Description: The stage is set, the band begins to play... and Iori makes Punxsutawney, PA pay for their winter-lengthening ways. By blowing up the band's speaker system and making a sizeable dent in the town hall. /With his back/. (Draw Match)
Punxsutawney Phil got -terrified- of his own shadow this year. Not that it matters to the residents of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania -- they can rest comfortably with the knowledge that their tourist income will be enough to keep them in business for the next year or so. All they've gotta do is make sure Gobbler's Knob doesn't, y'know, get destroyed or anything, right?
Which... may be a bit of a problem with the two new arrivals to the town. They're off in the town square, a good distance away; streets are marked off for the special occasion. What occasion? Why... one of the top fighters in the world squaring off with the red-haired bad boy Iori Yagami, of course. And wherever he goes, stuff breaks!
A small rock band is stationed off to the side. Oddly enough... Iori's =request=. It's rare that he has any, just preferring to get the matches over with, but he has a feeling that this fight with Terry Bogard might be fun. A casual smirk crosses his lips as he strides into the center square, the healthy swagger in his step punctuated by a strumming bassline and 'dramatic license' by the lead guitarist. Oh yeah, and the announcer's sucking it up too. "It's been well over a month since we've seen Iori Yagami here in the Neo League, but he's made a triumphant return... with the hopes of knocking Terry Bogard into next year! A big round of applause, everyone!"
COMBATSYS: Iori has started a fight here.
Interesting. At first, Terry was a little reluctant to leave Southtown at short notice for a bout in Ken Masters' Neo League. If truth be told he'd only tossed his name into the proverbial hat so he could get a shot at the organiser himself - anything else was a bonus, in his mind. He doesn't have much problem finding challengers on a purely unofficial basis, and the winnings have long since ceased to matter right along with the fame. Reaching a celebrity peak back in the third King of Fighters tournament was accomplishment enough, but more for the battle itself than any associated repute.
However. Iori Yagami has a way of drawing interest from the best in the business. As if being Kyo Kusanagi's venemous rival weren't enough, he's proven himself time and again by taking down some of the globe's most dominating fighters. From the flaming scion himself right through to that self-same German warlord... who wouldn't want to match their skills against Yagami? Right. So the Hungry Wolf has come out to play, leaning up against a wooden fence just a short distance away from his opponent once the redhead swaggers out to meet him. He can't deny the band is a damn fine touch, and he's wearing an amused smile as his Converse-clad foot taps against the grass.
"Long time no see, Yagami." He murmurs after a moment, waiting for Iori to find his own position before moving to join, pushing off from the fence and unhooking thumbs from beltloops - running through a few minor stretches as he walks. A crick of the neck here, an uncurling of the fingers there, and finally two quick hops off his heels once he's standing just outside striking distance. "You got a good sense of style. Care to match that with your fightin'?" Firing out a small, only slightly cocky smirk, he stretches out one hand to make a swift beckoning motion, then falling back into his habitual fighting stance. Well-rooted, but deceptively loose. Not a million miles from Yagami's own. "C'mon!"
COMBATSYS: Terry has joined the fight here.
Yeah. Iori's taken down a few of the big boys. Though... he's got to work on his strategy for Kyo a bit more before their next fight. In a way... that selfish desire is really what -motivates- him to fight, to continually up the ante with his challenges. And that's =one= reason he's here now, and genuinely pleased to be fighting Terry.
Not that he's dead-set on -showing- it or anything. That'd be kinda lame, and it'd kill his bad-boy image. "Mm," concedes the Orochi halfblood, with a nod. Cocky smirk? Yeah, he can do that too.
And he's also not above starting the fight off right -- first with a nod to the band. The opening riffs to 'Welcome to the Jungle' resonate through the crisp Pennsylvania air as Iori gives Terry a cocky smile, doffing his trenchcoat and slinging it to the side. He doesn't give a damn where it lands... but really, it looks more like a matador's toss as he then charges straight into a dashing right cross to Terry's cheek. Apparently... he's in agreement! "WHOOOAAOH!"
COMBATSYS: Terry interrupts Strong Punch from Iori with Light Kick.
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Terry 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Iori
God forbid anyone show honest pleasure in fighting! Though actually, the sentiment is detected well enough and appreciated for what it is... clearly these men have their differences, but that doesn't matter. This is about fighting, not getting all buddy-buddy in a bar somewhere. Terry's feeling here is a little less of a stretch than he forced against the dreaded Rugal Bernstein, but to all intents and purposes it is in the same vein - Yagami's proven himself capable of being both civil and interesting. Inside a fight and out. So to hell with hard feelings. Kyo isn't his problem anyway.
"Ha!" Barking out a short laugh as the band strike out with pure white trash American hard rock, the Wolf's judgement is proven right enough. Shaking his head briefly, the amusement fades away to a casual focus as he watches the redhead barrel in toward him with surprising speed. A display he is only too pleased to match, already twisting his upper body and presenting a roll of the cheek to see Iori's blow merely glance across soft flesh. Any brief pain is forgotten as Terry continues moving, dropping down low and kicking out with a lighting fast sweep kick. Enough to stagger his opponent backward without causing any considerable damage.
"Bring it on!" Grinning as he flows back up to his feet, bouncing one more time upon ready heels. "I reckon you can do a /lot/ better than that, Yagami." Beckoning once more, the Southtown legend raises his guard, watching for the next move from behind clenched fists and the shadow of his eternal hat.
Yeah, showing your true emotions just ain't the =manly= thing to do. Er, not Iori's world anyway. He may be playing G&R right now, but he's still a Crawling In My Skin kinda guy deep down, y'know.
Swept off his feet, Iori nonetheless finds himself rolling the maneuver, dusting himself off as he twists back up to his feet. "Could, yes." comes his tacit response... but lest his ferocity be questioned, he closes right back on Terry, making a full 360 revolution as he leaps forward, his unfurled talons dragging a wide arc of purple flames through the air There's no pot of gold at the end of this rainbow though -- with any luck, Terry's face will be on the receiving end of that palm strike of flaming death. "OOOOOORAAAAOGH!"
COMBATSYS: Terry blocks Iori's Tsumagushi.
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Terry 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Iori
Terry asks, and he receives. Watching his opponent recover gives a good chance to observe his speed and agility; there's no question that Yagami might well have the edge there. They might be pretty evenly matched, overall. Which just means the blonde brawler will have to think on his feet that much quicker. Leaving his guard firmly raised, feet planted square to the floor until the last possible instant, he finds himself well prepared for the deceptive palm smash that comes his way - bearing a pretty handful of that famed magenta flame. "Alright..."
Murmuring the single word to himself rather than as any acknowledgement of Iori's apparent ability, the Wolf reacts in a sudden blinding motion, darting to one side with a dangerous overextension of his left side - that foot skidding through the grass as he remains unexposed long enough to take the attack firmly on crossed forearms. There's minor searing from the flame, but all in all... he's unscathed. Enough that once he keeps moving to come up in a ready position at his foe's open flank he finds himself perfectly placed to whip around a full three sixty himself. "CRACK.. SHOOT!"
Lashing out one foot as he cuts a tight somersault forward, Terry's heel blazes briefly with a spark of energy as it comes crashing down toward the back of Yagami's neck - it's a little risky should the man decide to continue in his motions rather than redirecting, but where's the gain without risk?
COMBATSYS: Iori fails to interrupt Crack Shoot from Terry with Oniyaki.
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Terry 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Iori
Risk, risk, risk. That's one thing Iori's very strategy is contingent upon. No guts, no glory and all that. Which might explain why Iori doesn't exactly move to withdraw after his palm strike is stopped cold -- simply pulling his hand back and gauging Terry's defenses for an opening.
And for a moment, Iori thinks he -sees- that opening. Against someone of a lesser caliber, Yagami might have been successful in his plan, lighting purple plumes of flame from his palms with an aim to catch the airborne Bogard in a fiery twin helix. But... it's just not meant to be, as the true Crack Shoot crashes down onto his neck in mid-motion, the halfblood's hands losing their fire as he's smashed into the ground. It could have hurt -more-, admittedly... but that was still a positively solid blow -- as should be obvious from the way Iori log-rolls to the side, before kipping back to his feet. One hand snaps back to rub at the back of his neck as he glares back at Terry. "... Well played." A light snort, at that.
Iori's strategy has already revealed itself... he's been taking an offensive role this far, and everything about the man screams that this should be so. Which gives the Hungry Wolf a couple of options, one of which is decidely less exhilarating than the other. He could stand back, weather the assaults and lash out with concentrated strikes of low to middling power - or he could meet fire with fire. This is exactly the plan now as his heel /slams/ into Yagami's exposed collarbone, dropping the bearer of flame and giving Terry ample time to rebound and make a quick recovery crouch.
Pushing himself back to his feet, a light chuckle emanates from the blonde as the band keep their playing behind him, another guitar solo currently cranked out with a meaty vigour. "I do my best," he replies to the compliment, reaching up to adjust his cap with one hand. But even while he makes this casual gesture, the gleam in those bright blue eyes is telling of a an entirely different intent.. as is the slight tension creeping back into his well-muscled form.
"Better start doin' yours!" Flashing a wide grin designed purely to ruffle the Orochi-blood's feathers, Terry breaks out a fresh offensive, taking a single step forward and then launching himself into a high leap, wrenching himself against gravity to twist his body around. As he flies in sidelong, one leg lashes outward with intent to catch Iori full across the face with a solid kick. "HAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Iori blocks Terry's Medium Kick.
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Terry 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Iori
Stoking the flames? "Mm." comes Iori's tacit reply. He's not -displeased- at the fight... not -yet- anyway. Treating Terry like any other adversary was clearly his -first- mistake. A more defensive tack may be in order -- and accordingly, Yagami steps backwards, raising his left forearm to meet the kick and knock it away from his face. Don't mess with the face.
The band isn't exactly -singing- for this song though... it's just an instrumental variant, so as not to distract the fighters. But it =does= act as a good measure of tempo -- one which Iori puts to good use, taking two step backwards with the blow before slamming forward with a twisting kick, aiming to bring it laterally across to crash into Bogard's side, just after landing. "GURAAAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Terry endures Iori's Light Kick!
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Terry 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Iori
"Oof!" Thrown off-balance in the air, Terry's kick was expected to have a greater effect than that - clearly Yagami's made of sterner stuff. Not many men could easily raise a guard after having that particular area of the body targeted in such harsh fashion, but then.. this fight was meant to be a challenge and it's not disappointing.
Rolling with his forced redirection as best he can, the Wolf manages to get himself into a half-crouch - stumbling slightly but still upright and very much in the fight once Iori's foot comes slamming in toward his side. Gritting his teeth hard, Bogard swings himself in the same direction as the blow, timing his motions in the same rhythm to coincide with the exact moment of contact - and while it still hurts like a bitch, the gambit pays off. Breaking into motion with an incoherent warcry, he flings himself forward to circle briefly around Iori... burning the last of his sidelong momentum before charging right under his opponent's guard, a flash marking his passage as chi explodes from within. "OVERSHOOT.." Ducking down low, he aims to get a good heavy shoulder in underneath Yagami's ribcage, before suddenly launching himself upward off tensed legs. And then?
That proves only the beginning.
Whipping his opposite arm up in a brutal uppercut, flipping his body around and pulling away from Iori just enough to set himself up for what follows, Terry gives the redhead an ideal chance to taste his own flames. Perhaps there's no tricky elemental stuff involved, but this man is no slacker. The searing force with which his rising fist connects is augmented fully by red-gold sparks. But this, this is nothing compared to the final stage in the manuever.
"GEYSAAAAH!!"
Coming down shortly before his opponent, Terry's arm is perfectly placed to strike firmly downward, knuckles /slamming/ into the ground with a devastating thud. This act prompts an explosion of energy, a massive pillar erupting from around the contact point to engulf the airborne Yagami in a column of pain.
COMBATSYS: Terry successfully hits Iori with Overshoot Geyser.
- Power hit! -
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Terry 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Iori
Iori backs away from his kick, nodding his assent as Terry rolls with the blow. It =was= a bit more powerful than it looked, granted... but Iori really wasn't expecting a retaliation of -that- caliber. Once again, he seems to have grossly underestimated Bogard's potential in this fight.
Though, to his credit, he doesn't shy away from the attack, instead rushing up to meet it head on. And, in some small measure, that seems to count for something -- if only to take the sting out of that heavy shoulder ram. The rest... well. There ain't a whole lot he can do about that except buckle up and -hold on-.
Flung into the air, the Orochi halfblood tenses sharply in expectation for the inevitable fall. He... wasn't expecting to -crack the pavement- when he landed though -- and for one -very- brief split-second, Yagami even loses consciousness. He lies on the pavement for all of about a second or two before snapping sharply back to his feet, with a mild groan. Not that he's about to vocalize anything after -that- hit. Instead... well, he makes a wild charge back at Terry, this time plunging into a rapid one-two blow, hoping to catch the man unawares -- as unlikely as that might sound. "GURAAAAAOH!"
COMBATSYS: Terry endures Iori's Quick Punch.
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Terry 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0 Iori
Never underestimate the humble pizza delivery boy. How many men have learned that lesson against Terry Bogard? The tally has to be some way past 'too many to count' by this stage, particularly when factoring in the earlier years after his father's death. An opponent's estimation can be a weakness in itself, even a weapon for those willing to use it... though there's hardly such intent in the Wolf. He expects most know what he is, how he got there, and exactly what he's capable of - and if they don't know, then they soon find out when he brings out the big guns. Win or lose, he makes an impression.
Iori's hardly holding back in that department either though, with these insanely quick strikes carrying a power that runs far beyond deceptive into sheer 'WTF' territory. So while it takes Yagami time to recover... time he is given by Terry, who waits hunkered down in his crouch, blue eyes fixed upon his briefly broken foe... his subsequent assault is not harmed for his ordeal. Cracking a slight smile, the blonde rises to his feet with guard once more rising in preparation; but then falling away, gloved hands hanging limp at his sides as he allows the two strikes to plow into him.
"Ngh." Gritting his teeth once more, Bogard staggers backward with the sheer force, sucking in a deep breath as he draws a hand back behind him. "BURN.." Light flares outward, reddish gold energy whirling about his tightened knuckles before coalescing into a single white-hot nimbus about his fist's striking surface. "KNUCKLE!" Launching himself forward the short distance back to the redhead, Terry hauls his arm around to present the fiercely burning fist, aiming for devastating contact with the sternum...
COMBATSYS: Iori blocks Terry's Burn Knuckle.
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Terry 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Iori
Oh, 'cuz it's 'burning' and it involves 'knuckles'. Bah. Iori never got into that whole 'announce your move' schtick. He's always been satisfied with random screams, as opposed to some highly orthodox called shot. In the mind of the berserker, it's ore effective to just haul off and whack someone, rather than fitting to some pre-ascribed notion of what the move should be. F--- the establishment, show the Man!
Wait, Iori =is= the Man. That's how he's able to step sharply to the side, raising his foream and almost -casually- deflect the rushing punch. "So much for your 'best'..." he comments dryly, rushing forward with an aim to bash his fist into Terry's cranium. No called shots, just one good hard smash to the noggin, followed by a low underhand punch to the gut. "GURAAAAAAOH!"
COMBATSYS: Terry blocks Iori's Strong Punch.
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Terry 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Iori
"Who said it was my best?" Terry returns with a smirk as he spins around to face Iori, recovering easily enough from his trademark technique to bring up a solid guard before that crashing strike. Pushed back a short distance by the impact, all the same he takes it as well as might be expected.. retreating a few steps as he lowers his arms to a more casual position. Breathing in deeply for a few moments, he keeps his gaze fixed upon Yagami, offering no further banter nor deigning to charge in immediately.
Quite the opposite. Bringing his hands to his front, the Hungry Wolf adjusts each of his gloves in turn, not removing the target from his sights for one instant but focusing deeply. Such is his resolve that a slight flicker of energy begins to dance in a wide circle about his sneaker-clad feet. When he's done gathering himself he is already back in fighting stance, all expression gone from his face beside steely concentration - they're only halfway through, but at this point? It gets that bit more serious.
COMBATSYS: Terry gathers his will.
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Terry 1/----===/=======|=======\-------\1 Iori
Chuckling darkly at Terry's comment, Iori finds himself nodding in assent. Nothing saying he can't be honest on occasion, after all. Though... there is some mild concern that he might be conceding too much to Terry, by giving him the opportunity to refuel his flames. Clearly, he isn't being offensive enough. "... you're obviously not putting your full heart into this fight..." he notes, casting his hand to the side as a small blossom of orchid flame sprouts into existence. "Maybe you need some more motivation." Much like Terry was at the start of the fight, Iori's fanning the flames here, trying to get Terry worked up and unsettled. It... might just have the -opposite- effect, but Iori's willing to take what he can get. Sweeping his hand across his body, he sends the blossom rippling across the ground towards Terry, carving a light gulley behind it as it travels. It looks like just a simple flame...
Until Iori speaks the word, "CRASH!", at which points the very heavens open up, and a gigantic bolt of lightning crashes down to meet it. And then a second... and a third, threatening to envelop Terry whole.
Also, one of the speakers blows up from the lightning. The band looks a mite pissed about that.
COMBATSYS: Terry blocks Iori's Ya Sakazuki.
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Terry 1/--=====/=======|-------\-------\0 Iori
"You might be right."
Terry's response this time comes in a slightly darker tone, though still the ghost of a grin steals across the blonde's features. Watching Yagami carefully, he actually then begins to advance - taking a single step forward and maintaining his guard, fists curling and uncurling once in preparation for whatever might follow. "Maybe I do, Yagami. God knows a guy can never have enough! C'mon." Lips curling a little higher upward, he takes another half-step, drawing in a breath and then immediately glancing upward as that plume is flung to the ground. He's seen footage of this one.. though truth be told he was barely paying attention. You never get the full measure of a man from simply observing. Still. He's seen this before, and he's got that little extra edge as a result.
"...hah..." The single, breathless sound goes some way to describing the rather desperate moment as he's met not only with that travelling spark but also the triple strike of thunder from above, threatening to engulf him in Iori's full fury. At the last possible juncture, the Hungry Wolf glows with a vibrant light, golden chi pouring out in an answering flash as he flings his arms up before him, hunkering down into a crouch where he can weather the storm. It strikes him, and hard, but when the chi dissipates to leave a fading mist... Bogard rises to his feet coolly, something wrapped in one gloved hand. A relic of the ravaged earth beneath him.
"That.. that was pretty good. Glad I came, man." Abruptly breaking into motion, Terry takes a lunging step forward, whipping him arm around in a straight pitch - hand releasing its burden at the last moment to send a superheated chunk of rock whipping out for Iori's forehead. "Glad I came!" Grinning, the blonde brawler follows in behind his makeshift projectile at a dead sprint, looking to close with his opponent as soon as possible... no harm in riling him up a bit beforehand, right?
COMBATSYS: Iori endures Terry's Thrown Object.
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Terry 1/--=====/=======|=------\-------\0 Iori
The band members are a bit unnerved by that, but after some quick adjustments, they're right back where they left off in the song! Much like... Iori's right back into the rhythm, even as Terry's whipping a hunk of rock towards him. This... =could= go better.
But it could also go a hell of a lot worse than what actually happens: Iori lurches forward, bashes his forehead into the chunk of pavement, and continues plowing on towards Terry.
With what, per se? With a balls-to-the-wall punch to the jaw, that's what. "GURAAAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Terry fails to interrupt Quick Punch from Iori with Power Geyser.
- Power hit! -
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Terry 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Iori
Berserking the berserker? Possibly not the best tactic in the entire world. But still Terry seems intent on doing exactly that, charging in to meet Iori without any of his opponent's screaming but with plenty of moxy all the same. It's an exhilarating moment, and by the time the Wolf has Yagami exactly where he wants him his pulse is pounding, adrenaline flooding his veins.
See, the entire charge is a fakeout, designed to lull the redhead into a headlong rush and then hammer him with something huge. Which is exactly what Terry rounds up to do scant feet away, dropping down to a half-crouch and drawing back his right fist - a cry building on his lips even as a positively blinding energy gathers about his raised knuckles. Then the shout is cut off by the introduction of a fist to his face, the massive shot jerking his head back and then plowing him clean off his feet to land heavily on his back. "...huh."
Reaching up rub at his jaw, the blonde is a little slow to push himself back upright, then doing so into a quick, defensive crouch with arms raised and burning gaze fixed upon his foe. He can't waste too much time here - just preparing for that took a lot out of him. While this may not be about winning... he'll still acquit himself as best he can.
Smirking back at Terry as his punch lands home -- a rather -potent- punch at that -- Iori nonetheless realizes the turn of fate that allowed him to hit. One split-second off either way, and he'd have eaten a faceful of flaming fury, that's for damn sure -- and Yagami is quick to realize it. "Heh." It's a tacit acknowledgement, but if nothing else -- Iori's not -gloating-. That should say enough.
Though... by his estimate, he =does= have Terry on the ropes here. No sense in going halfway -- "This ends now, Bogard!" And Iori surges forward, slashing his arm overhead in a broad stroke, aiming to tear his talons across Terry's face -- just before stepping forward into another step, sharply reversing direction to bring the back of his fist cracking against his shoulder. And with any luck... knocking him to the ground. "GURA-GUROOOOOOAH!"
COMBATSYS: Terry dodges Iori's Yumebiki.
A split-second might be all it took.. but that stands testament to Iori's skill every bit as much as that of his opponent. Fighting is not solely about luck - that's just one minute factor when placed next to strength, speed and gracef of movement. Still. Perhaps in another battle that might have hammered home as planned by the Hungry Wolf. It doesn't change a thing about today.
"Where've I heard that before?" Terry offers with a smirk, keeping himself focused upon Yagami as the man screams his challenge and surges forward. The movement is quick, no doubt about it.. a speed to make most quiver in their boots, shortly before becoming a dirty smear upon the road's surface. On this occasion, it's just not fast enough. As Iori's hand comes around to slice and tear, there is suddenly no sign of his opponent beside a red flash as the elder Bogard reacts that much quicker - throwing himself forward into an evasive roll, springing deftly off one shoulder to come to his feet scant inches from the redhead.
"Hmph," Pausing only to give a quick shrug, loosening himself up for what follows, Terry throws himself right back into action toward Iori's side - right fist swinging forward at hip height to nail his foe right in the gut, before the left swings out a little higher, hoping to catch him as he staggers with a crunching hook to the nose. "Huh... HAH!"
COMBATSYS: Iori blocks Terry's Fierce Punch.
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Terry 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Iori
Grr. That should have knocked the guy over, really. Maybe if it'd =hit him=. There goes Yagami with the underestimation again.
Stepping backwards, he's ready for the punches that follow -- the lower met with an open palm, the higher met with a swivelled forearm. "Hmph," comes the reply in a startling bout of parallelism between the two experienced fighters.
Though... with victory so close, Iori is starting to get a little frustrated. There's more than one way to skin a Bogard -- and that's exactly what Iori attempts, lashing out with... well, not a punch, but that same forehead that'd cracked through pavement before. Only this time... it's headed squarely for Bogard's own forehead, as the Orochi halfblood aims to put him down for the count. "RNNNNNGH!"
COMBATSYS: Terry dodges Iori's Quick Punch.
It should have knocked Terry over, as should almost anything at this late stage - but he shows little sign either of fatigue or injury. He just keeps driving himself onward until he can push no further - something which can take far longer than many would anticipate. Underestimation really is a bitch. But the Wolf isn't basking in this moment of excellence, and even while his strikes are blocked with skill to match his own there is no hint of quit. The blonde simply takes a step back, pulling his fists up ready for the next attack.
Which reveals itself in unconventional form. A headbutt? It draws a soft snort of amusement, and /almost/ distracts Terry from his task. He wasn't expecting this, but he can still be ready for it. Weaving to one side with deceptive speed, plastic heels shrieking a protest, he shifts around until he's only the barest distance from Yagami's overextended form. "Y'know..."
Speech tailing off, the pause comes with a dynamic rotation of Bogard's own body, torso shielded with defensive arms as his right leg lifts. Rocking back onto his one point of balance the Wolf yields a grunt of effort as he hammers his heel upward with intent to plant it firmly against Iori's chest. Should that work he'll keep pushing hard until the redhead is driven back or clean off his feet... less about sheer force, but more persistence. This done, he retreats a step, drawing a hand back over his mouth as a trickle of blood belatedly works itself up from within. "Your throat must get damn sore at night, Yagami."
COMBATSYS: Iori interrupts Medium Kick from Terry with Quick Punch.
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Terry 1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Iori
Iori =always= screams. He doesn't give a damn about pain -- if he did, it's doubtless he'd be kicking the crap out of people for money. And =losing= in =spectacular fashion=, no less. And since he doesn't care about pain... he doesn't particularly care that there's a kick coming towards him. The fact of the matter is... Terry is =doggedly= persistent. And if he has to lean forward, reaching =over= that kick to ram a hamfist into Bogard's jaw, so be it! Reeling to the side from pain is the price he pays for getting a solid hit in.
He cradles his stomach with one arm, breathing raggedly as he stares back at Bogard, wordlessly. Could this be the end?
Pain is only a mindset - a passing thing easily suppressed through sheer confidence or via a rather more subtle act of will. Experienced warriors like Terry and his opponent know this only too well.. it's just one of those things you pick up along the way. Some learn it before they even bother taking up arms, during childhood for one angst-filled reason or another. The Wolf is one of these, though he's the least likely person to ever relate any sob stories without some damn fine reason. Why should he? He's doing good.
But all the will in the world can't keep a body going beyond /all/ rational limits. Somewhere, somebody has to draw a line... everyone has a stopping point, that single moment where their mind and physical form unite in a plainly phrased negative. What is a human but a very complex machine, after all? Everything can be broken. For Terry, that point has not quite yet been reached - even as Yagami's fist hammers into his chin for a second time, his kick barely completed before he's reeling back to land heavily across his shoulders. Grunting briefly in pain before it can be forced aside, he manages to spring back to his feet in a tight flip, ignoring the red-hot sensation stirred down his back by the effort this takes. Then through it all, he grins.
"Well.. they told me y'were good. Guess now," he takes a step forward, drawing back to his full height before taking another. Reaching down to make one quick, tugging adjustment to the glove upon his right hand, he's then suddenly right inside Iori's personal space, dropping to an offensive crouch and then rising with a vicious momentum. "We go /one last time/!" There's little set-up this time, and though the manuever is similar to one he's already shown.. the execution is altered, the simple cleaving upward of a right uppercut all the warning Yagami is given. Should the blow lift him off his feet? Well...
COMBATSYS: Terry can no longer fight.
COMBATSYS: Terry successfully hits Iori with Overshoot Geyser.
- Power hit! -
[ \\ <
Iori 0/-------/=======|
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It does. Terry's raised fist blazes with a bright glow as it /rips/ into Yagami's chest and neck, and the blinding flash of energy when it hammers into his jaw causing a gasp from the nearby audience. Spinning about in the air, the Hungry Wolf moves with a fair grace - all things considered - and in the preparation of his follow-up it's quite clear he's still grinning away, quite safe in the knowledge he's given his opponent one hell of a fight. But he has one last gift to give.
"SYAAAAAAAH!" Dispensing with the usual cry, what erupts is a clear, loud shout pumped with every last ounce of his fighting spirit - perfectly kiai'ing the positively huge red-gold column that bursts up from the ground, spreading out across the area to not only fully engulf the airborne redhead but cause the combatants to vanish from view for several moments... and when it fades, Terry remains crouched, barely holding himself up through the efforts of that one striking fist. He's shaking, breathing heavily, but the eyes remain bright; roving about to track the movements of his opponent.
If he's standing after /that/ one... all bets are off.
And for the man who thought he'd already won the battle... well. Iori didn't exactly expect =that=, now. Blasted in the chest, knocked backwards, limbs flying every which way as he flails for control.... yeah. That... that was a little unexpected, to say the least. There's something about Terry Bogard that just can =not= be quelled, no matter =how= much of a lead one may have. And Iori... now he knows that firsthand.
Now that he's embedded in the midst of an Iori-shaped indention in the wall of City Hall. He slumps forward slightly, catching himself with his hand... but his attempts at consciousness are short-lived at best, and he falls over onto his side, utterly spent.
COMBATSYS: Iori takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Iori can no longer fight.
"Holy crap."
That just about says it all. Terry's words are faint enough not to be picked up on any cameras present, just a breathed whisper coming forth with an astonished shake of his head. It takes a few things to make a legend, and this... this just might be one of those. As the crowd continues to hold its breath, waiting for any sign of movement from the air, any signal that they have a victor present... the eyes of the Hungry Wolf flicker shut, and he slumps forward, trembling arm giving way to pitch him flat onto the floor.
The crowd might have to wait a while.
Log created by Terry, and last modified on 07:07:55 02/05/2006.