fighter could forgive themselves at this point for resorting to half-measures. Nor could they forgive the other for not giving them the best they can to challenge them with.

The tattooed Yakuza's eyes narrow on the descending palm.

"Haa--!"

His arms might not work, but his feet still do. A quick, sweeping step carries him towards the side, before stamping down to pivot the rest of his body around it. A quick, spinning sweep of his leg into the side of Kongou's hand. Not enough force to really do any harm, but with the angling, just enough to redirect it to assure it smooths past him instead.

His spin continues from there, though. The parrying leg lands down, and his weight turns down towards it instead, lifting the opposing leg in it's place--

ANd this one comes with immense momentum, and the blaze of the azure dragon trailing alongside it. Slamming both foot and flame into the side of this 'concept'. Physical force alone can't destroy a concept -- but it can be contested with another.

"DORYAH!!!!"

[KONGOU]
There was another warrior whom the titan was matched up against, who wielded flames and bore the iconography of the dragon. The great Liu Kang, defender of Earth Realm and Kongou faced him in this very same tournament to much epic clash and violent displays of might.

He cannot help but be reminded of that warriors tenacity as Tairyu refuses to yield and sets his fire against the giant once more.

The aether within him ripples and warps and physical stress rushes its way across his gigantic body yet again as the kick lands home and azure flame rushes through him along with the force of that enhanced blow.

He staggers, nearly falls, but maintains his balance at the last second with a shuddering shockwave rippling out from around him once more. The fire roars and ripples over his body and through his essence and he blinks in disorientation as he recovers from both force of the counter and the momentum of his missed attack. One palm actually goes down, touching upon the shattered and sundered battle zone as he rumbles out, "It would seem I have over extended myself! We shall see if you will obtain the name champion: Here and now!"

His great voice bellows at the end as he pushes backwards and down, huge body pressing more and more power into the earth .. and then he springs.

He's been doing quite a bit of leaping in this match it seems! For a being whose appearence suggests he is rooted and firmly immovable ...he gets around and gets momentum when he desires it and once more he comes barreling in with madcap speed for the Yakuza. His body thunders in. A missile launched at him as he lowers his shouldres mid charge for an attempt at a tremendous semi truck flipping shoulder crash into the other fighter!

COMBATSYS: Tairyu counters Tectonic Crash from Kongou with Dragon's Clutch.

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

[TAIRYU]
Tairyu's wobbling subtly on his feet when he rebounds off of his own counter. Immobile arms make balancing the rest of your body surprisingly difficult. Pushing yourself past your usual limits makes it even more so. His lungs feel like they are about to explode from how overworked they are.

Just something he has to deal with.

Which seems all the more urgent when Kongou comes charging. The Yakuza groans from the effort of his own movement while he pushes his body forward, right towards the incoming giant.

His arms don't work.

But the dragon surges forth still. There's no flames burning now, but the draconic serpent feels even more solid for it as it comes coiling around the immense girth of the titan's bicep and shoulder.

Pulling and tugging while Tairyu himself ducks down and to the side.

"Raaaah--!"

And springs right back up again, spiking his knee into the Kongou's side -- the exact point where his flaming foot had collided but a moment earlier.

[KONGOU]
Again his momentum is redirected! Again the flames scorch into his being. Again he lots out a booming, "HRNNGH!" He tumbles as his arm is yanked and his body used against him and as the flaming strike scorches violently through his flank. Chunks of debris are sent flying. Cargo lifts are sent flying and what few crates and containers that remain go flying, shuddering and sundering from the wake of the shockwaves left by the behemoths passing as a building wall caves in around him.

He doesn't completely fall but it's close now. The light in his eyes flickers as he presses up from a crouched position and slowly turns towards Tairyu once again. The glow around his body is faded now. Distant and dimming.

Then he grins again. Affable and cheerful despite the force sustaining him being now fully spent. "Well done!" he booms. "Now....my final gift to you.."

He pulls that massive arm back, bicep bulking up and raising up nearly to the height of his flexed fist as veins as thick as shipping ropes stnad out on his monstrous limb and on his torso.

"Win!" he commands before suddenly drawing that huge fist of his back.

A loud *BOOOOM* erupts through the area as he seems to completely vanish from sight and then re-appear within striking distnace of Tairyu with a thunderous peal of force. His gigantic arm comes hurtling down and then up - aiming for a thunderous uppercut that if it lands, will surely send the Yakuza flying.

Flying upwards and into the torso of the giant who would appear behind him to bring him crashing back downward towards the earth for a final thunderous splash!

The shockwave of his swing rings out over the area but hit or miss - as soon as the strike completes, Kongou's body becomes fully drained of its aether like massive war machine power down!

COMBATSYS: Kongou can no longer fight.

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

COMBATSYS: Tairyu blocks Kongou's Gigaton Crush.

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

[TAIRYU]
Oxygen feels like it's a premium good for Tairyu at this point. Sweat glistens all across his bare upper body now, and--

This time, after rebounding from the countering kick, even with the support of the draconic apparition, he finds himself falling to one knee. Every cell in his body is screaming at him. Both from pain and from his own energy reserves getting overextended. Kongou is not the only one who is barely holding on to the light in his eyes.

"Khhh..." The Yakuza pants, squinting one eye shut from a bead of salty perspiration dripping past his brow into it, while the other stares at the mountainous man still turning to face him again.

ANd pulling his arm back for one more strike.

He was *really* hoping he'd get a break after that last move. No such luck, apparently.

He has to struggle against his own body to force himself up from that one knee. But the impending threat of a semi truck in the shape of a fist about to fly at him is a hell of a motivator.

But once he is up on his feet properly, it's already flying at him. No time to jump out of the way. He doesn't think he has it in him to leverage any techniques to counter this one either, anymore.

That just leaves only one choice.

"Ghhaaah--!"

His arms haven't been any good since he had to soak up the cosmically-proportioned impact that wiped out most of the port a minute earlier. They've been merely hanging limp at his side ever since then. But now, he has to *force* them to move. Shaking as they are, as much as they might hurt to just *lift* up. And yet he manages it, to cross them up in front of him. This is going to suck. His arms are probably going to require surgery after this, even with the chi-manifested dragon infusing itself into the limbs to help cushion the incoming blow. But it's the preferable option taking the hit straight on.

The collision of the titan's fist with his chi-infused arms sends the Yakuza flying up, still, through the sheer force of the blow and the shockwave behind it. Wind whipping at his hair. He uncrosses his arms again there--

Only to recognize a presence behind and above him.

"Hell--"

But this is where he manages to turn around mid-air, and with a sudden surge of motion force his foot up to plant against the titan. And *shove*.

As many laws of physics as the both of them might have been breaking up till now, this still rings true: WIth the weight and size difference, the motion isn't going to do anything at this point to Kongou. But it *does* send Tairyu himself away, before the followup-swing comes.

And well away from getting squashed between the earth and a mountain for a second time.

That does not quite take away the distance he has to fall, however. He lands back-first on shattered ground, sending rubble there flying away this way and that as he actually *bounces* with a groan of pain, involuntarily flopping around himself once, and then a second time when he rebounds off the ground again. But before a third one comes, he manages to guide his feet down first. to skid over the ground...

And there he wavers in his stance. His feet aren't steady. One even slips, and he starts to fall, face-first for the ground...

"Hhhhh--!"

But no.

With a thundering sound, his foot slams right back against the ground just moments before he has fallen too far. Body slumped deep forward over his own knee, forehead nearly to the ground. Straining. Groaning with exertion through grit-together teeth.

Ultimately, he manages to win the fight against gravity and the weight of his own body. It almost results in him overcorrecting the other way when he swings up, his weight briefly tipping backwards before re-balancing again from there. Letting out a roar towards the heavens as he does, almost involuntarily so, from all the exertion. A declaration of all his will to persist.

Battered. Bruised. Almost broken.

And yet he still stands.

COMBATSYS: Tairyu has ended the fight here.

Log created on 16:47:12 02/22/2024 by Tairyu, and last modified on 18:54:22 03/01/2024.