Description: Sakura finds out that "control" of the Metro City harbor isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Grumble. 'Major' Kasugano is at a bit of a quandary right now, with the way the city stands right now. For one... the resistance forces tried sailing a boat right into the harbor not too long ago. It got into the harbor just fine... but as soon as it docked, boom. At least it was just a small harbor cruise boat, with only two crew -- both made it off okay. They can swim and all that.
Scratching her chin at the aftermath, Sakura turns her attention back to the rocket-launcher that had destroyed the boat -- the rocket launcher which has since completely disappeared from sight, much to Sakura's dismay. Picking up her radio, she calls... "Situation under control... hostilities ceased. ... Geez, I sound like I'm in a B-grade war movie or something..." Snickering, she lets go of the button and sets the radio down. Once more, she raises the binoculars to her eyes, scoping out the urban landscape for signs of their invisible aggressor.
Rolento had said he was a master of guerilla combat. One can forget that he served for a decade in the Vietnam conflict. His special forces team were outnumbered a thousand to one; It was through ambush and vicious means that Rolento succeeded, even if his country ignored him. There is still a massive gap between the commander of the Shank Squad, and the rebel forces. Even the wisest leader, even Haggar himself, doesn't know the true art of war. And far beyond that, they do not realize the darker sides of war. The horrific psychology attacks. The panic. The fear. The mania. These are manipulated with supreme skill by Rolento, and it is apparent the city is starting to fall apart without his guidance. He was keeping it together, under an iron thumb or not. Reports would come in that Mad Gear has begun looting stores once more. Civilians are rioting. The only places that are peaceful are the police district and the pockets of Rolento's heavy artillery, upon which more inadvertantly approach and get shot. It's obvious that even in a losing battle, Rolento could gut Metro City without the need for a nuclear device. Costing America billions in the end. And given the sudden evidence that the entire capture might be a sham? This entire 'Utopia' disguised as revenge against Metro, against the country that forsaked him, in order to get enough to properly buy his own country? That just makes it even more horrendous.
And another aspect becomes known. How fragile things are without the presence of multiple heroes. The other people at the harbor with Sakura were drawn away by screams and tank fire to investigate. She is not alone. There are dozens of police and rebels here, securing the area.
But compared to Rolento? Sakura might as well be in a barren land. He managed to breach the perimeter laughably easy. Settling upon one of the buildings and observing with binoculars of his own, Sakura is picked out. Scanning the rest, there are no other notable fighters. Good. This is exactly how he wanted it.
Leaping down, Rolento swiftly strides across the area in a whisk of motion. He's seen, but not until he is just behind Sakura. People begin to call out, pointing and attempting to radio it in. But Sakura turning around will see the very reason that Metro City is how it is. Raising up and twirling his baton a single time. "Greetings... Civilian."
COMBATSYS: Sakura has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Rolento has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Rolento
Sakura Kasugano, only a mere seventeen years old, has no idea of the intricacies of the web Rolento has woven. The concept of 'victory' is only that of a final, pivotal battle -- the idea that it might be a Pyrrhic victory is far from her mind. Maybe negotiation would have been a more sensible approach, but the schoolgirl just likes punching and fireballing too much for that.
So Rolento's on her just like that, huh? As expected, Sakura wheels about, stumbling backwards with instantly clenched fists. Her beret may imply rank, but it's just as Rolento's said -- she's no more than a civilian in this conflict. Just... a damn talented one.
Glaring back at Rolento, she's wise -not- to take any aggressive action beyond that. Even if the man -is- twirling his baton. "H...hey! Was wondering when you'd show for a rematch...!" Surprised? Just a bit. But she has every suspicion that this won't be a -friendly- meeting. Which... might explain why her headband and school uniform are fluttering upward at the moment, unfettered by the pull of gravity. "... Don't s'pose you wanna negotiate terms, huh?"
COMBATSYS: Sakura gathers her will.
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Rolento
There is much Rolento could teach Sakura of war. That battles mean nothing in the end. Rolento won every single encounter in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, but Vietnam was still a horrific loss. And he was tossed aside with all the others, reprimanded, discharged. So why should this worthless chunk of land not be his present target?
And that beret is obsered by the commando, with a look in his eyes that hints he's amused. Like Sakura is playing a little game, and he is allowing it. Rolento slides his stance, continuing to twirl his baton in that endless manner. "I attempted to negotiate for Cody. As you know, he was forcefully taken under a white flag. I had him executed. There is no negotiation with you fools. You do not realize you cannot win a war with simple fights. With simple violence." People begin to fire towards Rolento, but he doesn't seem much perturbed. Most whistles loudly a couple feet away, and the few that come close he jerks his head from. "This conflict will end. I did not want to resort to these means. The city was stable, recovering. It is your presence that has caused lives to die, the prison to be compromised, Cody to be in a coma. It is all because the world will not let the city fight it's own battle. Or mayhaps that the world was afraid the city would /accept/ me instead..."
COMBATSYS: Rolento focuses on his next action.
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Rolento
Once the bullets start to fly, Sakura snaps her hand up as a sign to stop. A wild shot from those idiots could hit -her-, for crying out loud! "CEASE FIRE!" she snaps back at them, jaw quivering as she turns back to face Rolento, eyes blazing with the fire in her heart. As the bullets cessate, her aura takes on a more visible blue glow. And every word he speaks echoes earlier conversations with her friends. That it's =her= fault somehow that Cody was executed -- despite not even being there. That it's =her= fault people are fighting against Rolento's rule. That it's =her= fault innocents are being gunned down, or may soon die of starvation.
Moisture wells in the corner of her eyes, but her expression, antithetically, hardens. Because no matter how much he can direct the blame on her... "You're =still= the madman between us two, though!" And without any further ado... well, perhaps a punch to the face speaks best to her true intentions here. "MURDERER!"
COMBATSYS: Rolento blocks Sakura's Medium Punch.
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Rolento
There is no response as the fire is cut. Rolento remains for the most part quite impressively steadfast, ceasing the twirl of his baton. When the punch comes in, there's not a moment's hesitation. His own free hand strikes out, grasping the wrist. "Madman?" Rolento echoes, as if genuinely intrigued by such a prospect. "I am not the child attempting to play war. One who obviously realizes simple talent alone will be enough!" Rolento spins his baton like a whirlwind as this is stated, before striking out in a hellish whirlwind assault. He attempts three strikes, each more then stout enough to break many a bone were it to hit true. "I am doing what I need to do in order to create a truly free country. This cannot be achieved without force. Without lives! I did it the only way I was able!!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Rolento's Patriot Circle.
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Sakura 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Rolento
"You're a deranged -lunatic!-" shouts back Sakura, pulling her hand back from Rolento and backing away. The fact that he's slamming a baton into her forearms helps 'convince' her that this is a good course of action. Jarring her to the core, it's... probably a lucky thing she has her padded handguards on, lest this get even worse. "It doesn't matter what you say, what you're doing is absolutely, positively -wrong!- Killing is =evil=, in every sense of the word!" It's not often Sakura falls back to absolutes... but Rolento's most recent set of actions is still weighing heavily on the schoolgirl. Accordingly... well, she might not be thinking too clearly. Her fingertips splay open at her sides...
Though she's obviously -much- too incensed for that at the moment. "I'll kick your ass =myself!=" And with a burst of speed, Sakura leaps forward, cutting one sharp somersault in the air before guillotining both hands down upon the true major's shoulders. "HYAAA!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Rolento with Sakura Otoshi.
- Power hit! -
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Sakura 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Rolento
There doesn't appear to be much reaction to this at least initially. At least, until she snaps forward in a rather impressive burst of speed. He attempts to slither backwards, but both hands aim true and crack either shoulder. Slammed to the ground, baton slapping a moment later, there's a slow hiss of pain. "Strong words. You have willpower, Sakura. I said that to you long ago." Slowly, Rolento raises before pulling off a grenade. Almost lovingly, the pin is pulled. "You could change the world... But you care too much of the journey. So people died. Does it truly matter, if my plan succeeds? Do you think I can change the world without shedding innocent blood?" The grenade is suddenly hurled into the air, Rolento leaping backwards. It would be easy to avoid; That is, until a slender knive is taken out. This is hurled at the descending bomb, impacting it dead-on and sending it whistling towards Sakura before there's a rather impressive detonation. "My goal is to create a land free of the tyranny of world governments! And I am willing to do whatever it takes for my utopian dream!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura slows Grenadier from Rolento with Medium Hadouken.
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Sakura 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Rolento
Change the world? Sakura's already changed the world -- just not in the way she'd hoped to. At least, not -yet-.
The grenade is eyed with no small amount of trepidation. Most likely, that's Rolento's plan. But as it flicks into the air, Sakura's eyes flash back to Rolento's. She knows what's coming, but she doesn't know -when-. And she can plan for that.
This time, when her hands snap to her side, a bloom of flame -does- sprout up between them. But when that knife rockets out, spearing the grenade... well, Sakura didn't expect it to be moving -that- quickly. Her hands whip forward, loosing the blossom of chi -- but it's only enough to take some of the wind out of the shot. The rest continues onward, the triggered explosion happening -after- the collision, erupting into a fiery conflagration which leaves Sakura on her rear, her beret blown to smithereens, and her shirt a charred mess. Not to mention her face.
"T-tyranny of world governments? H-how is your u-utopia gonna be any better than that?!" One hand reaching behind her, she pushes back to her feet, fists clenched in anger. "... You're nothing more than a demonic tyrant yourself."
"...Tyrant?" Rolento says, clenching his fight tightly. "...Did you just call me a tyrant?!" Rolento clenches his fist around the baton enormously hard, causing an ominous creak to echo within the surroundings. "Negative. Absolutely negative!" A knife is then snatched out of Rolento's vest; A triangular wedge, that is twirled once before being tossed at Sakura's left kneecap. He then bursts into a run forward, twirling the baton in a hellish manner with what seems to be full intent on finishing this battle. If nothing else, at least it seems calling him that makes him angry.
COMBATSYS: Rolento successfully hits Sakura with Thrown Object.
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Sakura 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Rolento
Y.... yeah! YEAH. Tyrant. That works. Rolento may be a master of war, but Sakura's evolved the art of Getting People Pissed Off In A Fight Through Random Insults. ... Doesn't fit onto a business card as neatly though.
Sakura tries to jump out of the way, but when she's -juuust- about to do so, that knife slams into her shin. She still hops, it's just really doofy-looking.
Stumbling backwards, Sakura shakes her head. "Absolutely =positive!=" She gestures wildly towards the warzone around her. "What do you call this, anyway, grins and giggles?" Raising her shin to pluck the knife out of it, gritting her teeth all the while, she shakes her head. "Murder! Atrocity! You call this -progress?- What will happen in your utopia to lawbreakers? Kill them, too?" Sneering, Sakura spits to the side. "Or are you gonna be one of those -nice- dictators?"
Narrowing her eyes at Rolento, Sakura stands her ground. "I just don't see it!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura focuses on her next action.
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Sakura 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Rolento
The edge of anger boils away almost as quickly as it came up. Rolento instead adopts a much more stoic expression, spreading his own stance and continuing to lazily twirl the baton about his fingers. It's done in a leisurely way, yet still quite impressive to say the least. "I call this the first battle in my war..." Rolento calmly explains, giving a somewhat lazy shrug. "Metro City does not matter. I have already possessed it long enough..." Whatever this is supposed to mean, it definiately has a rather foreboding edge. "But enough palaver. I shall still achieve my subsidary goals. Give me the docks, and I return food and water. Give me access to the police district, and I will give you power. Think of all the thousands that will die otherwise... How many days can the hospitals run on generator? Five? Six? These are not the type you can fill at a gas station, you realize. There will be no emergency shipments of fuel within this town!"
COMBATSYS: Rolento focuses on his next action.
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Sakura 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Rolento
"... I got a better idea! I kick your ass, and you call this whole mess off. Lots less fuss, that way!" Wiping the tears from her charred face with the back of her hand, she shakes her head. "If you want it so bad, you take it back! But you're never going to have your utopia of happy people so long as you keep killing the ones who question you!" While Rolento may have calmed down, Sakura clearly -hasn't-. In fact -- she's pretty darn ticked off. The schoolgirl rushes at Rolento with her shoulders lowered, before rising sharply into an uppercut, unloaded right at his ribcage. "SHOOOOU'OOOU KEN!"
COMBATSYS: Rolento interrupts Shou'ou Ken from Sakura with Stinger.
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Sakura 1/--=====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Rolento
The response is smooth and measured. Rolento draws out a blade, twirling it once in his free hand. Emotion has no place on the battlefield. Passion can cause one to make mistakes. Just as the girl opposite is doing at this very moment. As the shoulder is lowered, it finds itself imbedded with a large knife, sinking down to the hilt. The uppercut thusly lacks a good bit of force, and is mostly skipped away from. The front of his officer's vest is singed, buttons popping off, yet it's easy to determine who got the worst part of that deal. "Enough. I had judged you as having high potential for achieving much in this world. Yet you care only about inconsequential matters. One who is unwilling to make any sacrifice for their dreams is weak." Rolento then shifts back into his stance, eyes narrowing. "That is why Xiangfei is stronger then you. She is willing to walk my road, if it will take her to her dream. But you -- you are a romantic who must save everyone. It sickens me. In the battlefield, there are no rules, and there is no quarter!"
... that knife hurt. But it doesn't seem like it matters all that much at this point, since her uppercut goes off just the same. She drops to one knee afterwards, her breathing already quite ragged.
"Inconsequential matters? Life and death? It =is= my dream to save everyone here -- the sacrifice is =my= blood and tears!" Sakura reaches over, plucking the knife out again and tossing it to the side. "This isn't a battlefield -- it's a place where people take dates out for ice cream!" Romantic? ... Okay, yeah, maybe.
But when she comes back to her feet... well, there's no lollygagging around to decide what's coming next. No, Sakura's =quite= mad at the moment, and she's fully willing to shrug off any residual pain that might come from, y'know, kicking the everloving sap out of the scarred military man. Which would be why she starts with a solid knuckle sandwich to the jaw.
COMBATSYS: Rolento parries Sakura's Midare Zakura!
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Rolento
"One person cannot win a war!" Rolento repeats, not seeming to be nearly as impressed as he might of once been. "Every single civilian in this town could die, and we would live on. It only affects you if you allow it to! And when you realize that every life is 'acceptable losses', you can achieve more then you ever thought possible." The incoming fist is abruptly grasped, in a fluid and graceful motion that Sakura is probably not familiar with. One moment she's ready to unleash her most powerful attack, and the next she's flipped upon the ground and lands on her back. It seems that simple willpower is not enough against an aware opponent. Especially while slowed down with a knife to the leg.
Twirling the baton once more, Rolento rears back his hand and then snaps down towards the newly unsettled girl, hopefully capitalizing on the difficulties in evasion. Even if he hits the ground of the docks, the wood will shatter. Three are done in all, his signature move with no small amount of force wrought behind it. "I will kill innocents if I must. That is the difference between me and you. ...And that is why my dream is the stronger one..."
COMBATSYS: Rolento successfully hits Sakura with Patriot Circle EX.
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Sakura 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Rolento
Oof. Once Sakura's slammed back onto the ground, she's... got nothing against an attack from above. Anyone less than Sakura could easily be killed from the degree of the beating she receives, but really? She... seems less concerned about that than one might. Her bones may be breaking, but she's far from incapacitated. "That... that's why you're a tyrant!" she shouts, pushing herself up with one arm. Sure, her left arm might be fractured... but her right one's still capable of raising. And it's also capable of spinning a bright fireball in her palm, even without the support of the left hand -- as it's all driven by the girl's indomitable spirit. "And I'm not giving you -anything- you don't deserve!" The human body's capable of a great deal when it's under this much duress... which is what allows a fireball half Sakura's size to rocket forth at Rolento, without so much as a shove from her hand. "HADOOOOUKEN!" And also allows her to press back to her feet in the wake of said fireball.
COMBATSYS: Rolento slows Medium Hadouken from Sakura with Stinger.
[ \\\\ < > /////////// ]
Sakura 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Rolento
A knife flashes out once more, impacting the middle of the incoming ball. Still, Sakura has a lot more energy then was expected; It surges through, knife spiraling away and the move impacting Rolento a somewhat solid hit in the left shoulder. He takes a couple steps backwards, wincing but obviously far from being outright defeated. The baton is snapped towards the ground, blood splattering the street. "...I suppose I am seen as a tyrant. I who siezed this city of my own will. But I am willing to live with that." Obviously the fight is near it's end. Who might reign supreme is the true question. "Enough talk. Let us end this."
Darn knives. But at least Sakura paid the man back for that grenade.
Pushing back to her feet, Sakura nods her head. "Okay, sure! This is where you turn around and say you respect my spirit and all, right?" Not likely, and Sakura -knows- it. But she steels herself anyway, slapping her cheeks. "... Guess not, huh? Okay." Taking in a deep breath as she withdraws a few steps, she narrows her eyes at Rolento. "Answer me this though... is Xiangfei -happy- killing people? Or have you even told her the truth?"
Her left arm hangs limp by her side, but her right glows with a brilliant orange. She'd done it before... but it took two hands then. This time? She thinks she can do it with just one. She'll -have- to. Thrusting her hand forward, Sakura shows Rolento a fireball with the true flames of her spirit: "Shakunetsu... HADOOOOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Rolento with Medium Hadouken.
- Power hit! -
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Sakura 1/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1 Rolento
"I already said I respect your spirit." Rolento admonishes with a wave of his finger, the comment about Xiangfei is met with a mild blink. "I do not ask Xiangfei to kill people. She does not like it. I respect her wishes, and attempted placing her in a command position." Attempted. She ended up getting beat half to death, her medal yanked off, and demoted to the basest rank instead, however. "But she joined me of her own free will."
This is the second time that the Shakunetsu has been used; And Rolento tries to dodge, not expecting something so obviously powerful so fast. It impacts him dead in the chest, knocking Rolento away to crash to a stop in a cloud of dust. He exhales deeply, barely managing to regain his footing with a wobble. This is the second time he got power hit. But that means nothing! He will still reign supreme! Rolento merely turns back towards Sakura, then closes his eyes. He seems to be waiting. Her ability to survive might now be completely dependent on her getting up from a final blow...
COMBATSYS: Rolento focuses on his next action.
[ \\\ < > //// ]
Sakura 1/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1 Rolento
Sakura's capable of a lot more than she's often given credit for. It's just that... well, hey, her arm's a bit broken right now. After her Hadouken slams into Rolento, Kasugano just... stares back at him. "And yet... you say that makes her more powerful. Because she's -not- willing to kill -- just like I'm not?" Rubbing her arm with a wince, she arches an eyebrow. "... I don't get it. I guess it doesn't really matter much to you, but."
Taking in a deep breath, she settles back into a pale shadow of her fighting stance. "So I guess this is it, huh? Do or die, and all that." She smirks lightly. "Might's well show you what my right fist of justice can do!" She starts running towards Rolento with a hopeful dash, her right fist gleaming blue, her right shoulder dropping low in a clearly telegraphed attempt to give him another rushing uppercut..."SHOOOOOU--"
Y'know, except for the part where she skids to a halt, letting the momentum sling her hand forward, channeling her gathered chi into a shotgun blast of blue flame. "--HADOOOUKEN!" If only her ruse works!
COMBATSYS: Rolento overcomes Small Hadouken from Sakura with Steel Rain.
[ \ < > /// ]
Sakura 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Rolento
The ruse does not work in the slightest. Such attempts at feint usually just cause people assaulting Rolento to make themselves even more open. In a swift and impossibly fluid manner, Rolento manages to yank out a handful of knives. A grim bouqet, jutting obscenely towards the heavens. "She will associate with a murderer to strengthen herself. You will not." Rolento clarifies, as if Sakura is some enormously stupid child. The knives are placed upon the end of the baton as Sakura begins her run. "Ready?" His hands move away slowly, as if more cared about their balance then the incoming assault. Skidding to a halt is not a bad idea; But it's too late.
"Scissor!" Rolento hurls the literal wall of blades towards Sakura. It obliterates the small hadouken quite thoroughly, continuing screaming towards Sakura in a manner that has strong hints of finality.
COMBATSYS: Rolento successfully hits Sakura with Steel Rain.
[ < > /// ]
Sakura 1/------=/=======|=====--\-------\0 Rolento
Somehow, Sakura expected that. But she still has a smirk on her face even as the knives carve her Hadouken into ribbons. Why is that, you ask? ... Because she still managed to force Rolento's hand, just the same. Twisted logic, maybe, but hey.
As the wall of blades comes tearing forth at Sakura, the girl just shuts her eyes, turning away from them all. They're just knives, after all... she's been stabbed by two so far this match.
And if it gets Rolento to drop his guard, all the better. Because even if he -can- whip out something else -- the fact that her right hand never really stopped glowing is probably a Bad Sign.
Of course, the hand doesn't really do a whole lot for her. Maybe the fact that Sakura charges for Rolento, dropping low to wheel as many as five kicks into his shins before rising back to her feet for a final roundhouse =is=. "HAAAAAAAAAA!" ... No more words; only the spirit remains as her glowing foot spins around like a tornado.
COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached second wind!
[ \\\ < > /// ]
Sakura 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Rolento
COMBATSYS: Rolento dodges Sakura's Haru Ichiban.
[ \\\ < > /// ]
Sakura 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Rolento
But this doesn't do anything. Rolento slams down his baton, and leans up, in a somewhat comical perch. He pushes himself a half-foot up, one leg going underneath. Then he hops four more times like this, before rolling backwards with a deep laugh as that final kick whisks through nothing. "Enough!" Rolento then states, spoining the weapon and launching himself forward. He screams through the air, weapon reared back, before unleashing a devestating blow right for Sakura's temple. "Go DOWN!"
COMBATSYS: Rolento successfully hits Sakura with Mekong Delta.
[ < > // ]
Sakura 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Rolento
Man, Rolento's just so -needy- at times.
Naturally, even though Sakura is pushing herself -well- beyond her rational boundaries at this point... she really can't do much against Rolento's wily attack. Even if she -could- have thrown her arms up to block the strike, she really doesn't have the force behind her arms to defend against it anyway.
So the baton smashes right into her temple in a crushing blow clearly about to bring the schoolgirl to her knees -- and that'd be the end of it, if she didn't still have her leg high from the attempted kick. When she saw Rolento coming close, she'd raised it higher -- and when he crashes down, she tries one last-ditch effort to take the military man with her. "Hrii-*GNNH!*" ... She didn't get to finish her battle-cry, though, clearly.
COMBATSYS: Sakura can no longer fight.
> // ]
|=======\-------\0 Rolento
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Rolento with Flower Kick.
> ]
|=======\-------\1 Rolento
That kick impacts Rolento dead in the stomach. He doubles over, before throwing a knife at himself. Then he cancels the attack. This is purely to give Hikari a headache, and has no relevance with the fight on hand. "Ugh..." Rolento crashes down to his knees, wincing in what seems to be rather genuine pain. He doesn't appear to have any out of here; People are beginning to approach with weapons raised. But still, Rolento only grins in a sadistic manner. "...I lied... Two days. Two days until every person who needs the hospitals die. I have set charges to detonate the entire power grid. There will be no way to save them... except to submit to me."
COMBATSYS: Rolento can no longer fight.
Crashing to the ground just before Rolento, Sakura's pretty much out of it. That... was not a love tap, to say the least. But her half-lidded eyes turn towards Rolento, an angry but weary glare fixated upon him as he delivers his taunting message. "... and... and Xiangfei's okay with this? Murder, wholesale?"
Closing her eyes for a moment, Sakura lets her head sink back onto the ground. "... submit? ... even if I said 'yes', the city wouldn't." Gritting her teeth as she once more opens her eyes, she weakly shakes her head. "... I'm too weak to give the order... but... good luck getting past all the angry men with guns there." A brief smirk, but really, that's all the battered schoolgirl can muster at the moment.
"She has no choice. If she leaves, I will kill her." Rolento says this very simply, in the tone someone might offhandedly warn a dog. Getting back to his feet, Rolento winces in pain. "I do not enjoy hurting civilians. I get no pleasure out of harming innocents. Out of destroying a city, when people wish only to live. That is not a lie... My fight is against the ones who own this city. Who own this hub. If you give me the police district, return the ports to me, I will return all power, food, and water. You have seen what I am willing to do... And tens of thousands should not suffer because you doubt me. Speak to your friends. I do not plan to have New Metro very long one way or another." A somewhat hinting grin is thrown at this, yet seemingly not of a 'blow it up' kind. Rolento's always said his war was against America. And with the latest news report, it could be easy to figure what his true goal actually is.
There's no need for Rolento to worry about getting by people with machineguns. There's the crack of a sniper rifle. One man goes down. Another crack, from a different building. Crack. Crack. In his usual style, Rolento had all of his bases covered. Removing his radio, he actually tosses it towards Sakura before beginning to limp away. The people are much more concerned about pinpointing the snipers, getting their own in position, and returning to cover to apprehend Rolento. Even if he was hit by a burst of an AK47 in this condition, it wouldn't kill him. But something might come out of this fight after all.
Sakura... really doesn't have anything left to say at this point. Her voice is too weak to be heard, anyway. But for what it's worth, she starts to reach for that radio. ... At least, before she realizes it could just as easily be laced with explosives. And that would be bad.
... Leads to the question of why he didn't just throw down a -grenade- in that point, but hey. She lies there, watching the people do exactly as Rolento expected. To heck with his superior military intelligence! Fooey!
Log created by Sakura, and last modified on 04:22:50 09/09/2005.