Description: When titans clash or something. Despite heavy injuries sustained on the job of being an Evil Overlord, Kain makes a very strong showing against Rose. However, the psychic makes a deserpate last stand that leaves things unresolved. (Draw Match)
It's a good thing that Kain heals rather quickly, or he wouldn't have been able to make it to tonight's SNF. Chi can be used for more than just destructive purposes... Even so, the Heinlein heir doesn't appear to be in great shape. Showing underneath his hair are some bandages wrapped around his head, and he's moving with a little stiffness that suggests injuries to other parts of his body as well. Getting stabbed, smashed into heavy objects, and then hit by a truck will cause some damage to even the mightiest of fighters.
He's still here, though, and he strides out into the arena, ignoring whatever pain he might be feeling. Rose isn't exactly a person that Kain is happy to see, though as usual he does little to let it show. Despite the fact that he'll quite often do it to other people, he's really not in the mood for a lecture, or for anybody to tell him to change his ways. Still, a fight's a fight, and she does have some skills. And he certainly wouldn't pass up tonight. He's got something he wants to say after the fight.
If he wins, anyway. His injuries may be a bit of a liability, there.
For now, though, he simply stands at his side of the arena floor, slowly flexing his arms and testing his body, trying to see what kind of limits he might be forced into tonight. Best to find out /before/ he manages to open a wound while attempting to hit Rose.
Perhaps it's trite to note at the beginning of every SNF fight, Rose wonders what she is doing there. However, for as long as the woman is a fighter in general, she will ask herself that question whenever she gets up to fight. In fact, in her eyes it is this questioning of her own motives that keeps her sane and focused in an insane world. Still, when she found out the card for tonight's fight, all thoughts of cancelling left her mind.
And now she finds herself the 'main event', and fighting Kain Heinlein once again. At their last meeting the fight didn't go so well for Rose, but this does not concern her overmuch. Life is a string of lessons, and not every lesson is a 'success'... besides, there's only one man who can truly end her life, and Kain isn't him. Of course, that doesn't mean she can't be hurt pretty badly, and Kain IS capable of that.
In an interestingly flashy entrance, Rose appears in the ring seemingly out of nowhere, flanked by sparks of Soul Power to mark her passing. That's a trick Vega can turn on and off like a switch. Rose, not so much; her eyes are closed, and her calm demeanor belies the intense concentration such a feat requires. When she sets down on the ground and turns, she is again the model of composure, though Kain's obviously injured state earns a raised eyebrow from Rose. "...you have seen better days, Mister Heinlein," she offers, not unsympathetically.
Kain rolls his shoulder once, feeling something pop in a not entirely unpleasant way, then settles back down into a casual stance. "Well, I do have more than a few enemies. And they learned that even ganging up isn't an entirely safe way to attack me. But that's over with. Right now, you're my opponent."
With that said, Kain lets his left hand slip into his pocket, moving into his combat stance without any show of discomfort. Sharp pains can be difficult to overcome, but constant aches? Those the mind can resist fairly well, if the will is strong enough. "And please, don't presume there's any need to go easy on me. I'm here because I'm looking for a real challenge. I do hope you won't disappoint."
Kain gestures toward Rose with his right hand, purple fire flowing out from his wrist up to his fingertips. "Feel free to start whenever you wish." Confident bastard, isn't he? Of course, there's still one thing to wait for. But it doesn't take long for the announcer to get ready, and the call to go out. "Fight!"
COMBATSYS: Kain has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Kain 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Rose has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kain 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Rose
Well, ganging up is certainly a tactic that works on *Rose*. Ask Duo Lon and Dhalsim, though it's unlikely either of them would say they got out of that fight without something to remember Rose by. Still, she gives Kain an almost grim smile, nodding once and falling into... well, really, her 'lack of' stance, since she doesn't seem to even have one. But Kain's finely-honed senses can likely pick up that the psychic is summoning her own unique strength from within to deal with the challenge.
"Fight!"
Chuckling faintly at the absurdity of the situation in general, Rose warily circles Kain a little bit, trying to gauge the man again. Fighting does reveal much about people, a lesson Rose learned early. Now, how to use it to her advantage? The big question, and inscrutable Kain isn't giving up any secrets. "I consider all challenges to be serious," she says patiently. "Allow me to take you up on your gracious invitation!" Loosening the shawl around her neck, she lets it drop to the floor, where it suddenly ignites with Soul Power, forming a pillar that somehow supports Rose's weight as she uses it like a faux handstand, throwing out a kick at her opponent's midsection.
COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Rose's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kain 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Rose
Kain ducks down as the kick comes in, quickly pushing out with his arm to deflect Rose's kick away from his body. It causes his healing injuries to sting a bit, but there aren't really many parts of his body where that /won't/ happen, so he ignores it.
Kain's hand is still burning with purple fire, and as he straightens up it begins to spread along his arm. He draws the limb back as he moves in toward Rose, then thrusts his hand out toward her. There's no attempt to actually connect with the psychic, but the massive blast of flame that comes along with Kain's arm means he doesn't really have to punch her to do some damage.
COMBATSYS: Rose fails to reflect Schwarz Cutter from Kain with Soul Reflect.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Kain 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Rose
Rose is not so lucky (or, perhaps better to say, so skilled) as Kain. She is slow to recover from the kick, a more acrobatic maneuver than she is used to employing, and thus when the purple flame comes in she makes a hasty attempt to throw her shawl in front of it, the Soul Power-charged fabric intended to swipe the flame out of the way. Sadly, it doesn't work that way and the psychic staggers back under the assault.
Righting herself, she curls the shawl back into place with an expert flick of the wrist and continues to watch Kain, wordlessly. At their previous meeting she made her stance known, and Kain responded... by proving that power is all he respects. Not a foolish person herself, Rose doesn't press the issue. If strength is what Kain respects, it's what she'll have to show him... even if that aborted reflect isn't exactly 'shown strength'. "Nice shot," she admits.
Power is what Kain respects, it's true. But there are ways to show power besides brute strength. If Rose manages to come up with some cunning ploy that enables her to beat Kain? That would also be worth of respect. Coming up with such things mid-battle can be tricky, though. Particularly when you're in a setting where one is expected to be at least somewhat 'fair' in combat.
Being fair doesn't mean going easy, though. Rose's comment receives only a brief nod, because Kain is already pushing in to continue the attack. He's staying right on top of her, trying to keep her from managing to get any distance. The blond fighter gets right up into Roses's face, then suddenly plants his left foot on the ground. He twists himself slightly to get some room, then lashes out with his right leg, attempting to slam a burning kick into the side of Rose's head.
COMBATSYS: Rose dodges Kain's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Kain 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Rose
Perhaps the issue is that 'distance' is relative when one's perception is far greater than the everyday sight and sound of a normal person. Kain's kick passes harmlessly through the air where Rose used to be, as the psychic simply twists out of the way, an almost pirouette-like motion that seems effortless to someone who isn't trying to do it. Kain's not talking much... that suits Rose, a woman who feels that sometimes words get in the way, just fine. Of course, the crowd isn't liking it too much... or perhaps they are simply in awe.
Coming out of her spin, Rose takes advantage of Kain's entry into her space by pressing the attack herself, making a fist and driving it toward Kain's stomach from the side, a hazy, almost electric-looking field of Soul Power blazing like a nimbus around the punch itself.
COMBATSYS: Rose successfully hits Kain with Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Kain 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Rose
The fist hurts, sure. Not quite so much as the energy blaze around it. Kain may not know much about Psycho Power, but he /does/ know a lot about chi... And there's something about the power that Rose wields that he's not used to. There have been other fighters with similar talents, though. It's probably something he should look into. Not at the moment, though. Right now Kain is fighting not to double over after Rose's fist slams into his healing stab wounds.
With a grunt of pain, Kain attempts to do something to give himself a moment to recover. He whips a hand toward Rose, throwing out a good sized blast of flame toward the psychic's chest. Hopefully it'll take her a moment to deal with that, and then he'll be good to go. Maybe it was a bit much to come here without spending more time to heal... Too late for that, though. Kain's certainly not going to back out of the fight.
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Rose with Schwarze Flame.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Kain 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Rose
Oof. Kain's attempt is well-strategized; Rose jumps back, hoping she judged the flame's max distance, and totally fails to do so properly; not only does Kain get her to back off, but he's got his distance, too. Never mind the fact that a mere two clean hits from the flame-wielding man have put a serious dent in Rose as-is. Pausing to take a deep breath, the psychic tries to center herself. Perhaps Kain's flame is so effective on her because of the hatred 'encoded' within, something another chi user might not be struck by, but which affects Rose deeply.
Frowning and considering her next move, the psychic decides to play it safe and only moves back in partway. Loosening the shawl about her neck, Rose lashes out a hand in Kain's direction. Not far enough to hit him, mind; rather, just as a sort of 'guide' for the scarf itself, which snakes along her arm rapidly, charged with Soul Power and aiming to give Kain a good old fashioned whapping right upside the head. Hardened to the strength of a good solid blow with psychic energy, it packs a nice wallop.
COMBATSYS: Rose successfully hits Kain with Aura Scarf.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Kain 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Rose
Seems Kain's injuries are slowing him down a bit. It takes him a moment to figure out what Rose is doing, but not so long as to prevent him getting out of the way of the scarf. He's body is moving just a little bit slower than it should be, though, and that puts him off enough for the scarf to smack him a nice blow in the head.
The blond staggers back slightly, shaking his head for a moment, but he's quick to extend a hand out toward Rose again. Blue flame begins to swirl in his palm, quickly expanding outward into a massive orb of roiling flame and raw chi, which is blasted out toward Rose a moment later.
COMBATSYS: Rose blocks Kain's Himmlische Seele.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Kain 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 Rose
Whoa there. Thankfully, Rose was able to pull back her strike (and scarf) in time to deal with this new threat. Throwing more Soul Power into the shawl, she curls it in front of her in a half circle, Kain's impressive flame blast struggling against it, blue fire spilling off to the side as Rose pits her very spirit against it. Much diminished, Kain's technique finally pulls through, sending the psychic staggering back a step and singing her quite nicely.
Frowning, the psychic again centers herself. It's the same as her fight with Duo Lon; such emotion-laden chi taxes her already compromised ability to focus on everything -- Kain, herself, the crowd, the arena -- and is dragging her down. Taking a long, slow breath, Rose forces herself to return to a calm center, drawing on her own vast inner reserves and preparing herself for the fight's nearing conclusion.
COMBATSYS: Rose gathers her will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kain 0/-------/-----==|=======\=====--\1 Rose
For his part, Kain simply finds the emotions to be uplifting. Mentally, he's just as calm as Rose, but raging in the background is all of that hate and anger. Properly channeled and focused, however, it doesn't slip through to mar his concentration.
There is, however, the issue of his physical condition. Kain would prefer not to drag the fight on any longer than necessary, since he'll probably regret it if he does. He's already taken enough hits so far, and it would be ideal not to take any more. Of course, we'll see how likely that is... For now, Kain can at least try to disrupt Rose's concentration, and perhaps do some real damage, too. He thrusts both hands out toward the psychic, sending a pair of fireballs shooting toward her, spinning around one another as they fly.
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Rose with Schwarze Flame.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Kain 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Rose
Whether Kain's intent to disrupt her concentration worked or not is hard to say. Shortly before the flame impacts, the psychic suddenly opens her eyes wide. There is no real attempt to block; perhaps, in her prescience, she knew such a thing was futile. Still, the flame impacts her spot-on, and with an off she staggers back, clutching at her chest.
"Ah... not so much a close match this week, my dear viewers," she mutters under her breath. It's hard to be annoyed about winning or losing when everything is, to you, 'pre-ordained'. Still... if strength is what Kain respects, the best she can do is to play this out and make her point, as it were... while she may go down, she's not going down quietly. Holding her scarf before her, there is actually very little build-up to this attack. She simply flicks out her wrist, the shawl flying after it and a sparkling purple orb of Soul Power racing out at Kain. "Soul Spark!" However, as Kain might remember from before, the true terror here isn't the actual energy ball, but rather, the invisible, terrifyingly powerful psychic shockwave that rides behind it.
COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Rose's Aura Soul Spark.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Kain 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Rose
Even if it's not chi, Kain can still defend against it to some extent. Having a rather strong will helps, as does being able to prepare himself for the more physical aspect of the attack, guarding himself against the energy orb with crossed forearms. The impact of the wave that follows manages to push Kain back across the floor, but not enough, it seems, to take him off his feet.
Even though he was able to ride out that attack, Kain still doesn't want to have to endure many more. Taking Rose out quickly seems like a wise idea. That in mind, the German rushes in toward her, ducking down low as he does so. As he comes close he snaps out his fist toward her stomach, standing back up straight as he follows through, attempting to knock her off her feet.
COMBATSYS: Rose dodges Kain's Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Kain 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Rose
The psychic may be weak, but she's not out of the fight yet. As Kain dashes in at her she simply... blinks out. Perhaps he took too long, or perhaps at this late stage of the fight her focus has heightened enough so that she doesn't need to spend so long in concentration. Either way, she is quick on the response, and Kain's punch hits empty air.
As for Rose herself, she wouldn't mind finishing this off quickly too, though her chances are slightly lower than Kain's at this point. Appearing behind him, the psychic reaches out a hand and attempts to simply get it *near* Kain; if she can, she'll then flip him around with pseudo-psychokinetic force and then hurl him away, adding a dose of her own 'flame', the blue fire of Soul Power that only a few others share in the world.
COMBATSYS: Rose successfully hits Kain with Soul Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Kain 1/------=/=======|=====--\-------\0 Rose
It doesn't take Kain long to figure out that Rose is behind him. Long enough, however, that he isn't able to do much to stop her. Since her attack never actually touches him, his attempts at blocking do him little good, and he finds himself being hefted up into the air by an unseen force.
He does have one chance before he gets blasted away, though. Thrusting both hands out toward Rose, Kain quickly summons another massive orb of flame, sending it sailing down towards Rose just before he gets engulfed in her soul flames and sent flying across the arena. He only rolls for a moment after hitting the ground, quickly managing to pull himself into a crouching position as he watches his opponent.
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Rose with Himmlische Seele.
[ \\\\\\\ < > / ]
Kain 0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1 Rose
There's simply no avoiding that. How could you? Rose's real mistake, if you want to look at it that way, was getting in close with Kain to make the throw to begin with. The huge ball of flame impacts her, and much as Saishu's Orochinagi did just a few scant weeks ago, her body is invisibile, consumed in concealing blue fire. When it passes, she is gone. Did Kain burn her to ashes?
The answer comes quickly enough; suddenly, there are Roses *everywhere*, converging on Kain from so many angles they are impossible to predict, making a Soul Powered strike here or there, and then disappearing, giving no time for counterattack. Unless Kain can get out of the way, he's in for quite the pummeling. Of course, in her weakened state, Rose's psychic assault might not be up to her usual standards....
Either way, once the illusion beatdown fades, the very last one to strike is the 'real' Rose, who collapses to one knee across the arena from Kain, thoroughly spent.
COMBATSYS: Rose can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\ <
Kain 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Rose successfully hits Kain with Soul Illusion.
[ <
Kain 0/-------/-======|
The obvious course of action, when you see that many opponents converging on you, is to get out of the way, and quickly. Unfortunately for Kain, between his prior injuries and the damage he's taken in this fight, he's not up to escaping that kind of assault. And once one of the images manages to hit him it's simple for the others to follow them up.
Finally the blows cease and Kain collapses to his knees, just barely catching himself on his hands so that he doesn't fall over. He makes an effort to get up, but it seems his body doesn't want to obey him. Finally it becomes clear to everyone watching that neither fighter has the capacity to continue, and the announcer gets to do his job. "We have a draw!"
COMBATSYS: Kain takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Kain can no longer fight.
Log created by Rose, and last modified on 14:00:30 11/08/2005.