Match of the Millennium

Description: It's time to put the 'high' in high school combat! The spirit swordsman Amano Ayaki will face off against Nako the nue on her home field - or on her home roof, as it were! We're sure that it's safe, as long as the weather holds up!

[AYAKI]
Ayaki's first competitive fight at Fightfest 2025 had been interesting. Beforehand he'd been concerned that people might think he was a freak with his unusual fighting style, but when he saw what his opponent Inei was capable of, he had realised he was in good (or perhaps some would say bad) company.

The Justice student had been full of praise for Ayaki's performance, even going so far to say that Justice lost out when they expelled him. It was kind of Inei to say but Ayaki knows not everyone at that school would share the same opinion.

Now it's time for the New Fighting Generation Rivals season to officially begin. Not only is he representing himself but also the reputation of Gedo. The school may not get the best grades in the city but their students should know how to fight with the amount of scuffles that happen there.

Ayaki arrived at the destination for this round's matches more than an hour ago. Taiyo isn't a school he's been inside before but as a native Southtowner he's of course passed by it on numerous occasions. Not that he's strictly in its interior now. His face off with Taiyo student Nako has been scheduled to be on the roof of the school. If Ayaki didn't know better he'd suspect that the organisers were asking for trouble. Surely his fighting style isn't safe in such a space? As for Nako's, he'd missed her match against Faye at the festival, so he's not sure what to expect.

As usual Ayaki is dressed all in black. A long-sleeved black shirt is left open over a black tank top, which is teamed with tight black jeans and black lace-up boots. His black hair is spiked up around his angular face.

Has Ayaki prepared for this fight? Not at all. He's felt so anxious about things that's he's tried to think about anything but. Now it's about to begin however, his thoughts are harder to turn off. From his cross-legged position sitting on the ground at the centre of the roof he slowly rises, approaching the edge to see how far down it will be if one of them should fall.

[NAKO]
It may surprise Ayaki to know, but Nako hasn't been in Taiyo much before either!

She's been to Taiyo, now; she is a new student as of this term. But she hadn't had any occasion to come up on the roof before and so when she was told she was fighting up there, well... that was her first visit, when she came to scout it out ahead of time.

And now this is her second. "At least it's kind of wide..."

Nako exits the single stairwell, the door closing behind her automatically with enough speed that it nearly clips her snake-y tail, missing it by maybe an inch as it gives a reflexive nervous flick of the last third or so. Naki doesn't even notice as she steps away from the door, taking a deep breath of the fresh-ish air before letting it out slowly, through her nose. She's a Darkstalker, and she's certainly not hiding it, between that tail and the cat-like ears. And eyes. And - well, there's a bit!

Nako is dressed in the same kind of outfit she wore at her first Rivals match: a boxy, loose-fitting gray top that's long enough to pass her hips and probably count as a short skirt, and black leggings. The back of the top swallowtails a little bit, which is how her tail is out. She also has her bokken, a heavy wood weapon used for stamina training, with some padding added so it will bruise instead of breaking something. Probably, anyway!

Ayaki isn't the only person up here either - there has to be Rivals officials, though Nako tries very hard to pretend they don't exist. Her feline ears flatten down as a gust of wind chills her, and right then she wishes she'd worn her jacket, but it's too hard to fight in.

"You're... Amano Ayaki? From Gedo?" She's just making sure - she knows the name! Nako gives a slightly nervous-looking smile. "I'm Nako, Irie Nako."

She's not quite sure what to make of the other teen, apparently. Maybe it's that he's from Gedo. Maybe she's expecting a reaction because she's a Darkstalker. ...Or maybe she's just nervous about the upcoming battle!

[AYAKI]
Ayaki looks up as he sees Nako arrive on the rooftop. He offers a slight smile, assessing her and wanting to make her welcome at the same time.

The tail is a surprise, as are the cat ears. Of course there are plenty of people who cosplay in such styles but these seem to be the real deal. She's wielding a weapon that looks like it could do considerable damage. Perhaps it's time for Ayaki's own blades to put in an appearance. Before Nako's eyes, a blue oni sword appears in his left hand, whilst a red one appears in his right. His eyes also seem to alter, their usual deep blue taking on a red glow.

"I'm looking forward to our fight." He says sincerely. "I am indeed Amano Ayaki. It's a pleasure to meet you Irie Nako. Whatever the outcome today, let us both be at our best."


[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Nako             0/-------/-------|


[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Nako             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Ayaki

[NAKO]
This wouldn't even be the first match Nako was thought to be cosplaying! At least Ayaki didn't say it out loud...

Nako's eyes widen slightly when she sees the swords appear. She has a similar trick - and if Ayaki had seen her fight at the bouncy house he might have seen it! But hers is strictly short-term. A few seconds, not just making swords appear for an entire fight. Those don't even look like they're made of chi, not that she's an expert...

"Then let's give it our best," she says, as she brings her sword up in a one-handed grip. Not quite kendo, but it looks like she's practiced it. It's clearly a defensive stance as she once again breathes slowly and deeply to steady her nerves and her chi.

And then, with a sudden shouted kiai, she charges! It's almost reckless, though she pulls up at the last moment, sidesteps once, and slashes in a sweeping cut, trying to take Ayaki by surprise and keep him off-balance before he can take the initiative away from her!


[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Nako             0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0            Ayaki

[AYAKI]
Ayaki sees the surprise from Nako when his swords appear. As she suspects they aren't made of chi, but are a psychic manifestation. They will still definitely do damage though if Ayaki manages them well in this match. Of course that's not even accounting for his opponent's skill.

The grip Nako has on her weapon is one that seems somewhat familiar to the Gedo schoolboy. He himself practices kendo as an extracurricular activity. His opinion of his opponent rises further.

Ayaki studies her stance. He can tell there is anxiety there, as within him, it certainly doesn't stop her from taking action though. If she's feeling flight or fight, she opts for the latter!

When Nako rushes towards him, slashing and sweeping, he stands his ground but brings his blue sword up for protection. Despite the blade acting as a barrier, she still manages to make contact with his arm, cutting the cuff of his shirt and causing him to feel a sharp sting.

"First strike." He comments coolly. My turn next."

Ayaki crosses his blue and red oni blades before swinging them in a wide, sweeping arc. The blue blade aims to slice first, sending a razor-thin wave of crackling blue energy outward. Then, the red blade follows immediately after, its arc threatening to explode forward like a thunderclap. If successful, the clash of the opposing forces will generate a deafening shockwave of psychic blue lightning and red fire, which could potentially blast Nako backwards.


[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Nako             0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0            Ayaki

[NAKO]
Nako's bokken - blunt as it is - is not likely to cut; Nako isn't particularly interested in chopping up her fellow students, but she's most comfortable with a sword in her hand, so using a hard oak bokken was the best substitute she could manage. It also shows she's stronger than she looks, but in a subtle way. Those bokken are designed for strength and stamina training... they're heavier than an actual blade would be!

Which means she can force it against Ayaki's guard and push to break through, but he can hold her off, and she breaks away a moment later, raising the bokken again. She still has a one-handed grip on it, which isn't exactly usual kendo practice - but she never claimed to be using kendo, precisely, either.

Nako expected one slash, even one chi swing. Two, though - two is a surprise! The multi-elemental explosion does shove her backwards, though she braces herself in an attempt to stop from skidding too far - she doesn't want to get near the roof edge! Her bokken can't possibly deflect that, though she certainly made an attempt; her guard is broken as her blade is forced out of line, and she bounces back onto her heels, narrowly avoiding being pushed over. "Ah!"

But she recovers faster than it looks like she should, bringing her weight forward as she lunges in a two-handed thrust. A spark of pink-purple chi erupts on the bokken's tip, adding a few inches to her reach and wisping along the edge of the bokken, shrouding it in energy down the whole length!


[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Nako             0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0            Ayaki

[AYAKI]
As Nako is knocked backwards, still holding her bokken, Ayaki feels a certain sense of satisfaction from his success. He's also relieved though that she's still on the rooftop. It wouldn't be much of a match if it was over so soon! Oh and he'd of course not want to be responsible for another serious injury of a Southtown student.

Nako recovers admirably, earning her a nod of respect from Ayaki. When she thrusts towards him, he's rapid to react, not wanting to feel the brunt of that bokken! By the time the pretty pink-purple chi puts in an appearance, he's already leapt out of harm's way.

Turning to face Nako again, Ayaki raises his red oni blade high above his head in his right hand, before swinging it down with formidable force. The blade's crimson glow erupts like wildfire, sending an arc of blazing psychic energy crashing into the ground. The air starts to vibrate from the perceived heat of the strike, and embers appear to flicker across the ring as Nako is once again at risk of being thrown backwards by the raw, untamed power of the red oni.


[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Nako             0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0            Ayaki

[NAKO]
The extra lance of chi on the tip of the bokken fades away, but the length of the weapon remains lined with a shimmer of pink-purple, wavering and shifting like heatless flame. It leaves a little trail in the air every time Nako moves it.

What is NOT heatless flame is Ayaki's psychic fire. Nako can feel it on her exposed arms as he swings downward, smashing it into - well, the roof, which fortunately isn't going to burn from that kind of thing (can you imagine the issue if a Rivals competitor burned one of the schools down?) but gets Nako to worry about it for a moment, and the Taiyo students that are watching (there are always students at school) to scatter, somewhat. She freezes up.

But only for a moment. Adrenaline and instinct prod her to action, and Nako steps forward, almost into the wave of flame, chopping downward with her shining sword. It leaves a trail of chi in the air behind it as she carves a line downward -

And parts the wave of flame and heat around her!

Stepping forward into the gap she's created, Nako reverses her strike, swinging upward this time in an arcing cut as she tries to strike Ayaki directly. This time the trail of chi is sharper, leaving a crescent-shaped cut in the air behind the blade as the chi imbued on the blunt wood sword surges out of it, a shining arc hanging for several seconds as proof of the power of her blade.

"Watch where you're swinging that!" Nako finally shows some heat (heh) in her voice. "It's impressive, what you can do with fire, but don't let it get away from you...!"


[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Nako             1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0            Ayaki

[AYAKI]
It would be pretty shocking if a Rivals competitor burned down one of the schools. It wouldn't be too surprising for the New Fighting Generation brand though, given the fate of The Dead Squirrel and the Metro City Arena in the first season.

Ayaki seems oblivious to any spectators that the match has drawn. There's an intense look in his blue/red eyes and he appears fully focused on the fight with Nako. He's confused at first when she steps towards the psychic flames but he soon sees what she's up to and it's a smart move.

The space the Taiyo schoolgirl creates saves her from Ayaki's assault and allows her to go on the attack again. When the weapon comes after him, the boy tries to bring up his blade to block it, but he's not swift enough and he soon feels the effects of the chi surging through his body.

Ayaki's jaw tightens and his posture slumps. It's obvious he's in a considerable amount of pain. "I could say the same to you." He retaliates, as Nako advises him how to handle his swords. "You could cause someone an injury."

An amused smile plays on his lips following his words, showing that despite the strike, he's not lost his sense of humour. He lashes out at the lass with his red blade, then raises his blue to protect himself from any follow up that comes from her.


[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Nako             1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0            Ayaki

[NAKO]
Poor Metro City Arena.

Nako feels the impact all the way down her blade and tries to press her advantage. A second strike would be pretty difficult from here, but she can push hard, keeping him off balance as she disengages a step back, her tail flicking behind her so that she can keep *her* balance - so she does just that!

She has to remember NOT to look at her bokken when Ayaki points it out. "It's blunt!" she says, defensively, as her ears flatten down against her hair. Which... well, it can still hurt people! It's just not going to cut them so much. "If you didn't want bruises you probably shouldn't have signed up for this..."

When Ayaki strikes, Nako brings her own blade up to block it. She's got one hand on the grip, and one hand higher up, bracing the entire length so that Ayaki strikes without much effect; she can absorb that much force. And something comes to her as she does, so with a little twist she breaks away, her free hand pressing into her side. Did she get hurt?

Nope!

Nako draws out a second sword as if she was pulling it out from the side of her ribs. This one is dark, and wreathed with smoke - it looks like it's made of smoke and chi. Now they both have two swords! Nako presses the attack with her bokken, trying to tie up Ayaki's blades with guarding from it...

...but just a moment later, she strikes with her chi blade, a slice with a twist of her wrist. If it connects, it doesn't leave a wound but jars his internal energy and causes him to 'bleed' smoke from where it hit!


[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Nako             1/------=/=======|=======\==-----\1            Ayaki

[AYAKI]
Ayaki knows he has a challenge on his hands with Nako. She's both powerful and nimble, not a combination that's easy to deal with.

"I'm not criticising you for having a weapon." Ayaki assures the darkstalker. "I'd be something of a hypocrite if so. As for not wanting bruises? I'd be a complete fool not to expect any and likely worse."

Nako may not be good at realising when he's teasing her, but she's certainly skilled in self-defence. "Excellent." He praises, admiring how she manoeuvres her body and bokken to avoid him causing her any damage.

The sight of the second sword is somewhat concerning, but fair is fair, Ayaki does indeed have two swords himself! Like his own weapons, this new one is rather strange, seeming to smoulder with smoke and dark energy.

When the bokken is brought up, Ayaki instinctively tries to block it with his blue blade but can't seem to position it right. There's a look of panic in his eyes and before he can stop it, the chi sword slices into what feels like his very soul.

He looks down at where he expects to see a wound, feeling confused when there's no blood. As he stares in confusion, smoke begins to swirl out from his stomach, soaring out through his shirt and into the air around him.

"Wow!" He gasps, looking up towards Nako. "I'm starting to feel increasingly less alone in my freakish fighting techniques. First Inei and now you."

Ayaki shifts into a wide stance, pressing his blue oni blade deep into the ground of the rooftop. Immediately, a wave of freezing energy starts to spread outwards, encasing the area in a crystalline prison of psychic ice and trying to trap Nako's movements. He then raises his red oni blade high above his head, its crimson glow intensifying into a blinding inferno. With a furious and frustrated cry, he brings the blade crashing down to shatter the frozen battlefield as an eruption of demonic blue ice and roaring red flames tries to engulfs everything in its path, including Nako! If it manages to get a hold of her, she will see the spectral visage of an Oni, its burning eyes filled with both cold wisdom and unrelenting rage that is focused fully on her.


[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Nako             1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0            Ayaki

[NAKO]
Don't worry, Nako isn't always good at realising when anyone is teasing her, not just Ayaki. Though she seems to have figured it out, judging by the sudden flush in her cheeks.

At the word 'freakish', Nako's tail snaps straight for a moment and her ears flatten down. He was talking about her fighting style, sure, and not her, but... "I, um," she manages to get out, and then the more complete sentence, "I haven't actually met Inei either..."

Not like she has much time to dwell on it given everything else!

A wave of ice rushes out, and Nako is momentarily chilled to the bone! She REALLY wishes she'd worn her jacket up, or at last had something more substantial on her legs. Her tail droops even as the rest of her tenses as she tries to pull one of her feet free from the ice -

Too late!

The eruption blasts her, sending her tail over heels. She loses her grip on the chi blade, which breaks apart into smoke as she scrambles. Nako's sword scrapes along the rooftop as she tries to brake with it and fails because it's not actually sharp, just a fancy wood club, but it still slows her down. And she's managed to land on her feet in a deep crouch, despite everything. Maybe she really is a cat?

She's overthinking it again, she thinks. She should let her body do the work. It seems to know what she's doing...

Nako straightens, breathing a puff out through her nose. She can't do anything like that... but she's still in this, even if she does still feel chilled. She rushes, and it looks like it's going to be a wild strike, but it's a lot less wild than it seems at first - it puts her in the blocking position she used before, second hand free to brace the bokken. Less practiced, more instinctive, and it gives her a moment to catch her breath and stop shivering!


[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Nako             1/--=====/=======|==-----\-------\0            Ayaki

[AYAKI]
Ayaki is oblivious to the fact he may have caused any offence by using the word freakish and he certainly wasn't intending any either. "Inei is an interesting boy." He remarks. "If you should happen to fight him, I'm sure you'll have fun."

Ayaki feels a sense of elation when he realises his attack has gone to plan. His eyes glow red and he stands amidst the psychic elements like he's stepped into an anime. Some of the spectators scream, one of them almost falling off the roof in a desperate bid to escape. This display is likely doing little to help Ayaki's reputation amongst those who think he's too dangerous to be roaming the streets.

When Nako lands on her feet, Ayaki nods at her, acknowledging her acrobatic prowess. When she rises, he prepares to defend himself, bringing up his blue blade again as she comes in to strike him.

This time it's more successful but he's starting to feel fatigued. He doesn't have it in him right now to show off one of his flashier attacks, so instead he settles for raising his red blade and lashing out lightly towards whichever part of Nako he can reach. It may be a simple strike but his sword still flashes the colour of crimson fire.


[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Nako             2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|===----\-------\0            Ayaki

[NAKO]
It's rare that Nako gets to feel like the *less* dangerous person in a fight!

Well, okay. Nako hasn't been in that many fights at all. But it's the spirit of the thing. She's a Darkstalker; assumed to be a dangerous beast, even though all she seems to want to do is fit in and act like anyone else. Ayaki is... not, but his psychic powers set him apart, too. She's never really thought about that before.

And she's not going to think about it now because if Nako has a flaw, it's overthinking things - and right now she's trying to just act rather than freezing up! Her sword is alive in her hand as she moves to block the strike, but Ayaki's blade skips off it, driving into her chest with enough force to push her back. "Ow!" she blurts out without meaning to - and it's not even the attack that's hurt the worst today!

But that means he's close, and that means she has an opening - if she can seize it!

Nako winces because her ribs are going to be sore later, but she moves, smoothly and gracefully despite the beating she's taken. A slash, then another, then another as Nako almost dances through a complex pattern of strikes, all of which flow smoothly into the next, the sword glowing brighter pink-purple as she goes - but also trailing the chi-smoke, making it hard to see anything *but* the sword clearly!

The sword - and her eyes, which shine like a cat's from within.

With one final swing, Nako's chi surges out; the cloud of smoke bursts apart, the sword blazes brilliantly bright and leaves one of those cutting lines of chi in the air. She's finished with a final enormous swing, diagonally, as if to finish the duel in one more mighty blow! "Haaa-aaah!"


[                      \\\\\\\\  < >                                ]
Nako             0/-------/-<<<<<<|=======\==-----\1            Ayaki

[AYAKI]
If Nako's flaw is overthinking things then Ayaki's is overfeeling things. This may not always be obvious from his exterior but his emotions are deep ones. Letting go of his aggression when fighting is one way to deal with this, something he's had to supress ever since he attacked a fellow student. Not that this simply came out of the blue. The boy who became his victim had bullied and taunted him, saying something cruel about the only person he'd ever truly cared about. None of this seemed to matter in the aftermath. He had become the villain, the violent thug who parents didn't want around their precious children. So be it.

Ayaki doesn't regret the path he was forced into taking. It's led him to this point now. His body may be burning with pain and exhaustion but he feels exhilarated. Perhaps this feeling is what could be his downfall. He's so busy rejoicing at the fact he's hit Nako that he forgets to back up afterwards and get himself out of harm's way. As such, she is able to slash at him again and again, stunning him as he stands still on the spot.

He can see her dancing around him. It's beautiful, as are her shining eyes. "Incredible." He manages to murmur before he's struck again by the sword, sending him slumping forwards as he falls to the ground.

The referee rushes over, sensing that this match may be coming to a close. But what's this? Ayaki is rising again and now his eyes are fully red, flashing with fire and ferocity.

Ayaki pushes past the aches he feels in his limbs and launches into the air at accelerated speed, his blue oni blade humming with cold, controlled power whilst his red oni blade crackles with untamed energy. At the peak of his ascent, he flips downward, crossing both blades into an X-shaped slash as he plummets. The blue blade appears to freeze the air, forming a glacial wake, while the red blade seems to ignite it, creating a firestorm. The result is a devastating psychic shockwave of ice and flame, filling the area with an explosion of opposing energies. Should Nako find herself caught up in it, she may find herself collapsing, just as Ayaki is, his expense of energy costing him consciousness.


[                      \\\\\\\\  <
Nako             0/-------/-<<<<<<|


[                         \\\\\  <
Nako             1/-------/<<<<<<<|


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

[NAKO]
Nako holds her position for just an instant too long before returning to neutral. She thinks the battle is over when the referee does...

...but it's not! Not quite. Ayaki is still on his feet. The shock on her face makes it clear that she's as surprised as anyone, though she's going to do her best to withstand it anyway. She uses the blade to cover herself - it's not a great tool for blocking either a wave of heat or of cold, the conflicting energies exploding around her, but the chi she's imbued it with is. She can't stop the explosion, but she can at least force it back.

She's still wobbly when it ends. Nako staggers, dropping to one knee but catching herself with her sword, breathing heavily. Is it about to be a double KO? It sure looks like it...

...but, with a grunt of effort, she forces herself up to her feet, unsteady but still standing. And she's grinning, though the first thing she does, after the referee admits she's still up, is go and check on Ayaki. That was a really, really close fight!

Log created on 15:35:48 04/04/2025 by Nako, and last modified on 11:12:00 04/10/2025.