Description: On a tiny, tree-lined island at the top of the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara, Kula and Shenwoo team up against Sakura and... Kain Heinlein? (Winners: Sakura and Kain)
Waterfalls are one of the many beautiful wonders of nature, you know. Sure, they actually have a pretty mundane reason for existing... But that doesn't make them any less spectacular. The sheer power of the natural world, of such an incredible volume of water, is enough to make most normal human beings feel positively tiny in comparison.
Thing is? Shenwoo just can't appreciate it, not even a little. In fact, that sort of thing means absolutely nothing to the self-styled 'God of Battle', especially when he's getting ready for a fight. So while the spectators might be oohing and aahing at the tons of water falling down and making an awful lot of noise and mist, the brawler from Shanghai is just sitting on Goat Island, waiting. Someone more sensible than him would no doubt appreciate all the nature. Clear blue skies with some fluffy white clouds, all sorts of trees, and the falls in the background - not to mention the water all around. Shen, though... He just wants to have some fun and beat somebody up on TV.
"At least there's no turtle," the berserker mutters to himself, dark eyes hidden behind his sunglasses as he just... Sits in the grass on the island. The crews are set up, and there's even helicopters to capture the whole thing, so that the fans at home don't miss a moment of the crazy fighting action. All they need is for everyone to be in place, right? Right. "That was just weird," Shen adds, laying back on the grass with his hands folded under his head. At least it's a comfortable place to wait for things to get going.
There might not be a turtle, but there is a genetically altered clone hanging around! In fact, Kula's having the time of her life at the water's edge nearby where Shenwoo is sprawled out. She, for one, was highly impressed by the giant waterfalls, having spent most of the morning finding different spots to view them. Since it's actually summer, and not a giant ice cave, Kula's decided to dress a bit warmer. Dressed a bit bohemian, she has a white sleeveless blouse on with a tan, breezy skirt that goes down to her ankles. On her feet are a pair of sandles with butterfly clasps over the toes. Her head is adorned with a black beret, to make her more sympathetic to the 'not-French' French people she was told were everywhere in Canada. It makes sense, in Kula-logic.
The girl is currently kicking up sprays of water with her feet, holding up her skirt to knee-height. THIS is the girl that's been partnered with the "God of Battle?" Did he lose a bet, or something? Well, only the fight will tell what kind of combo the two make together, even if Kula is probably making the production crew scratch their heads as she laughs and plays, waiting for the fighters to all be ready and for the battle to start.
Sakura Kasugano, as folks know, is often late to her scheduled bouts. Usually it's no fault of her own, but occasionally... it's done on purpose.
Mainly because she *insisted* on riding the helicopter out, because the Horseshoe Falls are totally freaking her out. She has no problems throwing uppercuts =into= a waterfall, but falling *over* one is another story!
But her fans don't have to know about her peculiar quirks, and they're much less likely to call the tomboy chicken after she bungee-jumps off one of the camera helicopters! Soon after she vaults out, the cord pulls taut, aborting her descent just a couple dozen feet off the ground. Audience reaction? YUM.
But rather than bounce back up really high, she unhooks the cord and falls back to the ground, cutting one somersault before landing on one of the tiny island's tree branches. In typical Sakura fashion, she's hardly concerned about the fact that she's wearing her usual sailor uniform while standing ten feet higher than her opponents in this unusual match.
"Well, hey! Don't you two look comfortable!" she calls out to both Shenwoo and Kula, grinning ear-to-ear with unbridled overconfidence. "Hope you're ready to swim back!"
The roar of a boat motor heralds Kain's arrival onto the scene. Not all the equipment that's being used to record the fight is on the helicopters, so there are a number of small boats around that have been used to ferry people and equipment back and forth. Kain has taken the helm of one of these, swinging it around to come in parallel to the island. He doesn't bother to actually pull up and tie off a mooring, though. No, Heinlein simply leaps from the moving boat, landing lightly on the shore of the island. The boat, meanwhile, continues speeding off toward the waterfall. Hey, it's Geese's property. Kain certainly doesn't care what happens to it.
As the boat vanishes into the spray of the waterfall, Kain tugs at the cuffs of his suits sleeves, making sure the fit is adjusted properly. This should be an interesting fight. He's already fought against everyone here, so he has some idea of their fighting techniques. He's not much for working together with partners, but there shouldn't be many problems in that regard. (Well, except maybe for Sakura considering him to be an evil bastard.) "Well then. Since we're all here, I believe it's just about time to begin."
Similarly... Shenwoo's actually fought everyone else involved in this little match, at least once. He's not overly worried about Kula's ability to carry her own weight either, cute little girl act or no. Well, he /assumes/ it's an act, anyway. The fighter from Shanghai overall seems pretty unfazed by Sakura and Kain's dramatic arrivals, slowly sitting up and looking around over the rims of his dark sunglasses, and considering his team's two opponents in turn. Hmm. /Hmmm/. Could it be he's actually... Strategising? Naaaah.
"I'm not much for sitting around and appreciating the scenery anyway," Shen says, standing up and dusting off the seat of his leather pants, before tugging his gloves tighter. Who's most worth fighting? Who's going to provide him with the most fun? Objectively, he should probably go fight Kain, and let the two teen girls duke it out, but... Rolling his shoulders slightly, he settles his attention on Sakura, reaching up to take off his sunglasses. "Hey, you gotten any stronger since the last time we fought?" he wonders, before he gets things started - Shen cares rather little for things like 'official start times' and what-all - by... Whipping his sunglasses at the tree-bound girl? Surely K' is gonna sue!
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kain has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Kula has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
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Kula 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Sakura has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
An act? If only. If anything, Kula's got a rare case of fighting bi-polar disorder. And judging from the fact that her partner is Shenwoo, she can safely assume she's not going to act first. However, once Shenwoo shouts out and flings his sunglasses, Kula undergoes a total personality transformation as that NESTS programming kicks in. Hair shifting to blue, Kula jumps and lands on a patch of ice that forms underneath her, and kicks forward to slide around towards Kain before she crouches and then jumps, going at Kain's backside. With luck, he didn't expect HER to be his immediate opponent! And that'll let her form a blade of ice over her hand and slice it at the more powerful man. Unlike Shenwoo, she doesn't talk during her fights, instead letting her actions speak for her.
COMBATSYS: Sakura overcomes Thrown Object from Shenwoo with Large Hadouken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
Sakura could be equally content to admire the scenery, y'know... for maybe a minute or two! But she's perfectly happy to meet Shenwoo and Kula on their own terms. She glances over to note Kain's arrival, frowning a bit as she sees a perfectly good boat sail off to its doom. Poor thing, it never hurt anyone!
"Uh, sure! Now that you mention it!" quips the youngster, all primed to leap down and start this battle off right. But then she sees a projectile flung her way! Hey, it could be a knife or something! Y'never know with these trash-talking street gangsters! But her reflexes are trained faster than her mind, and in the blink of an eye her hands are whipping forward, a brilliant blue orb of flame hurtling out to swallow the projectile whole. "HADOOOOUKEN!"
It's only then that she sees a perfectly good pair of sunglasses explode in a shower of metal fragments and plastic. Poor thing, it never hurt anyone! The tumbling mass of energy keeps churning its way down towards Shenwoo, large enough to swallow him whole -- if he were to get in the way!
COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Kula's Jab Punch.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
The sudden flaring up of Kula's chi is pretty hard for Kain to ignore. And when Shen Woo flings his sunglasses at Sakura, it's pretty clear where Kula's going to go... They wouldn't both gang up on Sakura right away, right? Kain waits patiently as Kula closes in, letting her get into attack range before he suddenly spins around. His right arm snaps out, knocking Kula's strike aside, although the blade of ice does slice through the sleeve of his jacket.
Kain doesn't make any move to place himself in a better position to attack; striking while Kula is still in the process of following through on her own attack is more important. Kain shoves his right arm out to the side, trying to knock Kula's arm away and disrupt any attempts at a defense, before leaning in toward the girl. Blue chi flares up around his fist as he lashes out in a vicious right hook aimed at the side of Kula's head.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo dodges Sakura's Large Hadouken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
What a terrifying blast of chi! It's all huge and deadly and stuff! Unfortunately, it hits the ground pretty much harmlessly - except for some scorched earth - without so much as slowing down a little by virtue of hitting Shenwoo's meaty self... Because the brawler just wasn't present. In fact, one might ask themselves, 'where the heck did Shenwoo go, anyway?', and the fact of it is, the fighter from Shanghai is much more athletic than people might give him credit for, and he actually managed to jump right over it. The arc of this jump is, of course, bringing him down towards that tree where Sakura is still hanging out. "Yo," Shen says, that wolfish grin spreading across his features as he drops towards poor Sakura... And tries to punch her right in the face! Simple, but hopefully effective.
COMBATSYS: Kula dodges Kain's Fierce Punch.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
Kain has fought Kula before, but the girl has recently undergone a bit of remedial training. The lack of self-confidence she usually put out is gone, and instead of Kula's head being where the fist is, Kula seems to almost sense it from Kain's movements and is leaning just out of the way so while she feels a slight tingle from the chi as it goes by. Immediately, Kula reacts to the attacks by slamming a foot down to stop her movement, sending a surge of chi down to create an ice slick underneath her and Kain before she grabs the arm and attempts to flip him over her shoulder into the water. Maybe while he's taking a swim, he can see about whatever happened to Geese's boat!
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Sakura with Strong Punch.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
One =big= problem with her super-sized Hadouken is the fact that it is SO DARN BIG. It's impressive, sure, and a crowd-pleaser to boot... but it also obscures Sakura's own vision whenever she throws one. Which means that Shenwoo is free to leap right over it, and Sakura is at a significant disadvantage to see him until it's too late.
With Shenwoo's fist already embedding itself in Sakura's face, it is, indeed, too late. She'd flinched, trying to brace herself at the last possible instant, but even that wasn't enough! Sakura falls from the tree, narrowly avoiding landing hard upon her back by a reflexive twist to the side -- and even then, with hands and knees on the ground, she's not in the =best= position. And... with her face hidden from view, one hand clasping over her bloody nose, she might even be -- *gasp* -- in PAIN!
So maybe it's time to interrupt the icecapades over there with Kula. With a large gulp of air, she steels herself, before running into a sprint at Kula! Shenwoo all but forgotten, Kasugano leaps into a flying jumpkick aimed at knocking *Kula* off into the water, hoping Kain's distracting her! "Hyaaa!"
COMBATSYS: Kula successfully hits Kain with Medium Throw.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Kain
Kain attempts to hop back out of Kula's reach, but the reduced friction beneath his feet makes things tricky. It also means that once she /does/ grab him, he doesn't really have any leverage to resist her attempts to lift him. Kain's not going to waste time dealing with a lost cause, so as soon as it becomes apparent that Kula's going to be able to successfully follow through, he simply lets her heave him up and over her shoulder.
Of course, because he's prepared himself for this Kain is quite capable of acting in mid-air. As he's reaching the top of the swing that's about to send him into the water, Kain lashes out with one leg, purple flames springing up around his foot as he attempts to drive it into the back of Kula's head. An attempt at dealing some damage, as well as trying to spring out slightly further from shore, in an attempt to avoid any rocks that might be lurking close to the island. Either way, he quickly vanishes beneath the surface of the water with a loud splash.
And so you see, Shenwoo's 'punch the opponent really hard in the head' strategy is once again a success. With Sakura falling /off/ the branch, Shen in turn catches it, suspending himself there for a moment while... Hey... HEY!! Where the crap is Sakura going?! "Tch," he mutters, looking over his shoulder as the fighting schoolgirl goes after his opponent, and he gets ignored. What is he, chopped liver? "Well, guess it'd be boring if we just fought like this," the brawler says to himself, dropping to the ground and rushing after Sakura, likely not arriving until the fighting schoolgirl of doom has finished kicking Kula, or at least trying to... And hopefully arriving just when Sakura is /landing/, so he can clasp both his hands together and swing them at the back of her head. "Raaaaagh!!" DON'T IGNORE HIM, HIS FEELINGS ARE EASILY HURT.
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Kula with Medium Kick.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Kula blocks Kain's Schwarzer Stob.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Kain
Wh- Sakura?! Kula wasn't expecting that, and tries to twist out of the way of the schoolgirl. Unfortunately, the fact Shenwoo wasn't able to keep the tomboy busy allows Kula to also be kicked rather swiftly after Kain. She -does- however, manage to twist around and bring up an arm, a shield of ice forming around it to absorb some of the impact of Kain's retaliatory attack. Kula spins out to the water, and as she lands, the water quickly converts to ice around her, lodging her somewhat into place. It's only for a moment, however, as Kula quickly pulls herself out and rushes towards Sakura to double-team the schoolgirl, moving deftly across the ground and then sliding like she was going for third base (shut up, Shenwoo), feet aimed at Sakura's ankles to topple her over.
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Shenwoo's Fukuko-Geki.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Sakura fails to interrupt Slider Shoot from Kula with Shou'ou Ken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Kain
Well, Sakura's advice to Kula would be: expect the unexpected! This isn't exactly a 'fair' match by any stretch of the imagination, but at least in Sakura's mind, it's a fun one so far!
Fun, of course, is defined by how far one can push the laws of physics and plain ol' common sense for the sake of awesomeosity! And if you look up awesomeosity in the Kasugano dictionary, there would be an illustration of Sakura kicking Kula, bouncing back, and then swerving hard to the side as Shenwoo closes in, deftly placing her shoulder in the way of his balled-up fists. Y'know, instead of her head. She makes that look easy!
... 'course, that's not to say she doesn't stumble out of the way, starting to lose her footing on that patch of ice. Okay, maybe it doesn't look so easy after all -- as she's still shuffling her feet when Kula sweeps in at them. Wham! Kula helps her to the ground, sending the schoolgirl flying backward, her back neatly plowing into a tree. Bam!
Sakura's head slumps forward, but at least it's with a smile! "Hee-hee..."
She's clearly delusional, but anyone who's fought the tomboy knows that much.
Man, this water's cold.
Also, there's that whole waterfall thing, so Kain makes a point of not spending too much time floating downstream. Striking out toward shore, he fairly quickly climbs back up onto land, emerging to see Sakura attempting to deal with both Kula and Shen Woo at the same time. How nice of her to act as a decoy.
Kain snaps his arm out toward the three fighters, a surprisingly small amount of water splashing out in the process. In fact, steam is already starting to rise from Kain's body and clothing as he devotes some of his chi to dealing with the water. Letting it weigh down his clothing could become an issue. Visible flames also swirl around his open hand before leaping out as a fireball which streaks out toward Shen Woo. He looks like he could use a bit more excitement in this fight.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo blocks Kain's Schwarze Flame.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-----==|======-\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Kain
[OOC] Sakura XD
"Hey, don't give her any openings," Shen says to Kula, obviously referring to Sakura - unless he thinks Kain is a chick. And who knows? That's a pretty girly haircut, and it's not like there's no girls wearing tuxedos in the fighting world. Indeed, Shenwoo is just about to go lay the boots to Sakura, dazed or not, when suddenly his God of Battle sense is tingling! Something bad must be coming.
And wouldn't you know it, Kain is launching some of his fiery goodness Shen's way, but rather than managing to hit the brawler unawares, the taller blond man suddenly turns and swings his right hand through the air, letting it take the hit and deflecting the rest of the fire away. Of course, it /hurts/... But not as much as ol' Kain probably would've liked. "I'll play with you in a second," he tells Kain, surprisingly dismissively, and then he suddenly starts dashing right at Sakura again. Yes, Kain is powerful, but Shen has to acknowledge the fighting schoolgirl's power too; besides, he's stubborn like that. "SHYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" he shouts as he rushes right at Sakura, throwing his left fist forward. Let's hope she's not as dazed as she seems!
With the slide working, Kula twists to her side, one foot regenerating its skate and letting her skid to a stop. Whether Kain will still be able to fight Shenwoo once he and Kula are done with their fight...well, more than likely, it's going to happen. Kula hasn't beaten Kain yet. However, she can wear him down if she focuses! So, rushing forward again, Kula slides underneath the fireball launched at Shenwoo, trusting her partner to handle it, and begins her attack on Kain.
It's rather simple. The ice extends out ahead of her, and as Kula slides, her skate (sandal?) sends up a spray of chips into the air. Coming to a stop, Kula brings up her hand, and as the tiny ice particles alight on her. She smiles, and then blows a gust at Kain, a spray of cold wind and ice crystals swirling forward at Kain.
COMBATSYS: Sakura endures Shenwoo's Gekiken!
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|=======\==-----\1 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Kain
Well, it's nice to see Kain has decided to join us! Sakura was a bit disturbed to see him take a fall in the water, but hey... it's all better now. And with him firing off a fireball at Shenwoo, Sakura is somewhat relieved! "Oh, good, you're back!" She's not =terribly= happy to be teamed with the scary guy who's steered Jiro so far askew of the path of righteousness, but a fight's a fight!
And a Shenwoo's a Shenwoo! Luckily, she knows what to expect from the berserker -- all-out, balls-to-the-wall attacking!
The idiot just runs =right into= his punch, too. Rather than take it head-on, though, she twists her shoulder into the blow, hoping that would serve as enough of a distraction that Shenwoo =might= not notice where the girl's hands are aiming -- that is to say, she's hoping to twist him sideways sharply, and slam his head into that tree she was near earlier! "Hyyyyyyyaaaaaah!" Go go schoolgirl power!
COMBATSYS: Kain just-defends Kula's Diamond Breath!
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Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|=======\==-----\1 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Kain
Kain would have much preferred to see Shenwoo get sent flying through a few trees by a massive fiery explosion, but he'll have to take what he can get. Meanwhile, it seems Kula is going to be giving him some more trouble. When she skids to a stop, it's pretty clear that she's going to be attempting a ranged attack of some sort. And when Kain sees what it is...
Well, a solid chunk of ice would probably be a problem. But a gust of freezing air? Well, I think we all know what happens when you apply copious amounts of heat to something which is cold. Kain sweeps his foot over the ground in front of him, sending up a brief wall of flame which both serves as cover from Kula's attack, and a distraction from the follow-up Kain is planning. Planting his foot back on the ground, Kain springs forward through his own flames and Kula's ice crystals, waves of purple fire from his leg and melting right through Kula's attack as he flies forward in an attempt to drive his foot into the girl.
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Shenwoo with Strong Throw.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Kain
That's not quite how Shenwoo saw that working, you know. Oh, he's glad he successfully punched Sakura, and then he sees that she's plotting to grab him, which just makes him laugh a little. Yes, he's got a plan! ...A plan that fails to succeed, though, when he ends up getting his head smashed into the tree, some leaves tumbling down from the impact of hard skull against harder trunk. "Geh!!" Yes, that kinda hurt a little! Staggering for just a second, Shen shakes it off and twists around, lifting one leg and swinging his heel towards the schoolgirl's temple. "GOOD ONE!" he laughs cheerfully, because hey - he's enjoying himself here.
COMBATSYS: Kula dodges Kain's Schwarzer Stob.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Kain
Fortunately, Kula remembers how Kain's retaliation usually works. It's why when Kain leaps through his flames and the ice...Kula's already pushing herself backward, plants her hands down, and flips herself backward to a standing position, hunched down with one hand on the ground. Her face cracks in a smile again. Kula jumps back at Kain, reaching with both hands to grab at his wrists, aiming her legs to go between his own. Kula's plan? She's hoping to continue forward, and that between ice slides and being pulled forward and down, Kain will be thrown completely off balance. With luck, he'll fall forward and land face-first on a solid slide of ice, and possibly get dragged backwards a few inches. It's a good way to lose a tooth, not to mention get ice friction burns.
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Shenwoo's Heavy Kick.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Kain
Sakura's fought both opponents enough in the past to know their respective strengths and weaknesses: the choice of whether to face Shenwoo or Kula is practically a 'six of one, half a dozen of the other' proposition to her. There's, of course, less of a choice in the matter when one of the two keeps coming at her, and the other... doesn't. So: Shenwoo it is!
She's happy to be able to slam the berserker into a tree -- not quite =traditional=, but it's certainly an unorthodox and less predictable reversal of Shenwoo's momentum against himself! "Heh-heh... liked that, didja?" She's grinning ear-to-ear again, despite the numerous trails of blood founting from her nose from his first landed strike. And... as that kick whirls towards her temple, Sakura seems to fall back upon reflexive instincts, hands flapping out to either side as she leans backwards, the kick whistling by mere centimeters from her face!
That kinda threw her off-balance, though, so she takes a few steps back to catch herself. Just one catch though -- both hands are sweeping to one side! The dull whine of electrically-charged ions is a herald for what she's intending to summon as a counter-strike, as is the crackling energy whirling into a raging tempest between those gathered palms. Tightening her grin, she announces, "Shinkuuuuu...", then takes one stride forward, thrusting both hands at Shenwoo and unleashing the furious blast of concussive force at Shenwoo! "HADOOOOUKEN!"
It's his favorite, if she recalls.
COMBATSYS: Kain interrupts Strong Throw from Kula with Schwarzer Stob.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Kain
[OOC] Kula says, "...oh, it's on."
Kula's rather novel approach is enough to let her grab Kain's wrists, but that's about the point at which things fall apart. Kain's feet are already engulfed in purple flame when Kula slides through, melting the ice and giving him some actual traction on the ground. It's not enough to keep him on his feet, thanks to the leverage Kula has going for her, but it /is/ enough to keep him on his feet for a few moments longer.
And a few moments are all Kain needs. Rather than waiting to be pulled down, he leaps up on his own, twisting to drive one of his feet into Kula as she passes by, kicking off and using the extra momentum from the subsequent fiery explosion to give him time to twist as he hits the ground. Hitting your shoulder on a solid slab of ice isn't fun, but it's a fair bit better than losing some teeth.
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Shenwoo with Shinkuu Hadouken.
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Shenwoo 1/-----==/=======|==-----\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Kain
But, Shenwoo has a perfect plan! Yes, it's a plan that can't possibly fail. Since he totally sees that Shinkuu Hadouken coming, obviously all he needs to do is get out of the way, and... Oh, nevermind. Instead, Shen gets totally blasted by the big chi attack, which sends him flying backwards, and very nearly into the water, and sort of like how Sakura earlier was slumped against the tree... The brawler just lies there for a moment. Playing possum! Hoping Sakura will drop her guard and come closer! Plus, he really saw that last bit going differently.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo gains composure.
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Shenwoo 1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Kain
Huh. Somehow Kula expected that to go differently. Grunting from the blows, Kula continues to slide a bit, and presses a hand to her ribs, using her ice powers for their secondary purpose. Ice to numb the pain, heat to-...oh, wait. The heat isn't helping. Not one bit. Ow, flame, ow, fire. It stings and burns and stings. Kula shakes her head to clear it, and squints back at Kain, before she turns around, and slams her hand on the sand to brace herself. There's a pause from her, and then a sudden surge of chi from her, causing the ice growing around her to spread further on the ground, and make some of those nice trees start to suffer early cases of frost. Where did the chi come from? Who's to know. All the viewers know is that it's getting cold everywhere as Kula's chi swirls around her like a trapped blizzard in a snowglobe, before she suddenly disperses it in all directions...which...offhand, might not seem to do anything.
People keep expecting things to go =differently=... sheesh! Expect the unexpected! ... And Sakura =expected= one of the two opponents to be attacking her right now. What gives? Scratching her cheek, she hops back and forth from one side to the other. If Shenwoo's just waiting for her to attack, he's gonna be waiting a while, because a girl's gotta catch her breath sooner or later! Leaning her hands on her knees, she explains: "I don't wanna make this =too= easy for Mr. H!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura gains composure.
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Shenwoo 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Kula's Freeze Execution.
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Shenwoo 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Kain
It takes a moment, but that burst of chi? It allows Kula to spike some ice under Kain and prop him up, if it doesn't knock him up in the air completely. And that's when those cold arctic winds suddenly come blustering in, bringing with them larger shards of ice and snow to barrage Kain, put out those fires of his, and rip at his skin as well as freeze upon contact to turn him into an overly large popsicle. Commanding the forces of nature, always a good way to get a ratings boost for Geese.
As Kain gets shoved up into the air by the ice erupting beneath his feet, he merely closes his eyes for a moment as the ice and chill winds close in on him. To all appearances, he gets frozen solid inside a massive block of ice. At least, until he opens his eyes and begins moving. That's when the ice shatters, flying away from the blond man and scattering across the ground. His clothes still seem to be frozen in a few spots, and his skin looks a bit raw, but he seems to have shrugged off the worst of the effects.
There's a crunch from Kain's shoes as he begins to walk, his feet crushing the ice fragments. And then he's suddenly moving forward with such speed that he's cleared the ice, and is closing in on Kula fast. He lashes out with a straight kick as he gets close, wisps of blue energy coiling around his foot as he attempts to slam it into Kula's stomach.
Man, Sakura isn't coming after Shenwoo? How boring is that. Looks like he'll just have to get up and beat her up the hard way. He pushes himself up, shaking his head, and looks over at the fighting schoolgirl. "Got any more tricks like that last one left?" he wonders, before he suddenly springs forward at her, rushing in close to stap off a quick punching combination at Sakura while she's catching /her/ breath. It's like the whole rest of the fight isn't even happening, in Shen's mind... But then, he's having fun where he is.
COMBATSYS: Kula endures Kain's Medium Kick.
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Shenwoo 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Kain
It was a good idea in theory! The fact that it hurts like hell reminds Kula why she generally tries to -not- get hit by people who wield freaky flame powers instead of using their attacks to her advantage. But, the NESTS training keeps her steady, even as the kick comes right at her. But, at the last second, Kula turns her back to it and reaches out an arm to grab hold of the leg once it impacts her.
That's right, keep that flame pressed against her backside. The hand closest to Kain, on the other hand, suddenly sprouts a rather nasty set of claws on them, almost translucent in the sunshine. It's then that Kula jabs them towards Kain's chest, aiming to penetrate, pull down, and twist her hand to make sure the damage won't just be a simple 'flesh wound'. She's going for the squishy bits, and going deep!
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Sakura with Quick Punch.
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Shenwoo 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Sakura
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Kula 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Kain
Ken has disconnected.
"Hey, you're spending so much time with me! I'm flattered!" ... Maybe she should be less flattered and more focused on kicking butt, because by wasting time with conversation, she gets checked and wrecked by the punch combination! At least she won't have to worry about falling into the water with her good ol' pal the tree nearby! *wham!*
But... he'd asked if the girl has any more tricks. She does! For while it =looks= like she's vulnerable, falling to the ground after her collision with the tree, she's actually hoping he doesn't notice that her feet are really headed for his waist! And if she manages to snare him, she'll jerk sharply to the side and reintroduce him to her carbon-dioxide-munching, paper-providing friend!
COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Kula's Claw Bites.
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Shenwoo 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Sakura
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Kula 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Kain
Thanks to some quick reactions by Kain, his squishy bits remain unpunctured. That doesn't mean he escapes from Kula's claws completely unharmed, however. The angle and force of her attack makes it pretty clear that she means to go deep, so Kain quickly reaches out to grab Kula's wrist as she tries to sink her claws in. He manages to stop her, but not before the claws have sunk a good inch into his chest, causing red stains to start forming on the front of his jacket. It seems that it's time to end this, before things get messy. To that end, Kain reaches for Kula's throat with his free hand, which is already starting to burn with purple flame.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo fails to interrupt Medium Throw from Sakura with Zetsu Gekiken.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Sakura
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Kula 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Kain
Once again, though, Shenwoo knows what you're up to, Sakura! And once again, he has a plan. Which, once again, doesn't work out. When Sakura attacks him, the tall, lean brawler rears back to attack as well... And then he gets introduced to the three again, which totally screws up his entire plan, his gathered energy dissipating uselessly. In the business, we call that an 'oops', but Sakura definitely got the better of Shen on that one..
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Kula with Quick Throw.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Sakura
[ \\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Kula 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Kain
Kain's left hand closes around Kula's throat while he continues to use his right to pry her claws out of his flesh. As he hefts her up off the ground his dark flames do their best to sear genetically modified flesh. Spinning around, he has to think briefly. Doing anything likely to result in Kula's actual destruction will probably irritate some people at NESTS, so throwing her into the river to go over the waterfall is probably a bad idea. Even if Geese does have some sort of emergency rescue system set up. So, he can't throw her too far.
On the other hand, there are plenty of rocks in the water right around the edge of the island. If she hits those she'll probably catch on them. Unless she just snaps in half or something. Good enough for Kain, and so that's where he ends up aiming.
Well, she doesn't quite snap in half, but Kula does impact with the rocks a bit like a ragdoll would in a rather skewed CG effect. There's even a sickening crunch to go along with it, sure to get replayed and turned into a ringtone by Kain's fans. She just sorta lies there, still for a moment, and then she looks up, blood trickling down her face. "...sorry, partner." That NESTS mindset seems to have faded itself out. And that just leaves Kula trying really hard to help her partner.
Kula waits until a large wave crests on the beach, and then she sticks her hand into the water. Releasing the last of her energy, Kula slowly slips off the rock and lands in the water, but fortunately, her hand seems to be frozen in place by the final attack she can release. The water surges forward, carrying with it more water that slides along it like a ramp from the force of the current. Spikes of ice jut out in all directions as the column of frozen salt water charges towards Kain as a slightly slowed runaway freight train would. It's not much...but if it doesn't hit Kain, maybe Shenwoo can use it to his advantage.
COMBATSYS: Kula can no longer fight.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Sakura
> //////////////////// ]
|=======\==-----\1 Kain
Wham! Sakura's getting plenty of mileage out of this tree, that much is certain! Grinning, she slings Shenwoo free and kips back to her feet, grinning up a storm. "More tricks? I got a whole *bag* full of tricks!" she chirps, curling her hands beside her. "Here, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!"
That's no rabbit, that's a -- "Shakunetsuuu... HADOOOOOUKEN!" Apparently... she'd been planning to pull this particular weapon out later, but Kula's icy attacks, perhaps it's about time for a nice, hot fire to warm things up! Orange flames spit forth from her hands, swirling into an orb about five feet around before rushing towards the God of Battle!
COMBATSYS: Kain endures Kula's Diamond Edge.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Sakura
> ////////////// ]
|=======\=====--\1 Kain
And as Kula hits the rocks with some rather unpleasant noises, Kain turns to Shenwoo with a brief grin. He momentarily stops to make sure he didn't take any really serious injury from Kula's claws, and then holds his hand out to the side. There's a flash of gold light in the palm of his hand, and then he kneels down and places his palm against the ground. All the while, a massive wave of ice is rushing up behind him, but Kain doesn't seem to pay it any mind.
There's more than a little blood flung into the air as the ice shards crash into Kain from behind but then they... simply vanish. The leading edge of the wave of ice seems to be vaporized, leaving behind only swirling ice blue energy which swarms around Kain, then rushes down toward the hand he has placed on the ground.
And at about the same time as Sakura's Hadouken is reaching Shen, the whole island begins to rumble, and the ground underneath Shen's feet starts to swell. A few beams of blue light stream out through cracks in the rock and then, well... The ensuing explosion isn't big enough to take out the whole island, since the brunt of the power was focused on one spot, but its still enough that the map will have to be redrawn.
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Shenwoo with Large Hadouken EX.
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Shenwoo 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
> ////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Shenwoo with Himmlischer Atem.
[ < > //////////// ]
Shenwoo 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
> ////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Kain
Knock knock. Who's there? It's an asswhuppin'!
Shenwoo does his level best to get out of the way of Sakura's flashy new Hadouken, but it doesn't so much work. Instead, he gets pegged, and then the ground underneath him EXPLODES, and you know that sucks. But, luckily, the berserker isn't dead - if anything can even kill the crazy mofo. No, instead he's half-hanging off the now partially ruined island, pulling himself up with the last of his strength.... And glaring right at Kain.
Once he's finally pulled himself up with what is apparently his last gasp of effort, the brawler grits his teeth, and the island shakes /again/, more cracks appearing on the ground underneath Shenwoo as a violent red aura flares around him... And then he /really/ uses up his last gasp, rushing right at Kain to unleash a final barrage on the bastard, unloading with everything he can. Of course, at this point it might not work... But at this point, Shen doesn't care. Hit or miss, once he's done, he's out like a light on what's left of this poor innocent island that never hurt nobody.
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo can no longer fight.
> //////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
> ////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Kain
Well, if it's under Shen's feet, then Sakura's in range too! What a jerk, that Kain guy! Luckily, she's got a few more split seconds to see the bursts spewing out... and that gives her just enough time to shield her face with her arms!
Y'know, before all heck breaks loose and she's blasted away from Shenwoo, landing with a *splash* in the water! So much for the schoolgirl not getting wet!
She =is= a pretty good swimmer, though, and she's able to paddle back to shore... but it'll take a few moments, and from the irritated, sopping-wet-dog look on her face, she's none too happy about it, to say the least.
COMBATSYS: Sakura takes no action.
> //////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
> ////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Sakura has left the fight here.
> ////////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Kain
[OOC] Shenwoo says, "Yeah yeah, just accept my MAX and get it over with!"
[OOC] Kain points at Shen. "Oh yeah!?" C_C_
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Kain with Bakuma Assault.
- Power hit! -
> /////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Kain
And where'd Kula go? Well, beteen the miniature earthquake, the heat from the flames, and her own lack of strength...well, it seems when the cameras were busy watching Kain blow up the island, she slipped out of sight. Over the falls? Into the rocks? Who knows. But, few of the crew likely cares as they're busy making sure they aren't caught in the devastation. Kula will just pop up again later, and say she was really, really lucky and woke up downstream.
Well now, that's over and done with so- *BAM!* *POW!* *BIFF!* *Other Batman-esque sound effects!*
This is Shenwoo making anybody who decided to stop watching the fight really regret their decision as he unleashes some barely concious whupass on Kain. And when Shen does finally fall down, Kain follows a moment later, slumping to his knees, one arm held against his ribs and several noticeable streams of blood coming down from his face and scalp.
However, Heinlein is still concious and able to move under his own power, and Sakura's floating off somewhere in the river, so it looks like the fight is over. That's good, because it looks like most of the fighters involved are going to need at least a little medical attention.
COMBATSYS: Kain has ended the fight here.
Log created by Kula, and last modified on 15:19:11 07/23/2006.