Description: The shrine in Southtown's forest has seen many fights between the world's elite. This time, it's a clash between Acacia and Daisuke. Rock, Paper, Scissors. Rock beats Scissors. Right? Well, Acacia hits hard. But the swordsman hits harder. (Winner: Daisuke)
Evening. The last rays of the setting sun filter through the treetops, casting their light over the forest shrine. The old Shinto place of worship is a favourite spot among the many martial artists of Southtown, so it isn't surprising to see one here. Acacia Gillespie, teenage fighter from Gedo High, stands along the stone walkway. Feet spread, firmly planted against the crumbling ground. Arms folded, eyes watching the trees...she waits. Waiting for someone, it seems.
She's not alone. Two men watch, nearby, nearly invisible beneath the treeline. Men in the uniform of the Masters Neo League, officials here to witness the match. Acacia's challenge to Daisuke.
Acacia doesn't know the ninja well. Doesn't know much about him. She's fought alongside him before, in both tournament and true combat. But that doesn't mean he's a friend. But it -does- mean...that Acacia knows he's strong.
And that's what she's looking for, today. A strong opponent. A challenge.
Not too much later after Acacia arrives at the designated area, there's a rustle in the trees off to one side of the clearing. This particular ninja has a fascination with traveling by trees, it seems. A pair of silent feet light atop a low branch, and the rest of Daisuke follows shortly after, grabbing the branch and swinging down to land on the ground.
Daisuke steps forward, walking into the center of the clearing where the light is better. He looks at Acacia with impassive eyes, the only part of his face visible. "Been a while," is all he has to say, before he turns his head and gives a short, sharp cough. That done, he reaches for his back, sliding his sword out of its sheath carefully. "You know what you're getting into, right?"
Acacia growls, biting back a flash of irritation. She gives Daisuke a sharp look, not quite sure whether the ninja boy is being arrogant...or sincerely worried. Or just making what passes for small talk, among their kind. Not knowing for sure...Acacia takes the comment at face value, and replies: "I do..."
She gives a nod of acknowledgement, her mouth settling into a thin line. Unfolding her arms, she raises them in front of her. Half-gloved hands curling, tightening into fists. Booted feet slide across the old flagstones as she turns her left side to face Daisuke.
"...do -you-?"
COMBATSYS: Acacia has started a fight here.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Acacia takes no action.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|
It could be arrogance, could be something else. The question was delivered in a flat tone of voice. It's a question he usually asks; after all, he does use a big pointy sharp stick, and leaving a fight with a multitude of cuts and slashes is a different matter than leaving it bruised from punching. There's no punches pulled in any of Daisuke's fights; no trying to avoid grevious injury. It's weak, and serves only to limit oneself for no good reason. Seishirou taught him that.
Daisuke gives a shrug, holding his sword out to his side. "Does it matter?" Other than that, he stands mostly at ease, merely taking a few slow, deep breaths. With the possibility of a coughing fit mostly under control, Daisuke shifts his feet slightly, a running stance held very slightly before he does kic off. The ninja rockets across the clearing toward Acacia, sword drawn in toward his body and held with both hands. If she doesn't move or take action t defend herself, as he passes her he's going to flick that blade out and try to cut her across the side of her waist. More like a shallow slice than any deep gash.
COMBATSYS: Daisuke has joined the fight here.
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Acacia 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daisuke
COMBATSYS: Acacia endures Daisuke's Weapon Jab.
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Acacia 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Daisuke
"Depends," Acacia replies. She watches Daisuke, as he begins his charge. Watches him, as he sets his sword, watches him as he bursts into motion. She, though, keeps still. Standing on the weathered stones leading up to the heart of the shrine, pitted granite beneath her boots. A second, a single breath...and Daisuke's beside her, the edge of his blade tearing through her jacket. Fibers parting beneath the steel, Daisuke's sword reaching to draw blood from the girl's flesh.
She doesn't flinch.
Instead, she snaps an arm up, twists it around...and before the ninja's blade slips free of the wound...she drives an elbow toward -his- body. Hard, fast, with speed and force.
"Depends," Acacia repeats, "on who wins, who loses."
COMBATSYS: Daisuke dodges Acacia's Mass Driver.
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Acacia 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Daisuke
Daisuke doesn't really answer; now in the thick of the fight, his concentration is on removing his opponent from the battlefield. The lack of a flinch gets his attention, and before she can drive that elbow into his gut (what there is of it), he pulls the nearest side of his body away by spinning on one foot. He steps behind Acacia when the spin is complete, then twists around again, this time dropping to one knee mid-spin, with the net effect having him on Acacia's other side. This time, he sweeps his blade up, dragging it along Acacia's side...and now this one is intended to be significantly more painful, cutting more deeply.
COMBATSYS: Acacia counters Medium Strike from Daisuke with Icon of Stone.
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Acacia 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Daisuke
He's fast.
Faster than Acacia. Though that's not saying much - she's far less agile, not as quick compared to most fighters of her level. Acacia realises that, that's -why- she pays so much attention when fighting people like Daisuke.
Because the ninja...is fast. Very fast. When he makes his move...Acacia's left, still looking in the direction he originally was, her arm still extended, elbow-first, in an aborted strike.
But then, Acacia was expecting that. She's well aware that Daisuke's now on her other side, coming in with his blade ready to deliver another slice, another cut. She's aware. And she's ready.
She isn't fast. In terms of acrobatic acts and feats of sheer agility. But she can move with deceptive fluidity, and that's what she does now, twisting her body, fractionally changing the profile presented to Daisuke as he swoops in. Acacia -slams- her other arm, intercepting the attack. Her forearm meets the flat of Daisuke's sword with the distinctive CRACK of bone against steel, a sound that rings across the forest clearing, echoing over the shrine grounds. For Acacia doesn't just deflect the blade, she strikes it hard enough to send a painful shock up and through the weapon. In her soft, quiet voice, Acacia murmurs, "...it depends."
The sudden abortion of his strike does send a painful shudder through Daisuke's arms; he may be deceptively strong enough to ninja around, but he's brittle enough that such a thing affects him noticeably. He takes a long leap backward, backflipping in the air and sheathing his sword as he does so. Landing on the ground, again in a kneeling position, he rubs his arms for a moment to assess the damage, then shrugs and holds two fingers up in front of his face.
In the area around Acacia, ghostly figures begin to materialize. Blue silhouettes of Daisuke, electricity randomly shooting through the image, crackling ominously. Eight figures settle into view at equidistant points around Acacia. They hover there for a second until all are fully formed, then at the silent will of their master, all eight converge on Acacia's spot at once, seeking to catch her in the center of a powerful chi explosion.
COMBATSYS: Daisuke successfully hits Acacia with Full Moon Dance.
- Power hit! -
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Acacia 1/------=/=======|=====--\-------\0 Daisuke
"Nnghh," Acacia hisses, laboured breath escaping from her lungs. She sways, unsteady...wisps of smoke rising from her battered body, in the aftermath of the massive blast. She remains...in the same spot where she begun the fight. She hasn't moved from it, all this while. Though maybe moving would have been a -good idea-, considering the sheer amount of -pain- Daisuke's technique managed to inflict.
A thin trickle of blood works its way down her face, from the corner of her mouth. Crimson droplets splattering against the stone. She coughs, sounding not unlike Daisuke.
The irony there isn't lost on Acacia. She turns the cough into a ragged laugh, as she draws breath, raising her head, turning, fixing Daisuke with a level gaze. "Touche..."
COMBATSYS: Acacia takes a breather.
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Acacia 1/------=/=======|=====--\-------\0 Daisuke
Though the mask hides his face, Daisuke's eyes still manage to reflect a smug satisfaction. "You're still on your feet," he offers, as if that's an encouragement. "Looks can be deceiving, can't they?" Daisuke stands up, studying Acacia for a brief moment, weighing his options...then reaches into his belt pouches.
From those, he draws about eight small kunai, each one gripped between two fingers. He holds his arms crossed in front of his body, taking aim...then in one fluid motion whips both hands forward, sending all the knives flying through the air, a hail of flechettes raining down on Acacia. They're aimed as precisely as he can get them, and hopefully all will find their mark.
COMBATSYS: Daisuke successfully hits Acacia with Large Thrown Object.
- Power hit! -
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Acacia 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Daisuke
They do.
And Acacia's not happy about that fact.
She's -still- standing. If barely. Her being on her feet...that's more a function of sheer bloody-mindedness than anything else. She grits her teeth, forcing away the pain. Ignoring the blades now studding her body, fresh blood oozing from many new wounds. She looks a little like a pincushion, now, a fairly macabre picture. Her face set in a rictus of mixed agony and sheer incandescent -annoyance-.
Not so much at Daisuke. Also at herself.
"Point," she grates, "-taken-."
The last word spat like a curse.
COMBATSYS: Acacia focuses on her next action.
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Acacia 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Daisuke
Daisuke watches grimly as all the knives hit their mark. It's a little torturous, but is Acacia can hurt him that badly by merely stopping his sword..is it that wise to get so close?
Daisuke draws his sword, holding it in an inverted grip, the blade flush with his arm. He holds that behind him and begins to pace a wide circle around Acacia, keeping his body twisted so as to keep an eye on her. Time to let her make a move, if she chooses.
COMBATSYS: Daisuke focuses on his next action.
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Acacia 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Daisuke
Acacia watches Daisuke prowl, catlike, circling her. In silence, now, without even the short sardonic statements that serve, for her, as witty banter. No, she just studies him, her eyes tracking his movements. She's hurt, bleeding. Prolonging this any further...no, it's certainly not to her advantage.
Acacia grits her teeth.
And makes a decision.
She watches Daisuke. As he steps round.
Wait for it. Wait for it.
Now.
Acacia uncoils, like a releasing spring. Muscles unleashing their energy, heedless of the kunai embedded in their flesh. The injuries, the wounds, they don't stop her...as she spins and lunges, blasting toward Daisuke. To crash into him, backhand him, with one raised forearm.
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits Daisuke with Immovable Object.
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Acacia 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Daisuke
The moment Acacia springs forward from her tensed state, Daisuke pauses in his circling, himself tensing, ready to counter her assault. But her dash toward him is slightly too fast for him to avoid, and he brings his sword around to try and blunt the attack, but the force of her backhand completely knocks him off his feet anyway, sending him spinning like a leaf through the air. He lands on the ground hard, a cloud of dust puffing up around his body.
Daisuke slowly pushes himself up from the ground, turning his head away from Acacia and pulling at his mask. The hacking cough is suddenly clearly heard, and if she would like some visuals, the blood that lands in the dirt should be ample enough. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and replaces the mask, turning to regard her critically. "My turn," he murmurs, and flicks his blade up so she can see the deep blue glow pulsing around the blade.
Daisuke levers himelf up into a crouch, and the blade erupts, the blue glow igniting into electric fire coursing up and down the blade, sparks dancing fiercely along the sharpened edge. Acacia has only a brief moment to glimpse the fire before Daisuke launches himself forward, afterimages blurring his position as he streaks by her. The blade whips around as as he passes by he aims to mimic the quick slash from the beginning of the fight, except that this one aims to strike deeper, the full force of his chi behind it.
COMBATSYS: Acacia counters Cosmic Rift Dance from Daisuke with Unyielding Stance.
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Acacia 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Daisuke
It strikes. Slicing through skin, drawing blood.
But not in the manner Daisuke intended.
No.
"You're good," comes Acacia's voice, almost inaudible beneath the crackling sound of Daisuke's chi, the dancing electric flame wreathing his blade. Acacia's voice is quiet, hushed, but still undeniably intense. "But...won't be beaten...that easily."
One of Acacia's arms hangs by her side, blood flowing from the kunai pinned through her shredded sleeve. Her other arm...is no less wounded. But it moves, regardless. And it's got Daisuke's sword in its grasp. Slender fingers curled round the blade, the edge slicing into a delicate palm. But somehow, -somehow-, stopping it dead.
It seems that Daisuke does not, in fact, flash by Acacia as quickly as he intended. Her grip on his blade stops him cold, his eyes wide with surprise as he stares at her. "Very well," he grunts. "The fight continues." His speech is raspy, breath starting to come hard for him. That explosion of power sapped a lot of his strength. But if he must continue to fight, he will.
Daisuke attempts to wrest his blade from her grip, twisting and sliding it out of her hand. His free hand dips back into his belt pouch and removes another kunai. Gripping that tightly, he attempts to drive it into her stomach; partly to attack, partly to offer a distraction so he can get his sword back and plan the next route of attack.
COMBATSYS: Daisuke successfully hits Acacia with Medium Strike.
- Power hit! -
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Acacia 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Daisuke
Acacia gasps, involuntarily. Hard not to do so, with a blade stabbing into your abdomen. She's tough enough that the injury is hardly fatal...but then, it's no laughing matter either, being impaled like that. She stumbles back, -finally- moving from the spot she began this fight in, reeling like a drunken sailor. Swearing like one, too, given what her involuntary gasp becomes - a hissed stream of lucid profanity. She takes a shuddering breath, fixing Daisuke with a look. Grudgingly, she mumbles, "...long as I'm upright, anyway."
A snort. "Which might not be long."
COMBATSYS: Acacia takes a breather.
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Acacia 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Daisuke
Daisuke frowns. Something about this entire fight isn't right. Aside from the couple of strikes Acacia's attempted, it's been more like him beating up on her without much retaliation. Granted, life is easier when your target doesn't strike back, but in a stand-up fight...well. It'd be more dishonorable for him to back off than not to exploit advantages when they appear. Very well, then.
Daisuke hops back to give himself a bit of room, then leaps up into the air, raising his sword above his head in both hands. He falls on Acacia's position swiftly, though naturally his move's been more than telegraphed. As he falls, he swings his sword down like an axe chopping wood, bringing it down upon Acacia.
COMBATSYS: Daisuke successfully hits Acacia with Fierce Strike.
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Acacia 1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0 Daisuke
A cry, wild and incoherent, escapes Acacia's lips. Agony, red hot and burning, piercing through even her considerable ability to block out such things. It -hurts-, damn well does. The sword lodging into her right shoulder with a sickeningly wet sound. Enough to cause her arm to hang limp and useless. The pain is nearly blinding, obscuring Acacia's vision, drawing tears. But while all she can see is a vague haze...that doesn't stop her from lashing out. No elegance here, no elegance left. She simply pulls her body free of the blade...drops down low. And tackles him. Her right arm might be useless now, but she's still got her left - leading with that, elbow, forearm, the rest of her body and momentum behind.
COMBATSYS: Acacia successfully hits Daisuke with Mass Driver.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Acacia 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\1 Daisuke
*CRACK*
The elbow smashes into Daisuke's chest dead center; the force of that fall had given Acacia the split second of inaction she needed. She collides full on with the ninja, sending him flying backward, his light weight allowing her to shove him all the way back into a tree, the entire thing shuddering as he slams into it. He stays there for a moment, eyes glazed over with pain, though his attire does well to hide the actual wounds.
With significant difficulty, he pushes himself up to a standing position. He sways slightly, sword hanging at his side, as he once more takes a few deep breaths, watching Acacia with lidded eyes. His grip tightens on his sword, and a shudder again racks his body...but the blade begins to glow again, ignites with that vicious blue fire. He raises the sword above his head, then takes a step forward and swings it down hard once more like an ax, despite Acacia not being anywhere near him. This time, though, the arc arrests when the sword is parallel to the ground, the blade pointing directly at Acacia..and the chi leaps off the blade, an ovoid mass of crackling, sparking electric chi ionizing the air around it as it crashes through the air toward its target.
COMBATSYS: Daisuke successfully hits Acacia with Ion Storm Dance.
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Acacia 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0 Daisuke
Light. Brilliant, bright...so harsh is the illumination cast by Daisuke's chi...that the League referees are forced to shield their eyes. So powerful, it chars the flagstones. -Completely- envelops Acacia, hiding her from view...
...until she bursts out the other -side- of the chi wave.
Eyes closed, breathing harsh. Her clothing in ruins, her body not much better. But moving. One booted foot pounding hard into the shrine ground, propelling her into the air. With the last of her strength, knowing this final effort will cost her everything she's got left...Acacia uses her own body as a projectile, crashing into Daisuke like an out-of-control locomotive.
But hit or miss, the fight's over for her. A fact evident in how, in the wake of her attack...she makes a small sound, and slides, collapses, limp to the ground.
COMBATSYS: Acacia can no longer fight.
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Daisuke 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Daisuke parries Acacia's Immovable Object!
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Daisuke 0/-------/------=|
Daisuke sheathes his sword, unable to hold its weight any longer. He watches Acacia plow through the electricity storm, and his eyes narrow. What kind of way is this for a ninja, to allow himself to be railroaded like thiss? Especially twice in a fight? He gives his head a short shake and tenses his legs, waiting for the right moment...
...And leaps up as Acacia approaches, reaching out to put his hands on her shoulders and flip over, letting the train pass safely underneath. His arms give way mid-flip, though, and he falls to the ground behind her. With a groan, he pushes himself up into a sitting position, eyes tracking onto his opponent just in case she has more for him...but sitting up she ain't. He lets out a slow breath, which collapses into yet more liquid-sounding coughs. Dammit.
Daisuke stands up, offering a slow, unsteady bow to Acacia. Shrugging off the officials' offers of medical attention, Daisuke limps off into the forest. He doesn't have it anywhere near as bad as Acacia does, though a rib or two is certainly broken. And that's why he asked her his question at the very beginning of the fight; only one would leave the ring with horrific cuts. It's simply not for him to hold back; that leads to loss.
COMBATSYS: Daisuke has ended the fight here.
Log created by Acacia, and last modified on 17:19:29 02/09/2006.