Neo League 101 - #109: Ryu vs Iori

Description: Perhaps in retaliation for Iori's earlier grudge match against Ken Masters, the Neo League officials pit him against Ryu in the frigid North Pacific. The situation looks grim for Yagami, but he manages to eke out a win in the end, in the process splitting their iceberg arena in twain. (Winner: Iori)



Deep in the northern Pacific, about as far north as one can get in a large ship, a massive cruise liner is anchored, and by the look of things, most of its passengers are gathered on the deck, a grandstand of sorts set up along the ship's starboard side, overlooking a massive flow of drifting chunks of ice.
Iceberg, right ahead! It's not the large formations of frozen water that are the attention getter tonight, though, the sun just drifting beneath the western sky as the aurora borealis lights the horizon, the ships own colorful spotlights illuminating the ice in various hues of blue and purplish red, no doubt meant to represent the fighters in spectacle.
Those fighters? Well, as the announcer explains, the league battle tonight is between none other than Iori Yagami and Ryu. The latter, clad in his trademark, somewhat worn white gi despite the chill bite to the air, stands midway up one of the larger icebergs, his perch drifting slowly along the ocean's current. Arms crossed across his chest, the nomad merely regards his opponent's arrival, giving Iori a slow nod when the other fighter shows himself. It's a match Ryu's been waiting for awhile now, even if Ken did make a 'big deal' out of it. It's a nice escape, though the World Warrior could do without the throngs of tourists. At least they're seperated by plenty of icy water.

Bah. Iori sees this entire setup as punishment from Ken Masters for starting trouble in Seattle. Boy just has to be holding a grudge, doesn't he? Scowling as he ascends to a high point opposite Ryu on one of the slightly smaller bergs, the Orochi halfbreed is likewise crossing his arms. It's freakin' cold, people.
"... We meet again." thunders his voice, carrying surprisingly well over to Ryu. Partly it's because the iceberg archipelago is quiet as a churchmouse... but more because Iori's got an awfully commanding voice when he sets his mind to it.
He bends his knees, and then sharply leaps from his iceberg to the one upon which Ryu stands, making the giant leap seem no less casual as hopscotch. Even though he'd prefer not to, of course. Damn you, Masters. His crimson eyes haven't parted from Ryu yet, and they won't as he strides up the slope, his arms finally unfolding to hang by his sides. "Let's get this over with," he rumbles.

A second nod answers Iori's statement. Ryu doesn't have any idea what's gone on between Yagami and Masters, but that is why he's here... to meet the dangerous Orochi halfbreed, to fight. Not to worry about a grudge or the trappings of the life they lead... It's easy enough for the World Warrior to tone the spectacle out, even as the lights come together over the two fighters, Iori's invitation and the beginning of the match more than enough for Ryu.
As the iceberg drifts slowly aside, it passes a smaller, quicker moving chunk heading the opposite direction... rather than trying to fight Yagami's arrival on the low ground, since we all know that's a safe place to continue dueling, Ryu leaps aside, planting his feet against the passing iceberg, and reversing his momentum to launch full-bore in on Iori from the flank, his right fist cocking back, and all but shooting in before him, a downward hammer punch aligned to smash the halfbreed sharply into the mountain of ice the World Warrior just occupied, if he's not quick, "Hyaaaaaah!!!"

COMBATSYS: Ryu has started a fight here.

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Ryu              0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Iori has joined the fight here.

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Iori             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0              Ryu


COMBATSYS: Iori endures Ryu's Sakotsu Wari.

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Iori             0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0              Ryu


Snarling as Ryu suddenly pulls a Ken -- jumping aside when he's just zeroing in -- the Orochi halfblood is nonetheless prepared for Ryu's attack somehow. It just... doesn't =look= like he is when Ryu's punch is able to crack across his chin like that, sending the Orochi-tainted blood flying from his lip. "KUH!" We're talking big damage, right?
But, oddly enough, it seems that Iori's factored that particular motion into his plan -- for Ryu'd basically just handed himself to Iori on a platter with that jump. He =had= pivoted slightly to the side -- perhaps unnoticeably so -- which means Ryu might find himself the center of that sandwich, rather than one of the slices of bread. And Iori's in just a bad enough mood to add some seasoning -- rolling with the motion of that punch, he whirls around to slam one hard right cross into the partially-airborne Ryu, following through with a hard left underhand, and then leaping into a double-fisted hammer blow to smash Ryu right into that sheer icy wall. "GURAAAH! GURAAH! GURAAAOAH!"

COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Iori's Aoi Hana.

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Iori             0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0              Ryu


The very tip of Ryu's foot touches down as Iori begins his assault... but it seems like that was enough. No stranger to battle, the veteran was well aware of the retaliation Yagami planned as the halfblooded Orochi takes his hit a fair bit more capably than he'd intended. Shoving his weight hard to the right, Ryu twists and slides down the iceberg, Yagami's fist sailing over his head, the violent underhand strike avoided with a quick sidestep, the World Warrior's bare feet slipping along the ice in a far too controlled fashion, half-skating aside the finishing strikes, and then reaching for Yagami's hopefully overextended wrist, seeking to apply a quick twist to clinch Iori... for a half-moment before shoving the other fighter rather harshly forward into an adjacent pillar of ice, "Haaaah!!" A far cry from Iori's rage-fueled attacks, the Ansatsuken master is cool, in control... but undeniably efficient.

COMBATSYS: Iori blocks Ryu's Quick Throw.

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Iori             0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0              Ryu


Ryu's always put up a good challenge before -- something the tall halfblood begrudgingly appreciates but won't ever admit. It just seems... wrong to enter a fight without putting bitter emotions on display though. Scowling as Ryu conjures up memories of Ken's ninja-like reflexes, Iori pulls his fist back... only to find that Ryu's grabbing for it instead. Swivelling hard to the side, he swats Ryu's hand away with a snarl. "I don't think so!" he howls -- just before reeling his fist forward again in a vicious, nails-out strike to the jugular. "GURAAAAAOH!"

COMBATSYS: Ryu just-defends Iori's Strong Punch!

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Iori             0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0              Ryu


THWUMP! The meaty smack of Iori's thrusting, stabbity strike smacking into an intercepting palm is the only sound made by the assault, the nomad regaining his defensive composure quickly enough to snap his hand up just as quickly as Yagami's blow slams in, catching the incoming wrist and, with a rather remarkable show of strength and flexed muscle, stopping it dead as a subtle surge of chi sweeps through the Ansatsuken master, his dark eyes locked ahead on Iori.
Seeking to use that brief hold, Ryu snaps sharply aside, looking to unbalance Iori for the real goal... Ryu launching himself up and in at point-blank range, his right leg snapping out as his entire body twists, launching rotorblade kicks at Yagami at skull-level in quick succession, the force carrying Ryu forward, and once more threatening to blast the halfblood into the opposing ice, "Tatsumaki Senpuuuuu Kyaku!!!" sounds the trademarked shout, the water beneath the battleground churning with the sudden, gusting wind centered around the forceful technique.

COMBATSYS: Iori blocks Ryu's Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku.

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Iori             0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0              Ryu


Once his fist is so neatly caught by Ryu's palm, Iori sneers once more. He's no more than a grasshopper to the master this fight, it seems... and he becomes -furious- as a result. This might be many fighters' undoing... but to Iori, it's a path to the next level.
Withdrawing sharply to find Ryu pirouetting his way after him, Iori scowls once more under his breath. Throwing his arms up, he's able to shrug off most of the kicks with a raised shoulder, weathering the Tatsumaki with mild discomfort. When it's about over, though, he twists his upper torso back and out of the way, driving his knee upwards in a violent strike, before unhinging his foot and bringing it sharply to the side: a reverse axe kick intended to sling Ryu right back towards the ground. "GRRRAAAOH!"

COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Ryu with Light Kick.

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Iori             0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0              Ryu


There's not a lot Ryu can do this time, landing out of the largely deflected hurricane kick into Iori's rising knee, the follow-through snapping across the nomad's jaw and sending him sliding to his knees down to the base of the iceberg. Pushing to his feet with a sudden surge of momentum, the World Warrior seeks to grab Iori's shirt with both hands, and just as suddenly as he rose to meet Yagami once more... Ryu would drop away, should he find his grip. Dragging Yagami down, and rolling to the angled slop of the iceberg, his right leg snapping up mid-roll for Yagami's ribcage, intent on adding extra force to the intended hurl-and-slam of Yagami up and over, into some ice... if he's lucky, "Haaaaaaah!!!" The Ansatsuken master isn't keen on letting go of his momentum quite yet, whatever Iori's feet might have to say about the matter.

COMBATSYS: Iori fails to interrupt Tomoe Nage from Ryu with Yumebiki.

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Iori             0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0              Ryu


Iori's being pressed to the limits a bit early in this fight, but an odd sense he can see it as practice for kicking Kyo's ass. In the long run, getting his ass kicked by Ryu is a good thing. Builds character.
In the short-term, it's really aggravating. Especially since he'd tried to lash forward and scrape his talons across Ryu's chest at the same time the World Warrior was reaching out to grab -his-. It... doesn't work so well though, considering Ryu gets the first contact, and manages to pull Iori off balance just enough for his forearm to slap ineffectually against Ryu's biceps. Iori rolls along for the ride, limbs flailing to the side as the halfblood lands hard upon his back with a grimace. Sure... he rolls to the side, pushing back to his feet afterwards with a foul expression... but he's not out of this yet. "Learned a bit since our last fight, have we..."

Vaulting off the edge of the iceberg out of his roll, Ryu lands near the top the mountain of floating ice Yagami occupies, "What good is fighting if one doesn't evolve?" the nomad answers simply, as if the answer should be a foregone conclusion. His tone steady, the World Warrior eyes Yagami from behind ready fists, his inner chi surging through him. Centered, prepared, the force of this place is channeled in harmony with the Ansatsuken master's own, a bitter wind of ice-blinding gale swirling about him for a long moment, the shockwave blasting outwards in all directions, spraying an instant icestorm for a few instants as the iceberg beneath Ryu is shorn halfway down its mass, the World Warrior standing steadily within the shorn crater of prismatic ice.

COMBATSYS: Ryu gathers his will.

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Iori             0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1              Ryu


Smirking faintly as Ryu delivers his succinct answer, Iori curls his arms into a more defensive position. He takes his time striding towards Ryu though, heedful of his ragged breathing and the signs that he could be a bit worse off than he wants to indicate. Clenching his jaw shut accordingly, he narrows his eyes upon his opponent. A wind storm doesn't mean much to him... in other circumstances the cool breeze might be refreshing, but this extreme cold is really getting to him.
And so, Yagami breaks into a run for his opponent, howling through the tempest, "QUIT SCREWING AROUND AND FIGHT!" Punctuation is added in the form of a furious rushing drop kick.

COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Iori's Heavy Kick.

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Iori             0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1              Ryu


Crossed arms meet Iori's flying feet, the dropkick yielding a painful strike against the World Warrior's guard, driving him back against the mountain of ice, one hand dropping away from the guard to catch him as he falls back to a crouch, the other joining the first, and then both hands sweep around and in at Yagami, answering his forward momentum with a sudden, savage surge of wildly flaming energy, the flaring red chi swirling together into a ferocious wildfire, conjured in a moment to blast outwards point-blank at Yagami, the searing conflaguration packing itself in rushing flames into a densely packed sphere as it blasts out, "Hadoooouken!!!!" Iori did ask nicely, right?

COMBATSYS: Iori dodges Ryu's Shakunetsu Hadouken.

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Iori             0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1              Ryu


Iceberg, fire... sure. It's a good combination. And a welcome one for Iori, who's been looking for a bit more warmth from this battlefield. Kipping back to his feet after landing from that drop kick, he finds a seething blast of flames rocketing his way. Maybe he didn't want to be -that- close, though, because he pivots sharply to the side, letting the thunderous fireball rocket past him, leaving a liquefied trail and clouds of steam in its wake.
"Hmph..." comments Iori, still fairly close to Ryu. It was a narrow miss ... but Iori isn't going to dwell on that, hoping that Ryu's got some kind of lag time after concentrating that much fire into one blaze. He lunges forward, driving a hard right cross to the World Warrior's jaw, before lashing his left arm in a diagonal slash, fingers spread into wide claws for maximal damage. "GURAAAAAH!"

COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Ryu with Strong Punch.

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Iori             0/-------/----===|=======\====---\1              Ryu


Ryu reels under the snapping punch to his head, and blood sprays from a sharp gash opened by Yagami's nails as the nomad is slammed backwards under the onslaught, unable to stay ahead of Iori's footwork this time. Crashing back to the ice, the World Warrior dislodges nice chunks of it with his impact. He doesn't take a moment to wipe the blood that drains from his lip, or check the slice down his chest... instead, Ryu is in motion forward, left fist launching up and under for Yagami's ribs, the Ansatsuken master's inner chi still strong, focused inward, and then at a singular point of impact.... a rising right uppercut, crashing solidly for the halfblood's chest and jaw, Ryu's form trailed by bluish energy as he releases his strength into the legendary punch, the Dragon rocketing skyward with a fervent, "Shooooryuuuuuken!!!"

COMBATSYS: Iori blocks Ryu's Shin Shoryuken.

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Iori             0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0              Ryu


Yagami can sense the shifting tides of chi that accompany the massive uppercut coming his way, and takes action to compensate. Intercepting the punch with his left forearm, he takes two strides backward... but even still, his arm flies upward from the rising uppercut. It stung like hell, to be sure, but Iori's rare moment of withdrawal seems to have been enough to mitigate the damage somewhat. Chuckling faintly, it doesn't seem like the Yagami scion is fretting much over the battle's progress.
Calmly, he backs up while Ryu reaches the apex of his leap. When the World Warrior starts to fall, Iori dashes into a running leap, bringing both hands overhead to slam him back to the ground with a shout of "KURAE!" But that's not all -- should he manage to connect, he'd run with the momentum to deliver one, two, -three- solid running punches, with any luck running him smack into the sheer ice all behind him. "GURAH! GURAAH! GURAAAAOH!"

COMBATSYS: Ryu dodges Iori's Aoi Hana.

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Iori             0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0              Ryu


Ryu knows when he's overextended, and when Iori's guard deflects the mighty Rising Dragon Punch Turbo Edition, he's re-evaluating his options. Time to go on the defensive. His energy momentarily depleted, the nomad can only land deftly, twisting aside with uncanny wire-fu positioning, all but altering his trajectory at the last moment, landing on the ball of one foot and stepping aside lightning-quick as Iori ravages the area he just stood with punches. And Ryu? While, Ryu is likely sensed before he's seen, sidestepped around the outer rim of the iceberg, just beyond line of sight. Of course, that's solved when a good chunk of the berg is blasted away by an upsurge of chi, the World Warrior focusing more of his rather remarkable inner reserves inwards and outwards, the building power echoing his renewed attention on the course of the battle. Yagami has surprises still, that much is clear to Ryu now.

COMBATSYS: Ryu gathers his will.

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Iori             0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1              Ryu


Growling as his punches whiff through nothing, Iori nonetheless continues his charge with a slightly =different= bent -- raking his talons across the ice wall he'd =wanted= to be slamming Ryu up against. A wedge-shaped crag of ice, carved free from the near-vertical wall, starts to slide down to the ocean below. Iori's hand slaps up against that icy boulder, nails driving into it to provide a positive grip. It's a slow tug at first, but once Yagami's able to overcome inertia, the boulder whips right over his shoulder and plunges right towards the Ansatsuken master -- a distraction, if nothing else. "KURAAAAAAAAOH!"

COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Ryu with Large Thrown Object.
- Power hit! -

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Iori             0/-------/----===|=======\====---\1              Ryu


Okay, a huge ol' chunk of ice wasn't the approach Ryu was expecting Iori to take. Remember that whole tricky surprises bit? Ryu takes this one square in the face and chest, his arms unable to deflect the sheer force of the dense chunk of iceberg, which he can't really evade on the disintegrating footing. The large ice-chunk helps to further shatter Ryu's chi-ravaged perch, and it's all the battered warrior can do to throw himself aside, landing on a larger stretch of ice shelf as he rolls to a crouch, for the moment simply catching his breath, it seems. His eyes center in on Iori intently, however. Battered, yes... but out of this, not just yet. Still, a moment to get his bearings seems like a wise choice, "You've got your own new tricks." the Ansatsuken master observes, apparently unconcerned, as he pushes back to his feet.

COMBATSYS: Ryu focuses on his next action.

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Iori             0/-------/----===|=======\====---\1              Ryu


Time is never on Iori's side -- he can't afford to pass up an attempt to maintain a rapid pace. He'd be a sprinter, rather than a decathlete, if he ever bothered to partake in organized sporting events -other- than fighting. So while Ryu takes a moment to regain his bearings and compliment Yagami, the redhead doesn't waste any time, lurching forward in a wild overhand slash at Ryu's face. That'd be =one= way to screw up those bearings. "GURAAAAAOH!"

COMBATSYS: Ryu fails to interrupt Quick Punch from Iori with Shin Shoryuken.
- Power hit! -

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Iori             0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0              Ryu


Maybe Ryu was a bit more battered than he had thought. Maybe Iori just hit him /that/ hard... but his best-laid plans go right out the window with the slap across the face... of course, the nails make it a fair bit nastier, more lines of crimson drawn as the World Warrior reels back, somewhat dizzily attempting to keep his guard raised as he regains his footing on the icy ground, keeping his attention on Yagami... at least as much as he can, with the way things want to start spinning.

A faint chuckle escapes Iori's lips as he lands that strike -- he'd sensed another tremendous upsurge in the World Warrior, but his forced pacing seems to have been enough to quell even that. Pleased at that, he is, continuing his steady advance upon the Ansatsuken master.
But there's been one thing conspicuously absent from the fight so far: the accursed Yagami flames. And Iori seems to be ready to pull out the stops -now-, at any rate. His faint amusement turns to a feral grin, his hands now engulfed in those bright purple flames. Sensing weakness in his foe, Iori aims to capitalize upon it -- his right hand lashes forward, slinging those purple flames towards Ryu's feet. Another stride, and his left hand follows suit, the double flames triggering a fiery conflagration, steam rising from the rapidly-melting snow.

COMBATSYS: Iori successfully hits Ryu with Yami Sugi.
- Power hit! -

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Iori             0/-------/-------|=======\==-----\1              Ryu


And if -that- weren't all, Iori leaps forward to bring both hands to bear, slamming his fists into the iceberg, the unholy flames and the impact itself threatening to split the entire mass in twain. "GURAH! GURAAAH! GURAAAAAAAOH!" An column of violent, violet energy erupts from the fissure, threatening to swallow Ryu whole even as Iori lurches to his right for balance. He could very easily fall the heck off the iceberg after a feat like that, after all.

Swallowed whole, chomped up a bit, and then spat back out is more like it. The chi-flames don't melt the ice as quickly as one would hope, and Ryu gets the full blender treatment before being blasted away from the iceberg, as surely as it's blasted apart. The cold water might be a blessing, if it weren't /so/ cold, but thankfully... unconsciousness is fast on the way. Floating on the icy waters himself, now, the medical teams are quick to move in to work at fishing the World Warrior out of the water. Yagami, on the other hand... while, his head is above water to hear the announcer proclaim him the victor.

Steadying himself upon the iceberg as he watches Ryu get blasted away, Iori wipes his brow upon his sleeve. A few quick steps to the interior of the berg become necessary -- the entire mass is still swaying from the tremendous blast, after all, and if he'd stayed where he -was-, he'd fall into the drink as well. Once the rocking and shaking stops, though, Iori chuckles, leaning forward upon one knee as he peers down at Ryu. "You can thank your friend Masters for the dip in the water. Do be sure and tell him he's =next= on the list, when you speak to him next."
As he's proclaimed the winner, he tucks his thumbs into his pockets, turning to stride calmly in the direction of the cruise liner. There'll be a boat there, eventually, but Iori is rarely interested in sticking around for theatrics. "Good fight..." he mumbles under his breath, but it's unlikely any one is going to hear it.

Log created by Iori, and last modified on 09:03:07 12/29/2005.