Description: The special promotional match for the first round of the Schools Tournaments pits the two foremost Ansatsuken fighters against one another. Luckily, they're both good friends! (Winner: Ryu/Taiyo High)
Leaning against a tree, Mr. Masters waits in his gi. He had gotten
Ryu's message awhile ago, but he had to handle some things in the US
before he could come over toward Southtown. If Ryu's words were
really that urgent, well, he might need to stay over for awhile, or do
some of globe hopping and butt kicking like in the old days. Either
way, when he heard about the School thing, he figured he would sign
up, not knowing that Ryu would be up for doing the same. Well, at
least they can talk about things while beating the snot out of one
another. It's the way it usually works.
.. That in mind, Ken just watches and waits, figuring Ryu will be
somewhat on time.
Good old Ken. Never quite prompt, but always around just in the nick
of time. There's certainly a bit of urgency to the request for his
oldest and dearest friend's presence, Ryu wouldn't have sent it or
asked him to come, otherwise, but he's been able to manage the
situation well enough so far, though that would probably not surprise
most of the people who know the World Warrior. Whatever more
malevolent clouds may be gathering in the distant (or not so distant)
skies, Ryu doesn't pass up the chance to fight in an official
capacity, this time. It's not the sort of tournament he's used to
entering, but he's got his reasons. Ken's name popping up, for one.
Plus it's bound to be a nice gift of sorts for his new student. Then,
there's always the fact that Ryu isn't one to pass up the chance for a
good fight. And he definitely owes Ken a bit of a second try after
the videotaped debacle at the Masters Stadium. The Ansatsuken
wanderer is indeed about on time, making his way through the forest to
the unmistakeable location for the fight. Sure, it may be a bit
remote, but that hasn't stopped spectators from lining the woodland
refuge, or the media from making it out here with their cameras. Ryu
may be just as happy without these things, but Ryu and Ken are big
names in a rather high-profile tournament, so there's bound to be
interest. The warrior in the white gi walks calmly and steadily up to
Ken, a slight smile on his face as he takes up position a few feet
from his competitive ally, holding a clenched fist straight out in
front of him, "Do you want to test my fist?" He invites simply, a
familiar challenge, one which Ken will know all too well how to follow
up. Business can wait. Ken came here for a fight.
Ken smirks faintly as he sees Ryu come up. This time... He won't hold
back, considering how badly he got taken to the cleaners by Ryu's
Ultimate Move. Pushing off the tree, Ken gives a calm but confident
"Come on" before punching the fist. "Time to show you what I'm really
made of...." the blond battler offers, bobbing a little as he gets
into his fighting stance. This time... This time will be different,
he's sure.
COMBATSYS: Ken has started a fight here.
Now that's the fighting spirit Ryu likes to see in his brother by
another mother. The competition can't very well continue without Ken
giving it his all, now can it? Granted, Ryu doesn't really /want/ to
demolish Ken on-camera a second time so soon, but that doesn't mean
he's going to hold much back, either. One thing's for certain, as
ever when the two meet, it's bound to be quite the fight for the
onlookers, and for each of them to learn from. The impact to his
fist, and Ken's answering challenge, spurs Ryu to action, and the
battle begins in a flash, "Let's do it." He agrees, charging forward
in a quick three strides that close the distance rapidly, his fists
clenched in a defensive stance until the last moment, that right fist
rocketing out and in, accompanied by a forward step on his right foot,
the angle of the strike carrying it downward rather than straight in,
a quick and potent strike for Ken's chest and ribs. Seems Ryu is
inclined to take Ken's words at face value. And make him work for it!
COMBATSYS: Ryu has joined the fight here.
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Ken with Sakotsu Wari.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Ken 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Ryu
Ken tries to raise his arm to block the blow, but the fist is able to
work its way past and nail him in the chest. What a crappy way to
start the fight. Either way, Ken decides to go into one of his best
moves early on. Clearly a change from his tatics last time. With a
fist of flames, Ken crouches down a little before leaping in the air
with a powerful uppercut, hoping that with speed he can hit before Ryu
recovered from his powerful downward punch. As he raises to the sky,
he gives the name of his techinque... the one that is on t-shirts and
crud. Because Ken is a WINNER. And he hopes by thinking that over
and over again tonight, he'll be able to show that he can keep up with
Ryu doing his own thing.
COMBATSYS: Ryu fails to interrupt Shoryuken from Ken with Medium Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Ken 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Ryu
A grim half-smile ghosts its way across the Ansatsuken wanderer's face
as Ken drops into that familiar wind-up, and launches upwards with
that fierce fire-laden fist. Twisting on the initial impact, Ryu
attempts to bring his hand around on his friend and ally's wrist, his
foot sweeping for the ribs... But nope! The powerful Shoryuken is
just too much, and before he can finish reversing the momentum to his
advantage, Ryu is quite literally tossed free as Ken's fist drags its
fiery wrath across his chest, singing the edges of his gi before
slamming into his sturdy jaw, sending Ryu sailing through the air, the
painful landing dulled only by a quick backwards roll that brings the
World Warrior up in a ready stance, ignoring the stunning strike as
best he can as he bobs cautiously back towards Ken, fists in a
prepared defense.
Ken lands gracefully. Looks like Ryu overestimated himself again... A
rare thing in fights like this. Either way, Ken isn't going to let
this opportunity slip away. As soon as Ryu is on his feet, Ken is
already putting his palms together, forming the familiar fireball
between his palms. Hoping that the recent rolling will keep him from
dodging in time, he unleashes the fireball, smiling the entire time.
Nothing makes his fight like smacking someone with his flaming fists.
More so when it's Ryu, since it ensures that Ken's ego doesn't get TOO
bruised in fights like this.
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Ryu with Hadouken.
Already, this is better than the last time. Maybe Ryu was too quick
to write off Ken's improvement. Maybe Ken really was just holding a
lot back in the stadium that bears his name. Either way, Ryu is only
halfway out of the way of that careening fireball as it slams into his
chest and shoulder, threatening to spin him into the dirt. His right
foot drags an angry line in the forest floor as he fights that
momentum, continuing with his initial sidestep. Delayed or not, he
doesn't let it interrupt his planned counterattack... Turnabout is
fair play, after all. Hands by his side, fingers splayed in opposite
directions, the World Warrior pours his own surging mass of blue-white
chi into the void between his cradled palms, sweeping his arms forward
to launch the torrent of energy from outstretches hands, "Hadooouken!"
He answers back, sending the spherical mass of chi forward at Ken,
its artificial wind tossing drying autumn leaves about in a haphazard
tumult as it careens for the warrior in the red gi.
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Ken with Hadouken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Ken 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0 Ryu
Ken is smacked by Ryu's attack, the second fireball thrown causing him
to stumble back a few steps. He remains standing, the American Champ
just wiping some snot from his nose. "Yeah... This is the stuff real
fights are made of," before he races for Ryu, trying to weave and bob
here and there to throw him off his balance before tossing a simple
jab for his face, hoping to pierce Ryu's rather impressive defensive
abilities.
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Ken's Jab Punch.
Ryu nods wordless agreement to Ken's words, the smile of sincere
enjoyment passing over his stern features for another moment, the
instant he has during Ken's charge. So the fight is going back to
point-blank intensity, Ryu can deal with that! As the blurring fist
flashes its way for his face, Ryu's response is poetry in motion, the
simple symmetry these two are so well known for, his left arm tensing
in a quick sweeping block that turns the strike aside at the last
moment, Ryu stepping into, rather than away from the strike with his
right foot, his right fist striking a quick undercut for his favorite
adversary's ribs, the blocking left coming around in a quick
follow-through, sweeping back from its wide momentum to strike for the
side of Ken's face in quick succession, not allowing the other
Ansatsuken expert time to think twice about the face-to-face
proximity.
COMBATSYS: Ken blocks Ryu's Fierce Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Ken 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\1 Ryu
Ken winces as he steps back, able to brush away the attack on his
torso but the other fist finds it's way to his face. He staggers to
the side, as it making it seem like he was hit a little TOO hard. But
with a "Gotcha!", Ken's foot flies out as it tries to nail Ryu right
in the chest. He figures he has Ryu this time, Ken always thinking he
can make Ryu his sucker. At least he /used/ to be able to do that all
the time. But as the part both know all too well by now... People
change and learn.
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Ken's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Ken 1/-----==/=======|=======\=------\1 Ryu
Ryu's wisened enough over the years to know Ken's sturdier than
/that/! Heck, he got up after the Shinkuu Hadouken, even. The
warrior in the white gi doesn't drop his guard as Ken reels, and as
such, the kick meets only a meaty forearm, the hardened muscle of his
blocking left absorbing the bruising impact with far more grace than
his chest would offer, Ryu twisting a slight turn counter-clockwise to
send that foot off wide as he comes in sidelong with his right side,
dropping low, his right fist coiling downward, flexing mightily as he
focuses his strength and energy into the coming singular strike, his
powerful legs launching him upwards, led by that right fist, offering
Ken a flight similar to the one he enjoyed earlier, minus the fiery
sparkle, "Shoryuuuken!" Ryu shouts as he rockets skyward, his variant
of the dazzling rising uppercut weakened little by its lack of visible
chi.
COMBATSYS: Ken dodges Ryu's Shoryuken.
Ken can feel his foot hit forearm, which means that a counter is
coming his way. While only on one foot as Ryu moves in with the
uppercut, Ken bends his grounded foot before lerching his body and
pushing off. While the hop isn't exactly graceful in form, he is able
to put his shoulder into it so he ends with a roll. In short? Ken
rocks when he rolls.
That handled, Ken turns toward Ryu, who is likely on the way down
from his unfruitful flight. Ken decides that he too should take the
air, but in a different style. Spinning about like a top, Ken extends
his foot as he tries to nail Ryu as he spins about wildly with an
"Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu just-defends Ken's Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Ken 1/----===/=======|=======\=------\1 Ryu
Airborne, but far from helpless, Ryu's gracefully twisting flight
descends right in the path of Ken's potent hurricane kick... And Ryu
intercepts it. A carefully placed palm aligns at the last moment,
absorbing the impact and pushing that leg on its way, the World
Warrior leaning back rather dramatically to allow it to pass in front
of, rather than through him. He hits the ground moving backwards, and
each subsequent spin is intercepted in similar fashion. Deflect with
the palm, back away, push on. The timing is perfect, the movement
synchronized with each pass of Ken's blurring roundhousing foot, and
as the technique ebbs Ryu does not back away again, or at least not in
the same way... instead snapping out his right to grab for his best
friend's gi, dropping his weight back in a quick roll that carries him
groundward to his back, his right leg striking up and in for Ken's
ribs, offering to add its force and leverage to the sudden flight over
Ryu's head, the angle of the throw designed to provide for the most
memorable impact with the forest floor beyond. Now boarding, gate 12.
COMBATSYS: Ken dodges Ryu's Tomoe Nage.
Ken lands, blinking a few times as his attack horribly failed. "What
the...." he pauses as he gets his gi grabbed and tossed.
"...heeeeeeeeeell!" There is a thud.... But Ken's on his feet?
Crouched on the balls of his feet like an imp, Ken grunts a second
before standing up and turning toward Ryu. "...So... You want to keep
this up all day or you going to turn up the heat on me?" he says,
taking a moment to get his second wind, imagining a little bell going
off in the corner. He knows that Ryu won't let up... Or that he'll
just work even HARDER.... But who knows, maybe that's what Ken wants.
COMBATSYS: Ken takes a breather.
Better late than never! That's the thought going through Sakura's
mind as she bikes up to the scene of the fight, her forearms heavily
bandaged up, despite her uniform looking oddly pristine. She looks
like crap, honestly, but that doesn't stop her from making it to the
fight just the same. "... Snap, I missed the good stuff already..."
she notes aloud, before parking her bike at a safe distance, then
running up to join the Taiyo students crowding around. Hey, it wasn't
-entirely- her fault she was late -- there was another school function
scheduled on the other part of town! Not that it explains the
bandages though. Even if she missed the end, she can't miss the
conclusion to this Ken vs Ryu fight!
Ryu can tell from the momentum of the toss that Ken's guiding this
one... And how! It's not often Ryu sees his attacks so deftly
absorbed, even by Ken, and it's a nice turn of events, in his mind.
Looks like Ken had a big old bowl of Wheaties this morning, "You've
been practicing for this." Ryu observes with a grin, pleased rather
than frustrated by that fact, and turn up the heat he does. Cupping
his hands by his waist, Ryu demonstrates his own fiery technique that
his counterpart never managed to master, pouring tremendous wave after
tremendous wave of burning red chi into the space between his cradling
palms in quick succession, the swirling inferno swept forward with a
quick motion of powerful arms, "Hadooouken!!!" Ryu incants as he
launches the searing ball of fiery wrath towards Ken's position, the
underbrush and fallen leaves instantly charred by its superheated
passing.
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Ken with Shakunetsu Hadouken.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Ken 1/=======/=======|=======\====---\1 Ryu
Ken merely offers an 'Oh Crap'. He didn't think Ryu could do that on
command. He thought it was some fluke thing. The grin proves he knew
it. While he tries to put up his arms, he fails, getting hit right in
the chest. The flames burn off his gi top. There is a couple of
swoonings in the area, but well, when Ken is shirtless... That's just
expected to happen.
"You want to play like that Ryu.... FINE. You didn't hold back on
me... So I won't hold back MY little number..." The air around Ken
seems to waver about him, perhaps getting warmer. More so around his
fists. He just gives a "heh" before he charges right for Ryu once
again. He oddly enough has a bout of bad luck, tripping on a tree
root. But he rolls with it literally, balling up to stop when he's
right in front of Ryu. His fist FLARES with red flames, the World's
Most Powerful Married Man (what, it's true) giving one small flaming
uppercut. But of course, that is just the start before he gives
another one, pushing in to have that fist dig in a bit more... And
then finally a third, but this one takes him about five feet in the
air, Ken shouting in rage and pain as he lets Ryu know what is hitting
him.
"Shouryuu REPPA!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Ken's Shouryuu Reppa.
Play with fire, and you're bound to get burned. Ryu is reminded of
this by Ken's quick, if a bit unorthodox charge, the World Warrior's
dark eyes narrowing in an instantaneous study of the shirtless
warrior's momentum, and it's enough so that when that first flaming
uppercut rises, crossed arms intercept it, deflecting the impact
forward, though Ryu is still knocked skyward by the sheer force behind
it, drawing his legs up underneath him to limit his profile as he
steadies that guard, knocked higher, up and back, by the subsequent
strikes, the flesh of his forearms darkening a bit from the charring
force of those repeated rising dragons. It's painful, to be sure, but
far from debhilitating, and Ryu takes the fight right back to Ken as
he lands, charging in with a positively crushing underhand slam coming
around for the other Ansatsuken warrior's ribcage, that right snapping
right back to flex and prepare in the instant it takes for Ryu to drop
to a crouch of his own, his form trailed by wisping blue chi as he
launches back upwards in the big brother of his own Rising Dragon
Punch, the flash of chi intensifying as the World Warrior seems to
literally rocket upwards from the ground, far faster and more
forcefully than the first time, aiming that right fist to intercept
his friend and rival's chest and face.
"Shoooryuuuuuken!!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Ken with Shin Shoryuken.
[ \\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Ken 1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0 Ryu
Ryu blocked. That was SO not part of the plan. Like most of the
fight was. Either way, Ken arches back in almost slow motion, just
getting schooled by Ryu. He flies back, just landing head first
before falling onto his chest to the ground. He moves his arms,
slowly getting up as he does. His mouth is bleeding rather badly,
either bashed in the lip rather hard or having lost a tooth. Either
way, Ken promised to not go down as easily as before. While this
fight is lost... He REFUSED to make it seem like Ryu schooled him.
While he doesn't mind losing to his friend... To be destroyed by him
twice in a row just doesn't seem right.
To prove that this last one WAS close, he just charges for Ryu
again, this time leaping into the air and spin around like a top of
doom. While he doesn't move while turning around with his leg out,
his speed that he spins is incredible... the leaves in the area kicked
up and around as Ken makes himself a human leaf blower. If there are
words offered in his weakened state, the leaves and his lack of energy
make them unable to be heard. Hopefully Ryu is cought up into the
whirlwind of feet and given a good thrashing. Regardless of the turn
out, the result is the same, Ken just dropping to the ground after his
move, lacking the strength to even fall gracefully.
COMBATSYS: Ken can no longer fight.
COMBATSYS: Ken has left the fight here.
COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Ken's Shippuujinrai Kyaku.
The rather dramatic ascent of the Shin Shoryuken carries Ryu into a
fluid midair turn, carrying him around and back to the ground
lithely... Just in time to see Ken up, and charging him /again/! That
was a bit unexpected, but never let it be said that the World Warrior
isn't quick on his feet, and as Ken comes up and around in that
gusting, spinning cyclone of windy death, Ryu leaps up and back, the
jump carrying him high above the ground, and away from the brutal
series of kicks as he twists a deft backflip and lands in a ready
stance, a fair distance from his domesticated counterpart. He holds
that defense a moment, but only a moment, as long as it takes for Ken
to finish his windy display and crumple to the dirt, at which point he
drops his stance to a relaxed ease, the fury of the fight remaining
only in his brightly glinting brown eyes as he walks towards his
fallen friend, waiting for Ken to come to, and offering a hand to
assist him in getting back up, Ryu's other hand rubbing his jaw
lightly, where he took the initial Shoryuken, "Now that's the kind of
fight I was waiting for." Ryu offers with a smile, obviously more
impressed by Ken's performance tonight, even if it didn't quite keep
their rivalry at an even split. Ken will just have to work harder
still.
COMBATSYS: Ryu has ended the fight here.
Ken just ignores the hand as he struggles to get to his feet, clearly
annoyed. With Ryu or himself, he doesn't say. "At least one of us
enjoyed it," he offers with a sour tone. He gives one of smirks, his
tone managing to lighten a little. "...So, you want to talk about your
little Southtown problem, or do you think the trees have Howie ears
and crap like that?" Ken figures if Ryu wanted him to meet at Kim's
and Kim was the one working on Southtown crime and jerks, that
logically it was Geese that was the problem. Which would be good in
Ken's mind. He really wants a good excuse to beat the stuffing outta
Geese.
Admittedly, Sakura finds it hard to cheer for either side in this
fight. On the one hand, she -should- cheer for her master. On the
other... without Ken, it's doubtful whether Ryu would even have gotten
this good. ... But on the third hand, that's a win for Taiyo, in
spirit if not in points. So she can throw up her fist in good
conscience, silently cheering on her master's win and allowing her
Taiyo classmates to voice their own opinions on the fight. Though she
does seem a little confused that Ken wants to start talking after all
that fighting -- they -are- being televised and all that.
The offered hand closes to a loose fist and drops back to Ryu's side
as Ken decides to rise under his own power, the irritation not lost on
Ryu, though he can only hypothesize as to its focus. Still, he knows
his longtime friend well enough to suspect that if there's a problem,
he'll hear about it. Ryu glances around at those gathered for the
well-advertised bout, and shakes his head. Figuring Ken must be
joking, he just answers, "We'll talk about it back at the dojo.
You're staying awhile?" Clearly, Ryu hopes that's the case, and as
the forest wind blows through him, setting the long tails of his red
headband fluttering behind him, the World Warrior turns from the
battleground and starts back that way, not pausing to indulge the TV
cameras or the inevitable media jackals any longer than absolutely
necessary. He notes Sakura's presence, and gesture, in his peripheral
vision, but he doesn't comment, or wave, or anything like that. She
can meet them back at the dojo, after all... And televised recognition
is not what Ryu means when he says subtle.
Joking? Yeeeah, right. While some people show decently and tact, Ken
is rarely either when it comes to problem solving. Direct and to the
point, that's the way he likes it. And when his ego says that few
things can stop him, well, just makes his easier.
"Of course, I am... Why the hell you think it took so long to get
here? Whenever you get like that it always ends up being a week or
something at least so I had make sure things would be fine for awhile
without me back in the states and made sure that Eliza knew enough
that she doesn't kick me in the Mel maker when I get back." While he
limps rather noticably, he just follows after Ryu, merely wiping the
blood from his mouth on his glove. "So, am I staying there or should
I get a hotel room?"
Ken just likes being on TV! While Ryu isn't much of a master of tact
himself, he has a keen appreciation of privacy, and it's to that end
that he heads away from the populated parts of the woodland refuge,
picking a path that's something of a shortcut back north to Kim
Kaphwan's dilapidated dojo. It's the kind of path that few could
find, but Ryu is a professional nomad, and he's used to walking in
places where few, if any, human feet have tread before him, and so
he's an effective guide, and the hike is a relatively smooth one,
"There's plenty of room for you, and I doubt Kim would mind." Ryu
replies after they move off a short way, out of earshot of snoopy
reporters and such, "But it's not what you're used to, so maybe you
should just decide once you see the place. And hear what's going on."
It's not quite what the irrepressible Mr. Masters suspects, after
all.
Log created by Kobun, and last modified on 18:04:08 12/06/2005.