Description:
Gone for a while. The old master of the Assassin's Fist commonly known has Gen has been keeping his face out of public. Desperately searching for Akuma, no doubt, and once again coming up with nothing. Still dying from his disease, he has made his way to this secluded shrine to meditate on his life, to think about all the things he did in his time and about where his life has led him... and where his increasingly shortening future will take him. Will he decay away to nothing by leukemia? The distaste of this notion is visible on his face, brows slanting inward as his face scrunches slightly, scowling for just a moment, before inner peace is regained and his expression is once more neutral, blank, unreadable.
Although he seems completely unaware of his surroundings, lost in his own thoughts, one can tell he's actually very much aware. His full lotus position is disrupted by a falling autumn leaf that threatens to imbed itself in his beard, and man, once those things get in, the crumbs don't come out, let me tell you. Naturally, this is why a hand flicks forward to shatter the dried leaf into a million tiny atoms, the finger strike keeping him safe from the autumn's onslaught... for now.
Of course, stress over the possibility of a dishonorable, ignoble death isn't exactly condusive to no-mind, or meditative peae. Probably the reason the dried leaf arrived to interject itself as a tangible reminder of that hiccup of mental clarity. The universe has a funny way of prodding, after all. Which may have something to do with the timing of Gen's next visitor, as well... after all, the man clad in the plain white gi who rustles the leaves at the edge of the forest as he passes into the clearing where the shrine sits is one of the few warriors in the world who might be able to give the aged assassin a glorious death in battle. Then again, he's also one of the warriors who refuses to play that game. Obstinant youth, isn't he?
Gen's not the only one with an innate awareness of his surroundings, and the veteran master of an entirely different composite of Ansatsuken pauses his step just past the treeline, dark eyes scanning towards the shrine, gravitating towards the elder master's position. Ryu's face sobers with a fairly deep consternation, pausing in thought for a long moment before he begins to approach the shrine once more. Gen is a wall, really... and plenty mysterious to the premier student of Gouken. Thing is, the World Warrior's not entirely sure figuring out the mystery will make him happier, in this case. From what he has uncovered, Gen seems more and more tragic. So it is that the nomad's not really sure what to say, nor does he intend to force conversation on the elder fighter's meditation. So he pauses once more a short span off, and folds his corded arms over his chest, waiting patiently. Thoughtfully.
And yet, despite his refusal to kill, he is still one of the strongest around. An enigma even to Gen how that works. Akuma makes sense, comparatively. Alas, the world is a strange place and it's impossible for someone even Gen's age to understand it all...
Which brings us to this very moment. Ryu's arrival doesn't go unnoticed by Gen, assuredly Ryu didn't expect that it would as he wasn't even being all that stealthy. True as it is his meditation wasn't as serene and deep as it could've been, either way Ryu's arrival snaps him back to reality fully, the old man letting out a long exhale, eyes glaring forward blankly. As he was originally facing the shrine, he remains facing away from Ryu, but he doesn't need to see to know who it is. This feeling is one Gen can't forget, it has to be Ryu. "Have you returned to give me my honorable death, World Warrior?" Gen asks in his deep, monotone, old man voice, pulling himself up to his feet now as his hands disappear within his robe, concealing themselves from the other warrior. He doesn't turn around just yet, standing steady as a tree, simply waiting, the soft breeze blowing his clothing, not to mention his beard, to the side slightly.
That soft breeze rustles past Ryu, setting a few leaves rolling off along the ground, and lending a light flutter to the nomad's long red headband, the tails drifting behind him as he studies Gen thoughtfully. For a moment, Ryu merely stands where he is, arms crossed as he considers. Gen's words aren't exactly a shock... even if the elder master's desires are a bit alien to the World Warrior.
"I have no interest in taking your life." Ryu answers back simply, steadily, bare feet shifting slightly in the grass, though his stance is still relaxed. Gen may be dangerous, but so is his younger, Japanese counterpart, and really... as bitter as the old man may be, he doesn't seem the violent-impulse sort. There's something else, with Gen, even if Ryu can't quite place it, "A warrior of your abilities could accomplish better things than seeking death, however." The nomad's words ring just as calmly, his eyes focused on Gen's blank gaze, "Such a focus on destruction, from either end, isn't a very balanced way to approach fighting." Lecturing the older warrior? So it would seem. Perhaps more trying to plant an idea, or simply thinking out loud. It's not like Ryu's known for his tact.
Naturally, the old master can't let Ryu get away with lecturing him. He's the old master, damn it! Turning to face the younger fighter, his expression still blank, unreadable even to the best of Empaths assuredly, Gen's eyes rest on him in a way that's of course analytical, though in truth all either of them will really find out, more than likely, is that they're trying to figure the other one out.
"Insolent child." What? He's like a fourth of Gen's age, that's child enough. "I am not long for this world." Gen shares with Ryu, which he may or may not have already known. "Nothing is left in this world for me now. My affairs have been settled, and all that is left for me is death. Would you see me die, /miserably/ by my sickness?" Such language isn't often used by Gen, his bitterness shining through with the comment. Of course, that's probably the one thing he doesn't hide well. "Or would you see me fall in battle? Now do you understand?" In a burst of forthcoming, Gen shares his motivations for wanting to expire with Ryu, looking at him appraisingly through it all, gauging the fighter's reaction to the best of his ability.
"You have killed many men in your life. It is all over you, in each of your movements." In the (lack of) eyes, so to speak. Ryu doesn't seem especially phased by Gen's revelation... he may not have Akuma's insight into the other fighter's chi and flow of battle, but he has his own insights nonetheless... and the old master's actions speak louder, in some ways. The details? He doesn't know, "You spent your life dealing quick death where it was unwanted, and now that you want it, it eludes you." The nomad seems to be almost amused by the irony of this, though it doesn't touch his face, only showing slightly in the tone of his voice, "A man of your abilities could build much, even in little time, were he not so fixated on death." Nope, the dying old man schtick isn't buying Gen pity... heartless though it may be, Ryu doesn't seem to think it changes the facts of the matter.
There's no real denying that. Gen probably doesn't even try to hide as much from other fighters, as it scares the weaklings away before he can murder them. "Does this not make me unjust? You won't kill me because you strive to be 'good'." Which is of course a relative term, but let's be ignorant for the time being. There is nothing but good and evil on MotM, silly, it's anime logic. "Why do you waste your life this way? What do you build? What do you destroy?" Gen asks, partially rhetorically but partially honestly, too. A hand thoughtfully lifts up to his beard, touching it momentarily, a thoughtful gesture he does from time to time. "How do you build on anything without taking something else apart? Lives of the evil must end for the lives of the innocent to continue."
"How would enforcing my judgement by ending your life be just?" Ryu asks, as if he doesn't even begin to follow the logic, "Perhaps the greatest illusion of power is that because we can make such violent changes, they are the right ones to make. One of the first lessons of most arts built on the philosophies of war is that a warrior must choose his battles, that victory comes from knowing when to fight, and how to apply that force. This is a delicate balance, but we lose sight of that all too easily when the option to simply sever the issue at its base appears." The nomad's arms uncross, hanging loosely at his sides as he rests his weight back on one foot, "There will always be tyrants, murderers... the death of one may not necessarily save anyone. It may inspire another, through example or revenge... it may open the way for a rival, just as bad... or there may be absolutely no connection, but there is always a new foe, someone new to hate."
It's something the World Warrior knows intimately, even if he wishes he didn't, "Perhaps my ideals are weaker, will not endure as long as someone who is more willing to 'leave their mark'..." the Ansatsuken master amends, "But so long as I continue to better myself, and my own abilities, my ability to defend against those who would use their power to control others... as long as I pass that spirit and that restraint to my students... I could care less who else remembers my name."
Gen muses on this for a while, mostly the final points than anything else. "You understand 'good' is a hopeless ideal. And yet you go on living to pass on your art. An effort in impermanence. Your life is like a Sand Mandala. When you die... memories of you will be scattered to the winds. Very well." Gen actually understands this, apparently, and doesn't seem to find it odd at all, even if he spin doctors it in a negative light. He doesn't question the man's logic any further, simply giving a slow, unemotional nod.
"However." Because there always has to be a 'but'. "It may be selfish of me," Which he at very least admits, "But I will not fade away. Are you prepared to fight for your life? You won't defeat me unless you intend on killing me, you know. Your talents exceed that of so many in this world, but it is still held back without understanding... the finally pinnacle of your style." Though Gen has witnessed the Shun Goku Satsu, somehow this doesn't seem to be what he's referencing. And yet it's also unlikely he has in-depth knowledge of 'Satsui no Hadou', but what he does know is that Akuma is stronger because of his willingness to kill. Now it's just getting Ryu to that point so that Gen can get his death match out of him. "Do you accept this challenge?
"Good and evil are matters of perspective. The best any of us can do is live according to our own ideals. I don't deny any other the right to do that, but neither will I stand by while those with power violate that themselves." It's not really a policy of non-interference, but the end result is sort of similar. It winds up far from neutral, but Ryu's not exactly your typical justice zealot. He fights the good fight for reasons other than self righteousness, it seems. But then... pride is rather dangerous for this man in particular, so alternative reasoning becomes a necessity.
Ryu's face hardens a bit at Gen's words, however, and his feet shift into a more ready stance, prepared to move as his hands shift in front of his body, "I understand that more than you can realize." The nomad offers back steadily, "But as I've already stated, that power is only an illusion, deceptive and distracting. Strength flows from many sources." The World Warrior shifts his weight lightly from foot to foot, eyes still fixed on Gen, "You know I won't strike you down, and you also know I won't hesitate to defend myself." Making debate on the challenge rather moot, in Ryu's book. Despite the respect he pays the old master's abilities, however, the nomad doesn't seem convined that Gen means to kill him here any more than he meant to kill him in their first battle, on the beach.
If you think that because of the whole no death policy, you're sadly mistaken! But some excuse will come up, assuredly. Gen laughs, a cold, condescending laugh a grandfather gives to a child who did something stupid and then complained about it, apparently at Ryu's ideals. Not necessarily unwise, Gen's beliefs are quite distant, thus the vague amusement and extreme callousness. Ryu refusing, once again, to kill Gen doesn't alter his expression. He was expecting it, really. He gives his response, even as always, "Then you will die here."
Dropping in to a sudden stance, he adopts that of the 'mantis, low to the ground with his hands lifted up in front of him, forming those deadly points, venomous even if no poison, physical, mystical or otherwise flows from them. His weight is balanced seemingly unevenly on one foot, the other lifted so that only a toe touches the ground, and yet his stance is perfectly still despite the posture.
COMBATSYS: Gen has started a fight here.
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Gen 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Ryu has joined the fight here.
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Ryu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Gen
"I don't intend to make that goal easy." Ryu answers steadily, unintimidated by the deadly master's ominous words. Instead, the World Warrior's fists simply tighten, clenching solidly on the end of loose arms, the rest of his body prepared to move at a moment's notice, and with the improvised alacrity for which Ryu is so well known. At least, that's the plan he's focused on making a reality, well aware that he'll need every bit of his concentration and skill to hold his own against the elder master of the very different Assassin's Fist. Still, Ryu isn't here to pick a fight with Gen, and despite the rather blatant threat, his initial response is much the same as it had been - a calm, analytical consideration of Gen, holding his own stance and preparing to make good on his promise to defend himself.
COMBATSYS: Ryu focuses on his next action.
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Ryu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Gen
"Kill or die!" Gen hisses out in that bitter old man fashion. "You have to accept one death or another." With that he's walking his way towards Ryu, assuredly a walk and not a run, but still quick on his feet. Dink dink dink woah where'd he go.
If Ryu is quick, he might notice Gen jumping in to the air in a blink of an eye, flying right over the younger fighters head with the sudden motion, the pace alteration making the burst of speed even more noticeable. Clearly he was trying to throw Ryu off, but will it work? If Ryu /isn't/ fast enough, well, he may notice a foot connecting with the back of his skull, and the neigh silent sound of Gen's feet touching down with the grass on the other side of the fighter.
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Gen's Saizu.
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Ryu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Gen
"Accepting death has nothing to do with it..." Ryu retorts, twisting suddenly to slam a backhand into Gen's incoming foot, snapping the strike away with a rather formidable strength of his own, "It's forcing it to come that I refuse to condone!" the sting to his fist is temporary as the nomad follows through on the spin, bringing himself around, and dropping low as Gen drops in... before snapping straight back up, a vicious right fist careening upwards for the elder master's jaw, the quick uppercut a fierce rebuttal to Gen's demands, and initial strike, "Haaaaah!!!"
COMBATSYS: Gen blocks Ryu's Fierce Punch.
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Ryu 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Gen
Gen doesn't have a good response to Ryu's words right now. One isn't much needed. But he does to Ryu's attack, that being hands lifted up to push the arm back with a palm and opposite wrist, blocking the attack rather effectively with only minimal wear on his hands, and protecting his very delicate beard. The uppercut seemed to send him flying despite the block, however, Gen ending up hitting a tree some distance away. Uh?
"Hmph." The old man grunts, clinging to the side of the tree quite effectively. Oh, okay, it was intentional. He's just being sneaky. Whether the angle is enough to make up for the slowness of the attack compared to his last, who knows, but either way Gen is sent careening for Ryu off of the tree, flying with one leg outstretched like a lance, hoping to impale Ryu in the chest. Impact means Gen performing a back flip as he bounces off, missing means a nice sized nook left in the ground where he hit.
COMBATSYS: Gen successfully hits Ryu with Ouga.
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Ryu 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Gen
Ryu sees the quick recoil coming, and he seems to have a plan to deal with it as well... but twisting away from the kick looks better on paper than it turns out to be in execution, and rather than a better position to retaliate, the nomad finds himself with a rather solid crack to his chest, the impact sending him crashing to the dirt... not quite the intended maneuver. He grunts loudly as his back connects with the ground, and he slides back, leaving a nice grass stain on his gi no doubt. Kicking his legs upwards, the nomad backflips out of the crash landing and back into a horse stance, his hands sweeping forward towards Gen, a brilliant flare of fiery red chi illuminating his palms as the motion is completed, the blast of energy rushing together in a rampant, spherical conflaguration that blasts outwards, charring the tips of the grass as its flame-orbitted mass rushes for the elder master echoed by a forceful, trademarked, "Hadoooouken!!!!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Gen with Shakunetsu Hadouken.
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Ryu 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Gen
A subtle shift in Gen's stance was just a second too late, as he prepared to slip out of the side of the attack, ending up free from burning damage. Alas, he turned sidewise but didn't slide far enough, getting caught mid spin. He spins the full way, hands patting his side quickly to extinguish the burny goodness that is the Shakunetsu. Once succeeding with that, he turns to focus on Ryu once again, hesitating little as he lunges forward, the fireball slowing him but certainly not stopping his onslaught. The onslaught referred to is, of course, his lighting hands, the flurry of perfectly accurate strikes flying for Ryu's chest. Palms push along the outside of his torso and shoulders to keep him off balance. Punches soften up his body, making it harder for him to tense his body in the right way to whether the damage, and pinpoint pokes jab for his most sensitive areas. Above the waist at least.
COMBATSYS: Ryu fails to interrupt Hyakurenkou from Gen with Shoryuken.
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Ryu 0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1 Gen
Ryu hasn't fully recovered from the all-out sting of Gen's initial kick, and it shows just now, as once again his efforts at counterattack are driven from his mind by the sheer effectiveness of the old master's hands. It's rather amusing, how every fight between the two masters tends to play out in a similar manner... one of them finds a groove, and simply rides it, executing techniques at every vulnerability until the opponent falls.. or manages to counter that momentum. More a testament to both warrior's skill than anything else, but for the moment, it's leaving Ryu in something of a lurch... his chest is pummeled by further strikes, dropping him back to one knee, the nomad forced to back off shakily from Gen as he tries to recover his stance, and recenter his mind, to try to stop the deadly assassin.
Gen keeps the pressure on Ryu for a short moment, trying to tire him out just as much as wound him, before a sudden backstep leaves him crouching, the image not unlike a coiled snake. And with the same speed that pulled him away from the conflict, he's back in close, jumping for Ryu for a low to the ground double jump kick, smacking Ryu straight in the chest with one leg, before coming around with another from the side to give some extra pain. Gen has the upper hand, and he did say he was going to kill Ryu, after all. No breaks for the other ansatsuken fighter, even if he has switched back to brute force, from flurry of accurate, painful strikes. Hey, this old guy has got a lot of power left in him, and knows where to hit.
COMBATSYS: Gen successfully hits Ryu with Uken-Shakudan.
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Ryu 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Gen
The staggering Ryu is caught before he can fully recover... 'cause let's face it, neither Ansatsuken master, on all-out offense, gives their prey a bit of a breather on a series of blunders like this. The twin kicks knock Ryu up, then away, sending him for another quick tumble in the grass, landing with a whoomph and rolling out of the impact. He's a bit quicker to rise this time, managing to regain his footing despite the beating he's taking... he's no neophyte, after all, and he's not going to let the aged master batter him about like some new student he's breaking in! At least, not if he can help it. With quick efficiency, the World Warrior rolls into and pushes out of a crouch, pressing the attack right back at Gen all of a sudden, his right fist snapping back to slam down and in, the strike thrown like a straight, but angled for the older master' solar plexus, a triphammer fist meant to make Gen regret all the forward momentum, "Haaaaah!!!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Gen with Sakotsu Wari.
- Power hit! -
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Ryu 1/------=/=======|=======\=====--\1 Gen
Gen is smacked pretty hard by this one, the punch plowing right through his guard and smashing against his solar plexus. The old man lets out a choking sound in pain, staggering back and clutching where he was struck with one hand. He'd probably scold Ryu about not aiming to kill, but damn, that hit really hurt. Ryu says he refuses to kill, but for that instant, because it was a power hit, Gen felt Ryu's true power in one burst. If only Ryu could master that. No, not the art of the power hit, deeper than that.
But with that attack, Gen hesitates. Not stopping, but certainly slowly, the impact making him indeed regret his constant pressure, the older fighter taking a moment to assess the situation. Not only Ryu, but the surroundings. The way the branches are wavering. The wind current. Quite possible the air density. Yes... Perfect.
COMBATSYS: Gen focuses on his next action.
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Ryu 1/------=/=======|=======\=====--\1 Gen
Concentrated offensive force is not something that Ryu has trouble controlling... though he's just as glad that Gen is feeling the strength in what he considers his /own/ fists, rather than the dreadful rending power of the Satsui no Hadou. Talk about a destructive drive... not something the World Warrior wants to indulge, he's happier living like this. Which he's not going to get to do much longer if Gen gets his way! It's the nomad's turn to follow up the strikes in quick succession, though his own assault is less forward, his arms once more sweeping around to his side, and shoving forward. This time, there's a torrential rush of brilliant blue-white chi, the searing blast swirling together and gusting a careening path across the short distance Gen was forced back, looking to slam him a bit further still, "Hadooouken!!!"
COMBATSYS: Gen just-defends Ryu's Hadouken!
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Ryu 1/-----==/=======|=======\=====--\1 Gen
The ball of chi flying for Gen is stared at, watched carefully until the very last second. Finally, one hand grabs the front most 'flap' of his long bit of attire, spiraling it around in front of him in a rapid motion. The air is tangible, a small whirlwind formed in front of the elder master, leaves spiraling through the entire area, and indeed, this defensive technique alters the wind in the whole clearing in an ominous manner, foreshadowing what is to come. But it's not Zan-ei. Oh no, Gen has something else prepared.
The hadouken's energy is dispersed by the winds before it ever contacts Gen, his clothing that he used to so expertly stop the attack receiving some small damage from the energy released inches from Gen's body, but otherwise he's left more than unscathed. He's revitalized. It's the perfect moment... It will work! Gen leaps away to a nearby tree, springing off of it for Ryu. A kick slashes across Ryu's Torso, but where as before he stopped and bounced off, he keeps going, landing on the ground behind him. The attack is enough to, hopefully, knock him off balance, so that a second kick, this one grounded, can send Ryu straight in to the air. And if Ryu finds himself in this hapless position, Gen leaps for another tree opposite of the one he'd leaped from before, bouncing off of that one in another triangle jump, this time kicking Ryu once again while in air, sending him bouncing away towards the ground. Gen flies with him the whole time, of course, so that when Ryu finally hits the ground once again, Gen lands directly on top of the poor fighter's chest, his feet forming a point together, before he reverts to simply standing there for the moment, staring down at his opponent. One hand lifts to straighten his beard after this vicious attack, before Gen then, tauntingly peaceful in his movements, walks off of the downed fighter.
Let's just hope it hits.
COMBATSYS: Ryu endures Gen's Kouga!
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Ryu 1/=======/=======|=====--\-------\0 Gen
Already winded, and operating on last-ditch stubborn determination, Ryu sees what's coming, but really doesn't have any way to avoid it. He knows the kind of acrobatics Gen is capable of, and in this instance, he rides the wave, so to speak. Of course, here... the wave isn't a cool surfer wave, but the elder master's feet, slamming into him over and over again as he's bounced hither and fro in the air, and crushed beneath the retired assassin's landing rather soundly. It's incredibly painful, to be sure, and a large part of Ryu just wants to land there... but the rest of him remembers what he was trying to accomplish with each subtle motion with Gen's sequential strikes.... he's got some positioning, and the old man is in close... dangerously close. Walk away... he can try, but Ryu suddenly vaults upwards off a palm planted against the ground, kicking out with his fists and leaping directly in at Gen, his left fist snapping around in and underhand blow aligned squarely with the assassin's ribcage, "Hyaaaaaaah...."
There's a tremendous upsure of Ryu's chi once more, though this one is centered, inward, rushing through his body as he twists, snapping his right side around as he drops into a crouch, and in one fluid motion, follows the initial strike through with a true coup de gras, his right fist snapping upwards in a rising uppercut fierce enough to carry Ryu's entire form skyward, his rocking ascent trailed by blurring blue chi, "Shoooooryuuuuuken!!!!!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Gen with Shin Shoryuken.
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Ryu 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Gen
Caught off guard by Ryu's explosion of energy on the part of the younger fighter after being battered around by such a, well, perfect attack, Gen's hands fail him as he's impacted squarely, sent in to the air and eventually landing a distance away from the fierce attack, hitting the ground hard, remaining motionless. From the complete lack of motion, Ryu may think he won.
And then his heart explodes. At least, if Gen has his way. A light tap to Ryu's chest came during the midst's of the Shin Shoryuken, the attack itself taking some time before it fully set in. Ryu might notice his body not quite 'flowing' right, but the effect is very sudden, all at once his very blood betraying him, a combination of intense human anatomy knowledge and a little bit of chi manipulation turning Ryu's one power against him. But it all depends on one, single, light touch...
COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Gen's Shitenshuu.
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Ryu 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Gen
Every fight between Gen and Ryu seems to have one of these moments. Where both fighters are in the air, usually colliding in some furious exchange of strikes, and time seems to slow to a crawl, at least to the fighters themselves. Or so it appears, with what they accomplish in those scarce moments of gravity-defying proximity. Ryu's ascent meets the gratifying intended collision with Gen's jaw, sure.. but the old man isn't flailing away like he's supposed to, and as Ryu ascends, his customary Shoryuken-ending twist comes a bit early, and a lot more urgently, as Gen snaps that chi-manipulating palmstrike in for his chest. The nomad's felt that once before, and he has no intent to feel his heart nearly stop again. It's a moment that hangs in time, as Ryu twists away from Gen's efforts, and then accelerates to breakneck intensity, the World Warrior's twist seeming to actually gain force as he spins about, a full three-sixty of sudden motion swinging him about and bringing his right leg snapping in for Gen, aiming to catch the aged master in that same instant... and add some extra force to his descent.
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Gen with Senpuu Kyaku.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Ryu 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Gen
Hanging in air, the pair has one of their well known bouts of air to air combat, often spanning numerous rounds. Time moves slowly for them, for they are masters of their art. Ryu clearly is, as a kick to Gen's jaw lands quiet solidly, knocking his head back. He has one moment to give a final attack, confident this last hit will put them both out should it land... A pair of kicks lash out at Ryu's torso, the legs flying quickly around Ryu's own leg, off balance due to having to work while being kicked in the face himself. And /then/ he goes flying away, since, well, he's down for the count anyway, skidding along the ground when he hands. Oof, old man needs a nap.
COMBATSYS: Gen can no longer fight.
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Ryu 1/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Ryu just-defends Gen's Uken-Shakudan!
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Ryu 1/-------/=======|
Whump. One of Gen's shins thwumps firmly into Ryu's palm as he drops an arm low, sweeping that hand to intercept the first of the elder master's last-ditch kicks, the impact perfectly absorbed with a patient flex of his muscular arm, and then the World Warrior simply, smoothly, shoves off, dropping backwards well out of range of the rest of the technique, one graceful motion turning the jaws of oblivion into a gentle landing on the grass, his legs bending subtly to absorb the landing as the nomad draws a long, deep breath, leaving Gen to fall away wherever he lands, "There is really only one question to ask, here..." the nomad postulates, "Which is more challenging... the strength to kill, or the control not to?" It's something that's an important distinction, at least to this Ansatsuken master, "You still fight like the storm itself. You could do much choosing to redeem your life rather than bitterly object to the method of its end." He amends, apparently intending to walk away, as he turns and begins to walk back towards the woods.
Gen is apparently unconscious. Hey, that last hit hurt like crazy, and the fall didn't help out. Either way, there's no reply, the old master lying there, battered and, narrowly, beaten. 'He got me again', he's no doubt thinking in his subconscious dream state.
Log created by Gen, and last modified on 12:37:01 09/27/2005.