SNF 2005.01 - Ryu vs Jinmu and Megumi

Description: An SNF Main Event at Howard Arena: Ryu vs. Jinmu and Megumi as a team. Ryu is given an odd handicap, while Megumi changes her mind every two seconds and Jinmu tries to be William Tell. (Winner: Ryu)


Great. Here he goes -- in a fight with the two opponents who have most thoroughly shamed him in a public fight. Well, at least he can say that one of the two is not his opponent. Jinmu Tetsunagi specializes in promptness, and he's waiting on the arena floor, preparing, as soon as Arena Security will /permit/ him. So, he's probably here by the time the other participants arrive. Jinmu seems unusually relaxed, however. His weapon is resting on his right shoulder and his quiver strapped tightly to his back, leaving him to do little but wait for the others to get here so that the fighting can begin. The seats are fairly full, to boot. Even if Jinmu is a relative unknown, Ryu is Ryu and even Megumi has some degree of fame.

Megumi might have to wonder how long fame would last. "Ass handed to me by a karate master last week, then they get an even better one this time..." A bit of musing to herself as she walks down to the arena, arms propped behind her head. "Well, guess it's a learning experience if nothing else..." She makes a short leap onto the arena floor, moving to join Jinmu. "No stupid restrictions this week, huh? Usually I try to stay back and do the 'assistance' stuff, but...um. Bow and arrow. I'm guessing you'll want me to be the one to make sure Ryu keeps back from you?" She doesn't sound too confident of this one working, but she's offering it anyway.

Rather than showing up early for pre-fight meditations, Ryu turns up just at the proper curtain time. He's got to wonder about the sanity of the person who gave him his instructions for this match... Not because of the opponents, but well... The World Warrior draws a deep breath, letting out a slow sigh, and climbs the stonework stairs to the arena platform, facing Jinmu and Megumi thoughtfully, his head inclining subtly to one and then the other. Both of these warriors are known to him, and while that means he has some ideas what to expect from the fight, it doesn't seem that he's inclined to take it any less seriously for that fact. His stern features a stoic mask of controlled calm, the young champion's dark eyes drift from his opponents over the arena in a momentary consideration, and he tightens the crimson sparring gloves over his fists with two sharp tugs, feet shifting easily on the stone. Aside from that, he simply waits, and considers.

Once Ryu arrives, Jinmu's keen eyes lock firmly onto him. He looks like he's in pretty prime condition. Jinmu looks disappointed; he was, perhaps, hoping that his loss to Kyo would have left him softened up. Not a chance. Reaching behind his back, Tetsunagi produces a handful of arrows -- four, maybe? -- and keeps them at the ready. "No, that's okay. I don't think I'd be comfortable with asking someone to take my hits for me. Besides... I'm not so easy to hit. Though, against /him/... I might be overestimating myself. We'll just do our best, okay?" Smiling at Megumi, Jinmu takes a few steps forward, flashing Ryu a quick thumbs up. "Hey, again! It's good to see you. We're going to give it our all, okay? So, before we start, thanks for coming out. We'll be doing our best to make it worth your time!"

"Make it worth his time? Like hell. I'm here to win," Megumi's a little irritated. "Not defer to him like he's some god come down from on-high, to slum it with the rejects. Dunno if I actually will win, but that's what we oughta be here to do. Triumph, not 'make it worth his time.' Spiral..." Her right hand balls into a fist, sparkling red energy enveloping it as she launches herself head-and-fist-first at Ryu, body twirling the whole way, "Knuckle!" She's on a flight-path to try and plant her energy-enveloped fist into his chest.

COMBATSYS: Megumi has joined the fight here on the left meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Megumi           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0              Ryu


COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Megumi's Crimson Spiral Knuckle.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Megumi           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0              Ryu


Worth his time? It's a fight... Whatever course it takes, there's something to learn, and be taken from it. Ryu just sort of cocks his head slightly towards Jinmu at the call, not really seeming to understand the sentiment... If it weren't worth his time, he wouldn't be here. But Megumi preempts any retort the World Warrior could muster, both vocally and in action. And so as the fight is announced and begun, Ryu steps forward a few bobbing paces, drawing a deeeeeep breath as the youth hurtles in, twisting his right side forward to catch that knuckle on a quickly aligned forearm, the bruising impact to his hardened muscle brushed aside with a quick sweep of that blocking arm, the legendary nomad's form continuing to twist with a quick leap, his upper body setting his lower half to whipping around, right leg snapping out straight as he flies forward with a disturbingly fast gravity-defying flight that brings that rotorblade of a right around over and over again, the roundhousing kicks level with Megumi's skull. Ryu's entire form twists full rotations in the air, the sheer force of the technique throwing up gusting winds beneath him. Notably, there's no call to accompany the move, though it lacks none of its chi-fed and strength-backed fury... Ryu is getting this one started right, it seems.

COMBATSYS: Jinmu has joined the fight here.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Megumi           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0              Ryu
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            0/-------/-------|


Jinmu's arrow is nocked and raised like lightning. He might not be the same fighter that Ryu is, but he might just be one of the greatest archers in the world, and it shows. Though he doesn't move from his spot, his actions are smooth and careful as he takes a steady aim at his opponent. Clenching one eye shut, Jinmu's breath halts for just a moment as he releases one of the arrows he drew earlier -- the remaining three are actually gripped in his teeth, where he can get at them right away. And indeed, he's already doing so, nocking the remaining three and firing them all at /once/. It's a spread -- but a vertical spread, aimed directly at Ryu from head to toe. "Megumi! Watch out for friendly fire when you're up close!"

COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Megumi with Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Megumi           1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0              Ryu
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            0/-------/-------|


Megumi lands on one hand, popping up to flip upright...and it's a damn shame Ryu's not knocked further back by her attack than he was, since now he's too close for her to get moving in time. Skull? Yes. Whack. Smack. Pow. BAM. Megumi's hit in the head several times, and to put it lightly, she's sent careening to the ground dazed; Ryu might as well have taken a sledgehammer to her face a couple times. Friendly fire, he says? Megumi's /really/ not worried about that as Priority Number One right now. Staggering back up, she takes a second to get steady...and then once Jinmu's arrow is in flight, she runs to try and get in after it, hoping to grab one of Ryu's arms, bending it back and upward while stepping past him in an effort to take him to the ground, and apply a quick wrist-lock while she's there.

COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Jinmu's Thousand Whistlers.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Megumi           1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0              Ryu
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Megumi successfully hits Ryu with Flood Reversal.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Megumi           1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0              Ryu
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            0/-------/-------|


Incoming arrows! As Ryu touches down from the hurricane kick, he's already preparing for that inevitability, legs bending subtly and propelling himself to the right, right out of the path of the vertical wall of nasty, painful arrows... And into Megumi's reach. His arm is grasped and twisted, and Ryu does indeed drop with the takedown, a painful jolt running up the snared appendage as he hits the hard arena floor. Keeping him held, though... That could be trickier. The World Warrior's powerful muscles flex and he twists in an attempt to dislodge Megumi, but it's not such a simple maneuver as that, as his free hand snaps up and back, reaching for the young fighter, and seeking to find purchase on her shirt, her holding arm... Wherever really. Ryu is no stranger to takedowns, and what the attempt lacks in finesse, it makes up for in raw force, the World Warrior seeking to simply use his greater strength and mass to flip her up and over his head, and slam her spine-first into the unforgiving arena, one foot kicking out behind him to offer a subtle nudge to one of her ankles, hopefully encouraging her to lose her footing, and succumb to the sudden, forceful leverage.

Once Megumi takes that hit, Jinmu is off and running... /towards/ Ryu. "Megumi! Back off and regroup! I'll keep him busy for a few seconds!" Even while moving -- sprinting, even -- Jinmu is able to draw an arrow and get a shot off at Ryu, propelled a spinning arrow at Ryu's throat. He's fully anticipating an evasion, but he wants to make sure that Ryu has no choice but to take action to get out of the way; action that, hopefully, will give Megumi an opportunity to get some room to breathe. Moreover, the archer himself is moving closer, perhaps unwise on his own... but he's doing so regardless, rather than letting Megumi face the World Warrior on her own.

COMBATSYS: Megumi counters Strong Throw from Ryu with Gentle Redirection.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Megumi           1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0              Ryu
[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            0/-------/-------|


Megumi didn't expect to /keep/ Ryu held. Just hurting his wrist and arm for a little bit was about all she expected, and she got it. When Ryu reaches out to grab her shirt (such as it is), it may look like his following foot-nudge to disrupt her balance will work without incident.

Not quite. Megumi's own leg moves in an odd circular path to disrupt Ryu's effort, while her hands go beneath Ryu's arm and thrust up at his wrist, breaking the hold. She backflips away from him after this to get some distance. No damage done by her escape from his imminent throw, but it was more than just a mere dodge, that's for sure. "Regroup? I don't like that...not sure if you heard what the SNF crews told me last week? Told me I don't amount to crap without my ability to undo damage. Gonna show 'em wrong this time."

COMBATSYS: Jinmu successfully hits Ryu with Dead Eye.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Megumi           1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0              Ryu
[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            0/-------/-----==|


Well, that was certainly a creative evasion. Ryu doesn't have time to admire it, however, and he has less time to evade the incoming arrow... Though he certainly tries, legs pushing off the arena in an attempt to leap aside, the arrow nonetheless burying itself deeply in the side of his chest, thankfully missing anything vital, though rather painful nonetheless... The arrow is snapped off close to the wound, though the actual penetrating portion is ignored for now... Plenty of time to worry about that, after the fighting's finished. Ryu still hasn't made a sound, doesn't seem to be concentrating on anything bu the fight, but... Is he still holding that initial deep breath? Close observation would reveal that yes, he is... And as his opponents put up more of a fight, it becomes more of a strain to do so. As such, there is no incanting call from the World Warrior as his hands slip to his side, a swirling vortex of bluish chi bursting to life between his cradling palms with a flash that seems to steal all the light from the arena around it... much as the energy-sphere itself swirls and draws forth the air around it, setting the wanderer's headband fluttering along with the edges of his gi as it grows greater and greater, its wildly coruscating, epicly powerful mass swept forward for the fighter with the bow and arrow, the rampant theft of air following the projectile in a violent wind as it hurtles in for the Justice High student, threatening to consume him as well...

COMBATSYS: Jinmu slows Shinkuu Hadouken from Ryu with BFA.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Megumi           1/-----==/=======|=------\-------\0              Ryu
[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            0/-------/-----==|


As the Shinkuu Hadouken comes his way, Jinmu stands his ground -- he stands his ground and he reaches into his quiver, producing one... massive arrow. It's actually a trio of arrow, linked with string -- arrows which are assesmbled with a quick tug of that chain string. One tail, one head, and one shaft combined to take the shape of something that is more a javelin than an arrow. A literal monster. Nocking the beast and taking aim at the approaching projectile, Jinmu lets loose with /perfect/ aim. His arrow strikes the Shinkuu Hadouken at its core, upsetting its energy... but is completely overwhelmed. The result? Jinmu, hit with the blast, and sent FLYING all the way to the edge of the arena, sliding to a halt and ceasing. And not moving. At all.

Blink. Megumi knows what's coming. She's glad it's not coming at her. It's like watching slow-mo, Ryu readying his blast, Jinmu ready to let an arrow fly..and Ryu wins the exchange handily. She's awe-struck at how Jinmu just gets blown away like that, and decides, "Oh, the hell with it! I can prove I'm worth something without these later..."

Rushing over to Jinmu's side as he stops sliding, her arms go wide apart then high and low to create a thin, sparkling red energy wall. She then shoves it at Jinmu, where it will travel a few inches and wash over him. It may not impress the SNF crew, but this week she's decided to fight smart. It's one thing when Ryu nearly takes her head off; it's another when a teammate gets that blasted from just one technique.

There's a momentary frown on Ryu's features. That kid.... has confidence, that much is sure. Ryu hadn't expected him to just /stand his ground/ like that, not to mention the punch behind Jinmu's egress from the battle. In a way, the wanderer is glad to see Megumi there with the energies that he knows all too well the effect of, was partly counting on her if the Justice High fighter couldn't quite stand the heat... For the Ansatsuken master, well, he's obliged to fight his best under the somewhat illogical set of guidelines handed him, at least for now. There's only so long he /can/ hold his breath, assuming it doesn't get knocked out of him in one of these exchanges. Even so, for the moment, it's done... even though he's beginning to feel the lack of oxygen, it's part of the challenge, and indeed, a test in and of itself. The assist to Jinmu goes uncontested, but that doesn't mean Megumi herself gets off scott free... A second ball of chi is formed, far less massively charged than the first, shining with multifaceted waves of blue-white, and the fiery chi-ball is hurled forward at Andou, this time sending its power-fueled wind outwards as it careens at a breakneck speed for its target.

COMBATSYS: Megumi successfully hits Jinmu with Restoration Aura.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Megumi           0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0              Ryu
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            0/-------/-----==|


COMBATSYS: Jinmu fails to slow Hadouken from Ryu with Dead Eye.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Megumi           0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0              Ryu
[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-----==/=======|


As Ryu's hadouken flies towards Megumi, an unlikely shadow darts in front of her, bow in hand. Jinmu's movements are swift, his body reinvigorated with as much speed and dexterity as he has at his peak -- as though the incredible beating that Ryu's Shinkuu Hadouken had dealt him vanished entirely from his person, leaving him rejuvenated -- returned to the fight. He's in front of Megumi right in time to deal with the Hadouken, crossing between the two other fighters with split-second precision to release a single arrow. "Look out!" are the only words he gets a chance to use -- he's clearly caught by the situation, and acting only on instinct; his arrow misses, however, and the hadouken -plows- into Jinmu, knocking him backwards towards Megumi. ... but he's still standing, and Megumi is unhurt. "Ugh." Staggering, Jinmu leans on his bow for a moment, grunting. "Sorry for messing up your handiwork, Megumi. But now we're even. And trust me -- I can still fight."

Megumi braces for impact. It does take her a moment to create these...'healing walls.' She's going to try an unlikely dodge, but even as she starts her leap...um. Jinmu jumps in front and tries to shoot down the Hadouken, which knocks him back pretty hard it would seem. "What the hell was that? Come on, quit doing that! Your arrows stop my shots maybe half the time, let alone /Ryu's./" Yeah. You're welcome. She's more annoyed than worried about him or being grateful right now.

Right. May as well go after Ryu at this rate. Too far to leap right at him, so she cups her hands together. A sparkling basketball-sized gathering of energy forms, then she pulls it behind her head before leaning forward to pitch it at Ryu. She'll be amazed if it hits; she's using it as cover to get closer to Ryu.

COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Megumi's Crimson Comet.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Megumi           0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0              Ryu
[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-----==/=======|


One target is as good as the other, for the moment at least, though Ryu's starting to show the lack of breath. As fast as he is, he's slowing down, and the pair are making an impressive effort at keeping that process going, at the least. The sudden re-emergence of Jinmu, fighting with full ferocity, is certainly quite impressive, a nod to Megumi as much as the archer himself, but Ryu isn't going to let him off easily this time either... A crouching motion concludes in a powerful jump, the World Warrior leaping up and over Megumi's energy ball and arcing in for the woman herself, landing in her path and once more grasping for the front of her half-shirt once more, this time executing a practiced and capable judo takedown, his arms flexing as his upper body twists, using the leverage of arms and shoulder in an attempt to bring her up and around, and slam her back down to the ground at his side.

"Hey, you're the one who said 'triumph and go for the win'! I'm just trying to all-out, here!" Jinmu is a little perturbed by Megumi's accusation, but it doesn't affect his stride as he sends an arrow Ryu's way, aimed right at his eye. He's trying to regain his pace, here, but he's still better off than he was after eating a Shinkuu Hadouken.

COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Megumi with Seoi Nage.

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Megumi           0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0              Ryu
[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-----==/=======|


Megumi should really know this one. How to avoid it, and so on, since she's fairly familiar with this technique; a lot of people use it, and she pretty well /expected/ Ryu to close with her. But as she works on deflecting his grab attempts, his superior experience wins out against her stylistic focus on throws, and he should get it after a few initial defenses. She's lifted, and slammed to the ground, but she does slap her hands out to the side in a breakfall. Hurts her hands like hell, but that beats letting the impact all go on her back. "I said triumph and win, not..."

Megumi starts to get up, "Not shoot arrows at something that would sink the USS Triumph!" She's not even sure that's a real ship. Back on her feet, Megumi tries to spin behind Ryu after the arrow shot and wrap her arms around his waist. If she gets it, she's bridging her upper body backwards in a typical German Suplex, one meant to slam his head and shoulders into the floor.

COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Jinmu's Strong Shot.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Megumi           0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0              Ryu
[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-----==/=======|


COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Megumi's Storm Hold.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Megumi           0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0              Ryu
[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-----==/=======|


For the eye?!?! Well, at least that makes the incoming arrow easy to spot, and Ryu rises with a counter-clockwise twist, letting that shot pass harmlessly in front of him rather than blinding (and probably killing!) him... Lucky break, that. With that attack, and his current momentum, it behooves the World Warrior to take the fight to Jinmu, and that's just what he does, his right fist cocking back as the final spans of distance are covered by a quick sprint, his abrupt motion carrying him away from Megumi's grab and bringing him in at the archer, hard. His right foot finalizes his approach, synchronized with the launch of that fist. The punch is thrown like a straight, but rather than aiming straight in, it angles downward, meaning to pummel Jinmu's chest and ribs with substantial force towards the ground, accompanied by a loooong overdue, "Haaaah!" It wasn't a bad showing for one breath, but there's only so long Ryu can /last/ that way, and besides... "What a crazy fight condition... It was a challenge, but you two are too good for that." Too able t o prolong this battle... And he's got to breathe to finish it, or pass out on his own accord, and that's just.. not very exciting at all.

COMBATSYS: Jinmu dodges Ryu's Sakotsu Wari.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Megumi           0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0              Ryu
[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-----==/=======|


Jinmu's eyes watch as Ryu comes towards him -- he's not going to be caught off-guard again, that's for sure. Once the attack reaches him, Jinmu sidesteps deftly backwards, bringing his longbow right up at point blank range and shooting at his chest. It's as close as can be; it'll hurt, a whole lot. But in these close quarters, and with a bow as big as Jinmu's? It's going to be a tough shot all the same. "I'm sorry, Megumi... but I had to try! But give me a chance to make it up to you..." And, perhaps, the arrow he just shot at Ryu is part of that.

Megumi stares at Ryu as he suddenly exhales. First time he's done that the whole fight. And then he explains. "...I /thought/ something as a little off about you. So that's what it was?" Jinmu's apology goes unanswered, as she does something that is likely to invoke significant wrath. Her arms go wide apart, making another thin energy wall. This one's maybe half as tall as the one she used on Jinmu.

Incidentally, this one goes a few feet forward, then begins heading back to Megumi. She's tired, and still feeling the effects of all those spinkicks to the head...

COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Jinmu's Power Shot.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Megumi           0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0              Ryu
[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-----==/=======|


As his fist misses its mark and Jinmu's bow comes up, Ryu is in motion, twisting with his momentum and sucking in his gut hard with an arch of his back to carry him further out of the way of that dangerous, point-blank arrow. Megumi's words go unheeded, along with her healing, though he can certainly sense the energies being summoned behind him, a cursory glance his only response for the time-being as he dances back a half-step to regain his footing, shifting his weight to his left foot and launching his right up and out to the side, in a blurring snap aimed for the archer's face, the side-thrust carrying his foot from ground to head a bit quicker now that he can, y'know, get oxygen to his muscles.

COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Jinmu with Medium Kick.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Megumi           0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0              Ryu
[                         \\\\\  <
Jinmu            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|


Jinmu isn't good at taking hits. Not good at all. So not good, in fact... that Jinmu drops like a rock after getting hit by the big kick from Ryu. Hitting the ground and sliding backwards, Jinmu has to force his way up to his feet. It's a good thing that Ryu hit him as hard as he did; he knocked him a little bit backwards. "... tch... okay... looks like I have to go all out. Try this one!" Locking his aim on Ryu and clenching one eye on Ryu, Jinmu reaches into his quiver and begins to pull arrows and shoot them. ... again... and again... and again. It's a hail of arrows, as he burns through literally half of his remaining arrow supply, dumping everything down on Ryu's head with every last bit of his energy.

COMBATSYS: Megumi successfully hits Megumi with Aura Mend.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Megumi           0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0              Ryu
[                          \\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-------/=======|


Megumi's little wall goes over her, then fades away once it's gone past. Looks like it did a pretty good number on her headache, anyway. With Ryu bearing down on Jinmu, and Ryu sort of sandwiched between the two of them, Megumi...doesn't want to be in the direct path of those arrows in case Ryu evades.

This time he's not so far away though, and Megumi leaps at Ryu, inverting in mid-air to try and plant her hands on his head, and...hold it there for a second, balance, wait...then descend, trying to drive his face into the floor.

COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Jinmu's Million Whistlers.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Megumi           0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0              Ryu
[                          \\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-------/=======|


COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Megumi's Flood Reversal.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Megumi           0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0              Ryu
[                          \\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-------/=======|


Ryu's felt that hail of arrows before, and the broken shaft sticking out of his chest is a clear reminder of why he /doesn't/ want to feel it again. Rather than close the distance with the archer once more, Ryu dances back a few steps, deftly ducking and weaving away from the first few arrows before a more dramatic sidestep removes him from the path of the remaining projectiles, though the attention required makes him all too easy for Megumi to snag, her hands finding a steady purchase on his head, and subsequently driving him towards the arena floor... An arm snaps out beneath him, however, and instead of faceplanting into the rock, Ryu lands on elbow and forearm, painfully, but it absorbs much of the impact. His response to the throw is simple, quick, and efficient, rising in a potent uppercut led by his opposite fist, aimed to catch Megumi before she can gain too much distance on him.

COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Megumi with Fierce Punch.

[                         \\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Megumi           1/-======/=======|=======\-------\1              Ryu
[                          \\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-------/=======|


"Dammit." He can't catch a single break today. But that's okay. An archer doesn't rely on luck -- or at least, Jinmu tries to remind himself. Focus, and discipline. That's what's important. Exhaling sharply, Jinmu takes aim at Ryu, but doesn't release his arrow. Not yet, anyways. Fixing his attention on every movement of his opponent, Jinmu waits... ... and waits, really, his lips moving silently as he counts the seconds. His opportunity is going to come. And it's going to come soon. He hopes.

COMBATSYS: Jinmu focuses on his next action.

[                         \\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Megumi           1/-======/=======|=======\-------\1              Ryu
[                          \\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-------/=======|


Megumi lands in front of Ryu after her semi-failed faceplant. Ryu's getting up and trying to catch her, and he's going to have an awful easy time of it. She flicks her wrist off to the side, a thin line of sparkling red forming on that hand. She's standing her ground, trying to lean into the hit. Go ahead, Ryu!

OW.

Megumi's definitely not the toughest person around when it comes to direct physical blows, and Ryu's punch strikes her right in the gut, causing her to fall down to her knees with a wind-knocked-out "Urk!" While this happens though, the energy on her hand is flowing up her arm, shoulder...then down her chest, stomach, hip, leg...down to her right foot. She stands back up and tries to wrap an arm around Ryu's head while simultaneously attempting to plant her foot on his stomach.

Right as she does the foot-plant, the energy blasts off of her shoe. If her grab was successful, Ryu's going to be driven back a few feet by this blast as the thin red line expands into a wide, spinning cone with the tip pointing at him. Yelling sharply, Megumi jumps at the cone feet-first. When she lands in it, it will drive forward and hopefully smash Ryu aside. Regardless of if it strikes or not though, Megumi's cone fades after a few feet of flight, dropping her to the ground in a tired crouch.

COMBATSYS: Megumi successfully hits Ryu with Exceed Charge.
- Power hit! -

[                         \\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Megumi           0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1              Ryu
[                          \\\\  <
Jinmu            1/-------/=======|


Well, now /that/ one, he's going to feel in the morning. And there would've went his held breath if it weren't already too late to knock it out of him. Despite the successful impact of his uppercut, Ryu finds himself dealing with a renewed charge by Megumi before he expected her to be back, his attention diverted by the careful aim being taken on him by the archer. Count on arrows to make a man paranoid, particularly with some of the spots Jinmu's aiming for tonight. The Ansatsuken master isn't looking for any exotic piercings, thanks! At any rate, the impact of Megumi's energy-laden foot sets Ryu off balance long enough for her to careen through him as much as into him, Ryu spinning off to the side with a limp inertia and crashing to the hard stone in a haphazard tumble, his limbs breaking his fall. Which is to say, twisting this way and that and making it hurt worse. Gritting his teeth, the World Warrior pushes back to his feet, his attention once more on Jinmu... Whatever's about to happen with those arrows, he intends to disrupt, and so he pushes past the pain, and summons up a renewed surge of chi himself, arcs of electrical energy rushing down his arms and surging forth from fingers and palms to forge together in a rampantly fluctuating sphere of raw lightning, the electrical gleam burning brighter and brighter, "Denjiiiiiin..." Ryu incants as the electricity pours forth, only to be hurtled forward and seem to nearly strike as a lightning bolt out at the archer, the taser++ gleaming brightly as it careens for Jinmu, "Hadooooouken!!!"

COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Jinmu with Denjin Hadouken.

[                         \\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Megumi           0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0              Ryu
[                                <
Jinmu            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|


COMBATSYS: Jinmu takes no action.

[                         \\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Megumi           0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0              Ryu


COMBATSYS: Jinmu can no longer fight.

[                         \\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Megumi           0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0              Ryu


Jinmu doesn't even have time to think about this one. Before the Hadouken even /enters his brain/, he's being hit, electrocuted, and send soaring out of the ring. Absolutely useless; there was nothing... Nothing at /all/ that he could have done to protect himself from that, short of being someone else. He actually flies past Megumi on his way out, hitting the ground outside the arena like a sack of bricks, and then simply... being unconscious. He's over. Done for.

"Huh?" ...Wait, Jinmu...just flew past Megumi while she was recovering from slamming through Ryu like that. Wow. "Jeez, guess it's just me now." She stands, and looks at Ryu with a hand raised, two fingers held up. "'Bout all I've got left, far as I can tell. I'm still gonna try to win, but I won't blame ya if you start celebrating now. First!" All of her fingers go up now, so a flatly raised palm is pointing at Ryu.

Red sparkles form a baseball-sized sphere, then fly at him. It won't hit him directly, and Ryu's probably seen this trick before. Instead, once the ball's fairly close to him it just explodes in mid-air, spraying itself in a small area that might catch Ryu in its radius.

COMBATSYS: Ryu overcomes Burst Orb from Megumi with Hadouken.

[                          \\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Megumi           0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0              Ryu


A slow nod is paid to Megumi, Ryu standing his ground, his weight lithely shifting from foot to foot as he studies her with intent dark eyes. It's not as if this fight hasn't taken a good chunk of energy out of him, as well, to say nothing about the pain... He's sore, he's tired, but much like the other fighter, he's not going to let off until the battle is truly finished. As soon as that palm comes up, Ryu can guess the jist of what's coming, and he's moving to oppose it... In a flash, a wild rush of blue-white chi swirls outward from his cradling palms to fill the space between his hands with a ramant torrent of raw chi, the multifaceted energies charged until Megumi releases her own projectile, at which point Ryu drives the fireball forward with a fierce cry of, "Hadooouken!!", sending the hurtling chi-sphere directly into the smaller, proximity bomb sort of attack, which is overwhelmed and sweapt aside in a fierce flash of fluctuating energies, reds and blues flaring outward in a shockwave of power as the Hadouken surges onward, towards Megumi...

COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Megumi with Hadouken.

[                                < >  /////////                     ]
Megumi           0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0              Ryu


Megumi's little blasts really can't compare to Ryu's. Before her shot even gets close enough to detonate, Ryu's just blown right through it with a Hadouken. She runs to meet it, then stumbles suddenly and pretty well trips into his technique. It slows her down, but she keeps going. More glowing red energy, surrounding most of her right arm, as she staggeringly continues to dash at him. Her form is poor, her speed low, but she's making one last wild swing at Ryu: a chop with that arm, aiming from hip to shoulder to try and knock him down. She's not going down. Ryu's probably going to have to land another follow-up hit to definitely knock her out of the fight, but really? /Any/ decent fighter could get past her non-existent defense now. He's almost certainly got this won.

COMBATSYS: Megumi can no longer fight.

                                  >  /////////                     ]
                                 |===----\-------\0              Ryu


COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Megumi's Crimson Blast.

                                  >  /////////                     ]
                                 |===----\-------\0              Ryu


Megumi is really running on 'vapor' here, not enough to do any meaningful evasion. Ryu's takedown sends her to the floor, and she tries to get up, but...not in time. She's not back on her feet in time for the arena officials to deem her still in the fight. Technical KO, and the booming announcer's voice declares Ryu to be the winner.

"...Damn." Megumi's not exactly thrilled to have lost, but isn't taking it too badly. "Guess that's how it is. Really weird condition they stuck on you, though. Still, you won." She starts trudging off to leave, not much for post-fight banter right now.

Ryu folds his arms over his chest and turns half-away from Megumi during the count-out. It wasn't quite the fight he had hoped for, but it turned out to be a rather unique challenge anyway, and as Megumi rises under her own power, he turns back to nod at her words, "You fought well." He offers simply, turning to head off himself. Post-fight banter isn't his strong suit, either, even with those he knows quite well. There's time necessary to wind down, reflect.... And recover.

Log created by Megumi, and last modified on 15:47:41 04/29/2005.