Match of the Millennium

Description: Gedo's own Ayaki takes on one of the strongest performers in the competition as he faces Gorin gymnast Tsukiko in his school's dojo. There's two questions on everybody's lips. Is Tsukiko recovered from her sudden illness in the previous round? Is there a spark of romance between these two rivals? They were spotted together several weeks ago eating fried bananas in a popular Chinatown restaurant!

[TSUKIKO]
It's the final round of the regular season of Rivals, the New Fighting Generation's latest property set to capitalize on Southtown's interschool rivalry. Gedo and Gorin have one of the most intense rivalries amongst the schools, each representing raw physical energy in their own way. That's why the Rivals coordinators decided to hold this one for the finale.

It's almost a little ironic, then, that the representative put forward by Gorin for this instalment in such a historically testosterone-and-adrenaline-fuelled rivalry is a fighter who seems to possess neither in abundance.

All four feet and ten inches of Shirakawa Tsukiko arrive in the Gedo dojo dressed in a fitted and fitting black kung fu uniform, her hair braided in twin loops tied with red ribbons, the ends dangling like a double-ponytail behind her back.

There's a slightly glum look on her face as she walks in, exchanging a look with her mother who is already seated on the Gorin side of the upper walkway that's been set up as rather exclusive spectator space for the small room.

Tsukiko walks to her designated starting position on the dojo floor, fixing a smile on her face as she flashes a V to the Gorin crowd, then turning her head to see if she can spot her soon-to-be opponent as her heart beats hard in her chest.

[AYAKI]
Ayaki has been looking forward to seeing Tsukiko again. After a pleasant encounter (minus the stomach ache afterwards) at Gehhanton, a Chinatown restaurant, before the season started, the Gedo guy had hoped he would run into the Gorin girl again during the competition. The experience has been less social than he suspected though, with the school representatives mostly keeping to their own teams, which in Ayaki's case consists only of him!

Now, at last, Ayaki has the opportunity to see his opponent in fried banana eating again. Like Tsukiko he's dressed all in black, with wide-legged black pants on his lower half and a thin black button-down shirt on the upper.

Not usually the cheeriest of boys, Ayaki is actually smiling as he strolls over to join Tsukiko in the fighting area. He runs a hand through the black spikes of his hair and says. "It's good to see you again Shirakawa-san. Your family too." He offers a polite wave to the gymnast's parents and then notices that his grandparents have taken their seats too. It's the first time they've come to observe any of his matches and for some reason it makes him feel much more nervous.

The rest of the small audience is made up of students from Gedo and Gorin. There's already a few glares passing between the two groups.

[TSUKIKO]
Tsukiko's heart beats all the faster when she notices Ayaki's approach. She lets the corner of her mouth quirk up in greeting, though she likely looks much more nervous than she had the last time that the two had met. "Ohayo, Amano-san. My mom's here, at least --" she starts to correct the Gedo student, before checking over her shoulder again. "--oh."

It turns out that Tsukiko's father is in the stands after all, looking at something on his phone. Noticing his daughter's look, though, he adjusts his glasses and raises a hand to wave and smile at the two.

It's the first time that her dad has made it to one of the official matches. She'd thought he was there in the previous fight, but that had turned out to be due to a case of some kind of food poisoning.

Tsukiko's heart thumps even harder as she looks back at Ayaki. "So, I get to fight the infamous Coma Killer, Justice's Fallen Angel," she says as her expression becomes the same Mona Lisa smile he might remember from the restaurant, "against whom neither fiends nor fried fruit are safe."

She eases into her Tai Chi stance, palms open and hips and hands flowing through the air as she prepares herself for the match. "Good thing I'm not a bully or banana."

[AYAKI]
Ayaki can tell that Tsukiko is nervous too. This helps him feel somewhat better. At least until she speaks a nickname that's new to him. "Coma Killer?" He questions, his deep-blue eyes becoming wide. "You realise that doesn't even make sense? If he's in a coma, he isn't dead."

Despite his protest, there's a hint of amusement on Ayaki's youthful face. "Also, Fallen Angel? I think that would require me ever having been an angel in the first place."

By the time the bullies and bananas are mentioned though, Ayaki is laughing out loud. "I'll have to think of something else you are that begins with a b." He ponders. "But first..."

Ayaki swiftly steps forward towards Tsukiko and then appears to vanish, only to reappear behind her. He's now holding his blue oni blade in an outstretched stance.

A chilling wind follows his movements, and should he connect, Tsukiko will feel a sensation resembling being cut. The only sign of his attack's path is a shimmering blue afterimage, like a fleeting ghost.

COMBATSYS: Ayaki has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Ayaki            0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Tsukiko has joined the fight here.

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

COMBATSYS: Tsukiko blocks Ayaki's Blue Oni Phantom Slash.

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

[TSUKIKO]
The expression on Tsukiko's face doesn't change, though the rapid beating of her heart is slowing, at least - something Ayaki's psychic abilities might be able to pick up on. "Hey, I'm not the one who came up with it," she protests his criticism of the Coma Killer cognomen. "Is that the defense you were gonna use in court?"

She continues to relax into her flow as the banter flies. "You were at Justice, and now you're at Gedo. I think that automatically makes you a fallen angel, as far as all the people who haven't seen you eat know."

She gives a pointed, silent look, one eyebrow raised, when he brings up the subject of 'b' words that might describe her.

Then, suddenly, he's gone.

Instinctively, she can feel his swift approach, even if it's hard to follow with her eyes. She twists out of his path, redirecting the weapon so that it only barely catches her in passing. Nevertheless, it causes her to inhale sharply.

"Nice footwork," she commends him as she pivots to face his new position. "I'm going to have to watch you closely if I want to keep up."

And that's exactly what she does - dark eyes focusing with laser-like precision on the psychic swordfighter as she shifts her poise to prepare for his next attempt.

COMBATSYS: Tsukiko focuses on her next action.

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

[AYAKI]
Ayaki can indeed sense that Tsukiko is settling somewhat. As they exchange light-hearted jibes, he lets himself see the funny side regarding the latest in a long line of less than flattering nicknames he's been given over the last few months. "It kinda sounds like I kill people while I'm in a coma, or maybe that I pull the plug on people who are already in them. Someone stalking the corridors of hospitals late at night." The schoolboy faux shudders.

"As for court, they haven't caught me so far." He shrugs, a smile creeping on to his face. This soon develops into laughter when she remarks on his eating. "Well, I'm no worse than you, so..."

The particular 'b' word he was pondering is likely more pleasant than Tsukiko is expecting, but he still decides against voicing it.

As well as being able to hold her own in verbal exchanges, Tsukiko also handles Ayaki's attack admirably. "You're pretty fast on your feet yourself." He returns her compliment. "We better both watch each other closely."

After several seconds of studying Tsukiko, Ayaki comes to the conclusion that there's no retaliation coming his way. Not wanting to slow the pace down, both for the audience and his own sake, he starts to swing both of his blades in a swift X-shaped motion. There's a flash of red and blue light as the air appears to split apart, leaving behind faint, glowing afterimages of a snarling red oni and a smirking blue oni.

If successful, the strikes from the two swords will land almost simultaneously, delivering a precise yet brutal twin-cut that will disorient Tsukiko with a lingering pulse of psychic force.

COMBATSYS: Ayaki successfully hits Tsukiko with Twin Oni Fangs.

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

[TSUKIKO]
Tsukiko keeps her eyes on Ayaki's as she circles, waiting for his move. Still, despite the anticipation, his attack is even faster than she expects when it comes. She tries to shift to the side to avoid the attack, but the psychic weapons close in on her too quickly. She cries out as both blades penetrate her spirit, dropping from her sidelong slide to one knee with a wince before rolling backward. She comes out of the tumble with hands already using her spinning momentum to weave an orb of white energy at her side before thrusting her palms forward, pushing the ball of chi to fly forward and unravel into a net of adhesive essence ready to ensnare her opponent!

"Catch, oni-boy!" she challenges, still crouching.

COMBATSYS: Ayaki blocks Tsukiko's Orb Weaver.

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

[AYAKI]
Despite the fact it's a win for him regarding the execution of his move, Ayaki winces when he hears Tsukiko cry out. There's no time for him to spare her too much sympathy though, since she's weaving her way towards him, literally!

The sticky substance is sent Ayaki's way, seeking to capture him. He brings his blue blade up, cutting through it, but not before his feet get caught up in the net. He can already feel the energy is starting to do him some damage, so he quickly frees himself and comes back at the crouching Tsukiko with his blue blade still drawn. Bringing up its partner to join it, he uses the psi-infused pair to strike quickly with them both.

COMBATSYS: Tsukiko fails to counter Quick Strike from Ayaki with Trapdoor Spider Elusion.

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

[TSUKIKO]
Tsukiko sweeps her hands out to either side as Ayaki approaches, sending strands of chi spreading across the dojo to either side. It's a gambit by which she hopes to halt the psychic swordsman's attack entirely, but as it turns out, the energy blades are fully capable of cutting through her own webs - turning them into harmless ribbons of unbound essence that wink out of existence. The miscalculation results in Ayaki's weapons slashing across her before she can use her grappling threads to vault over his advance, and she falls back to the floor with another pained cry, collapsing onto her side. As she lies there for a split moment, her eyes fall on her parents up in the crowd above. Her mother's expression is disapproving; her father is distracted by the glow of a smartphone's screen.

Tsukiko's lip curls into a defiant scowl as she turns her face to her opponent.

"Is that all you've got?" she asks, failing to mask her pain with the vehemence.

[AYAKI]
Ayaki gives Tsukiko an apologetic look as he once again slices through her web and leaves her exposed. When she falls to the floor of the dojo, he almost offers her a hand to get up, but instead resists. After all, it doesn't seem like a very 'Rivals' thing to do.

The Gorin girl's glance up to her parents inspires Ayaki to seek out his grandparents too. They're sitting in the second row, their expressions a bizarre mix of pride and horror at what their boy is capable of.

"I've got plenty more." Ayaki grins at Tsukiko. "Let's see how you like this."

The Gedo student practically pounces on the gymnast, looking to lift her high in the air before throwing her towards the shocked spectators. There's none of the showy antics or dramatic visuals that he usually employs, but if the move pays off, it could still cause some pain!

COMBATSYS: Tsukiko blocks Ayaki's Quick Throw.

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

[TSUKIKO]
The lack of physical reaction to the sight of Ayaki trying to pounce on her while she's still on her side might suggest that Tsukiko's internal response to the student's rhetoric mismatches what would be considered appropriate for the situation, but the truth is that she's subtly readying herself for the assault. She's grabbed and lifted up over Ayaki's head, but as she does, she spreads her arms and extends a leg to balance her weight against his palms, dropping her head backward so that it's almost facing his from an inverted perspective, braids and the big bangs that normally hide one side of her face dangling in the air.

"I don't mind it," she says slyly the moment before she's thrown. Already poised before she's gone airborne, she slings a pair of threads to either side to connect to the walls and uses them to flip into a relatively graceful landing, suffering little more than the roughness of his initial grasp for Ayaki's efforts.

Turning around with her bangs once again hiding half of her face, she smirks.

"Let's see how you like /this./"

With that, she slings two more cords of chi toward Ayaki, attempting to grab him from afar with them, before twisting around violently, intent on wrenching him toward her with the full force of her physique while thrusting her hips backwards, threatening to slam them into him with an intercepting assault if he doesn't manage to avoid her attack!

COMBATSYS: Ayaki parries Tsukiko's Silk Moon Atemi!

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

[AYAKI]
Ayaki lifts the petite gymnast with little effort, but once she's airbound she doesn't make it easy for him to handle her. As her impressive hair swings and sways, he watches her face, seeing that she seems to be enjoying herself. Good, because he is too!

Tsukiko taunts him as she goes on the attack. Perhaps it's this that gives Ayaki the warning to get the hell out of her way. When the cords are thrust towards him, he moves swiftly, severing them in a speedy one two motion with each of his swords in turn. Afterwards he steps aside, preventing himself from suffering any of the threatened damage.

"I like it a lot." Ayaki murmurs. "Thanks for the challenge!"

Crossing his blue and red oni blades, Ayaki swings them in a wide, sweeping arc. The blue blade seeks to slice first, sending a razor-thin wave of crackling blue energy outward, silent and deadly.

the red blade follows immediately after, its arc exploding forward like a thunderclap. Always an attack that's on the noisy side, this time the sound is several decibels louder. The ground trembles beneath the fighters with the vibration and some of the crowd start to clutch on tightly to their seats. Even Ayaki seems surprised by the intensity of the sound.

If Tsukiko can't manage to fend of his psychic force, the clash of the opposing forces will continue to rise in volume, generating a deafening shockwave of psychic blue lightning and red fire, that threatens to blast away everything in its wake like the roar of an awakened oni god!

COMBATSYS: Ayaki successfully hits Tsukiko with Twin Oni Roar EX.
- Power hit! -

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

[TSUKIKO]
When Tsukiko twists around and turns her back toward Ayaki, the expected resistance isn't there - the sliced strands of essence fly free and unanchored back to her. A frown floods her features as she realises that her plan has failed, leaving her exposed from the rear. Her expression becomes one of horror at the tremendous noise behind her just before she can turn around.

The blue wave hits her first, the pain contorting her body and leaving her open to the explosion that follows. The sound combines with the psychokinetic power to blast her into the wall of the dojo hard.

"Oww..."

Tsukiko rolls over onto her hands and knees, trying to shake off the plaster in her hair and the ringing in her ears. She lifts her head up, blood trickling down the visible half of her face from a cut beneath her hair.

"You sure 'challenge' is the right word, oni boy?"

So far, the relentless aggression has been overwhelming her ability to cope defensively. It'll take something special to try and even things up...

"Maybe you should slow down a little," Tsukiko suggests, hurling two strands diagonally to bring herself up to an elevated position before connecting them together under her feet like a tightrope to perch on. Then she does it again, slinging herself to the opposite side of the room, once again anchoring a cord beneath herself. Then she shoots out more strands, rapidly forming what becomes a web between the platforms on the periphery of the dojo's second floor. She scrambles swiftly across them in a spider-like bridge position until she's at the center, then fires another volley of strands that swirl in an expanding net - aiming to pull Ayaki up into the net and encase him in a cocoon of energy before dropping back down to the floor, leaving his only escape as a drop to the ground while bound in adhesive essence!

COMBATSYS: Tsukiko successfully hits Ayaki with Silk Cocoon.

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

[AYAKI]
Ayaki can feel the force he's created too. His spiked hair blows back from his face and his deep blue eyes flash red as he surveys the damage the sonic and psi energy have caused to the dojo.

Then those strange eyes settle on Tsukiko. He sees the blood on her face and hears the suggestion she makes for him to slow down. That's not something that usually serves the boy well in his fights. Sometimes you've not got any choice though.

Tsukiko springs into action, using her natural agility and acrobatic ability to position herself perfectly to play the predator. Like an unfortunate fly, Ayaki is pulled into her spider-like lair. Once lured there, he feels himself trapped by her cocoon of chi before being cruelly dropped to the dojo floor, still smothered in her sticky substance.

He rolls around, trying to shed it from the areas of his skin that are exposed. He can feel his heart rate quickening and his breathing becoming more intense as a sense of panic floods his frame.

When he rises, it's with less confidence than before. His expression is one of uncertainty and even a hint of fear. He tries to disguise this with defiance though. "So you finally decided to get in the game? Okay, I'm ready to play some more."

Ayaki begins to take on the aspects of a demon, his right eye glowing red and his left one blue. An aura of blue psychic frost engulfs his left side, whilst an aura of red psychic fire engulfs his right.

His swords expand and he lunges forwards with slash after slash, before seeking to stab both blades into Tsukikos's core simultaneously. If successful, he will paralyze her with the cold of his blue oni Ao while burning her from within with his red oni Aka.

Taking hold of his swords, Ayaki would then kick the Gorin girl away, before leaping up into the air, holding both blades aloft as his aura forms into a pair of psychic purple wings and his weapons merge into a single colossal purple blade. He would finish by descending down on Tsukiko, plunging the gestalt psychic zweihander into her to try and finish her off in the fight.

COMBATSYS: Ayaki successfully hits Tsukiko with Demon King's Burial.

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

[TSUKIKO]
Tsukiko hesitates at the sight of Ayaki's face taking on the dark aspect, the change in colour in his eyes. Those blades of psychic energy have already proven dangerous enough that she knows she can't afford to confront them head-on again. She tries to leap out of his reach, but she underestimates the length of his weapons, and he manages to slash her out of the air. That's when the weapons plunge in.

"Nnngh..."

Her eyes meet his as they widen. The weapons might not be physical, but the pain is just as real as if they were. White heat and freezing cold flood her senses simultaneously, leaving her helpless against his follow-up kick.

"Oof!"

She lands on her back, defenseless as Ayaki brings his massive two-hander to bear on her. Her eyes flinch shut before it pierces her.

"Mmmf!"

She has to summon all of her will not to scream out as the Gedo student delivers the dominating blow. When she finally opens her eyes, they're glassy and detached in expression, barely able to meet his face. There's a hint of a tear at the corner of them even as she forces a faint smirk.

"Nice moves, oni boy..."

She'd reach out to try and grab hold of his arms before he could dismount, bringing up her powerful gymnast's legs to try and wrap around his middle, pressing a palm gently against his chest - attempting to subtly disrupt his chi from the core and disorient him before using the last of her strength to slam him into the wall using her lower half before collapsing!

COMBATSYS: Tsukiko can no longer fight.

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

COMBATSYS: Ayaki dodges Tsukiko's Crushing Throw.

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

[AYAKI]
In the aftermath of his attack, Ayaki seems somewhat stunned by the spectacle he was able to summon with his psi abilities. The massive sword remains in his hands and his purple wings flutter behind him as he becomes still on the spot, staring down towards the victim of his violence.

Are those tears in Tsukiko's eyes? Ayaki feels empathy but he can't allow his stance to soften now. Not until he's sure this fight is truly over. He owes it both to himself and Gedo to perform to his full potential.

The compliment brings the hint of a smile to Ayaki's boyishly handsome face. "Thanks." He simply says in response, but before he can add anything else, Tsukiko is reaching out to him.

Ayaki reacts rapidly, rolling backwards to get out of harm's way, leaving Tsukiko to slump to her defeat. "The winner is Amano Ayaki!" The referee announces, causing half the crowd to break into cheers. As he looks to the audience, Ayaki sees that both his grandparents are on their feet applauding him. He swallows down the emotion, but he at least allows himself a wave their way.

Victory now secured, the black-haired boy bends down to offer a hand to Tsukiko. "Are you okay, Shirakawa-san?" He checks. "I was thinking we could go out to get some food if you feel up to it."

[TSUKIKO]
Tsukiko still lies on the floor, still wiped out from the match. She places one hand on her stomach, reacting to the still-lingering ethereal pain from before, while wiping the back of her other arm across her forehead. Her eyes finally blink open to see the demon replaced with the Gedo student, and she instinctively reaches for his hand - only hesitating a moment as the pang of a flashback to moments before hits her, the sight of the blue and red eyes. Then, with resolve, she closes her hand around his and lets him help her pull herself to her feet. "Sure. Just so you know, though, I've gone totally off fried bananas after last time, so we'll have to find something else."

Tsukiko looks up toward where her parents are sitting. Her dad has just put his phone away and his applauding politely, having missed the finale almost entirely, while her mother has a slightly disapproving expression that intensifies as Tsukiko's hand clasps Ayaki's.

Tsuki withdraws her hand, wiping the sweat off of it on the back of her uniform, and offers a smile half-hidden by her bangs. "So... Genhanten?"

Log created on 09:46:00 08/21/2025 by Ayaki, and last modified on 10:17:08 08/30/2025.