Description: Dante runs across someone he recognizes from Gedo High; Although he lacks information, Dante is sickened someone as weak as him is allowed free reign in Daigo's rule. Dante challenges him to a fight, and the prize for losing: Attempted murder.
Littel bits of garbage blow in the wind, eventually trapped in rain gutters, falling into the street below where the only residents left to sweep it up are the rodents. And sweep they do. Industrious little buggers carry the mess off to make dens of habitat elsewhere. The rest of the streets were splashed in the dim orange lighting of paper lanterns with kanji symbols painted across them. Few people walked the quiet streets. For the most part it was too late for the general crowd, the usual patronage of China Town's streets in their beds now, either asleep or getting ready for bed. It was peaceful, it was still, and somehow managed to retain a trainquility that defied big city living.
Among those late night street lizards was one in particular. The few people he passed gave him strange looks but he returned them with a cheery enough smile. He wasn't the type to just grin like an idiot at any given time of day, but he had a lot to hide.. so subconciously those smiles were coming a lot more often than they normally would. Not only was he a semi-known pick-pocket and for some of the shop owners, a feared kleptomaniac, Safiullah was a Para-Para champion. And on top of all of that, a forced employee of South Syndicate. Prompted to do his job via the threat of personal pain, most of those promises delivered by the hands of Ryuji Yamazaki, he was more or less afraid to do anything more than what he was told. When someone over three times stronger than you tries to strangle the life out of you, then puts their foot on your face in victory, you tend to change your outlook on misbehaving. Nevertheless, while his attire had changed to reflect his mood of late, sporting a lot more black than anything else, the Punk Skunk, so dubbed by people who know him and have gone to school with him, wanders the streets, his ears plugged up with headphones from a portable music device, his head bobbing slightly to the jams of Sublime.
Singing loudly along with the music, the voice that rang out wasn't a hard one to listen to. In fact, it was actually quite pleasant and on key. The member of the semi-known cover band Larry King, he did a lot of singing and had good reason to. He was good at it. And that was possibly one of the only things he -was- good at. Regardless, he was out on his own, carrying a paper container with the top unfolded, rice and shrimp stuffed inside of it. He'd never quite learned to use those awkward chopsticks so he just... kinda shoveled it into his face one large mouthful at a time, rice decorating his cheeks as those annoyingly bright, bubblegum pink swaths of hair he called bangs bobbed over his forehead, singing inbetween mouthfuls.
Ah, Southtown; How long has it been since Dante has strode these streets? The last weeks have been little more then a blur to the young man, deep within the catacombs of meditation, focus, and painful manifestation. Yet the very nostalgia is tainted, and a dull pit of hatred cannot be completely quelled within the languid individual as he strides along the dismal street. The twittering of rodents and shuffle of mundane life mattered little -- his state of dress is rather unique to many, and his eyes focus on none of those patrons who might have recieved the empty cheer of Safiullah himself. The long sleeves of the black coat swish with every movement, Dante's loafered steps seeming to scarcely graze the ground. His internal requiem is unduely shattered by the sound of singing, reaching his ears. Normally this would be dismissed, but emerald eyes arc in the direction of the 'Skunk'. And lock upon him, gait noticeably slowing before coming to a halt.
Safiullah's carefree gait might find itself obstructed by the frightfully tall man once known as Daniel Brown, although he is bowed forward somewhat to obscure it. The obsidian jacket is smoothed with one hand, thoroughly enshrouded by the buckle-ended sleeve. "Ah..." His voice has an odd rasp, almost a hiss, like some cough might be nagging at the back of his throat. "...You look familiar. ... And with someone of your appearance, I doubt that is coincidence." A bit derogatory, yes. With some effort his actual hand is yanked free from the cuff, of both ends of his overcoat. He wears black gloves as well, for what reason one can only fathom. Safiullah doubtlessly cares enough for public fighting to recognize what palette-swap that clothing might belong to.
Like a whirr, Dante shuffles through his mental library, and the gears fall into place. A Gedo High student who manages in a band 'well enough'. Whatever that might be, he doesn't care. It's the former. The smirk that creases his gaunt lips is nigh predatory.
"You attend Gedo, huh?" There's a dangerous air around Dante, one that could easily be sensed. He was rather renowned at the school at one time, and his method of spitting on Daigo's rule not quickly forgotten. That tone, and especially the one following, seems suitably venomous.
"...How has Daigo been these last few years?"
Bright green eyes flit left, then right, then back left... Safiullah was up to something. Stuffing his chopsticks into the paper container, the Punk Skunk holds his food in one hand, then stuffs his hand into his pocket, quickly tapping buttons on his portable music box, switching through song selections. Any other evening, he'd be listening to late rock from the eighties and early nineties, to hair bands, to Joan Jett, to something spunky like the kicking beats of AC/DC... but out this late at night, when no one he knew was around, he let his broadened horizons wander. In fact, if one were to guess what he was listening to, it'd be completely contrary to his anti-emo, anti-goth appearance entirely. Some poppy R&B tune comes on in his ears and he sings right along with it.
Carrying tones to lyrics that sound about as cheesy as anything spewed by the depths of depravity that is boy bands or girl bands, he's in Saf-Heaven. At least for as long as it takes him to notice the tall figure facing his direction and staring at him rather closely. Mid-note he stops singing and lowers his head a bit to look a little more critically at the figure. As he gets closer, his step slowed reasonably by the obstruction, he stirs his food around a bit and lets those green eyes of his wander slowly up to the man's face. "I.. do?" He asks when he's told tha the looks familiar.
It wasn't that he hadn't heard it before. He was on television for one of the Saturday Night Fights, and he and Elle's band played a lot of seedy bars and small night spots. "My appearance? ... I don't follow." And honestly, he didn't. As if oblivious to the whole thing he looks himself over briefly before returning his gaze to Dante, his eyes racking his clothing, familiar with it but unable to place where the look belonged. He knew he'd seen it before though. "Gedo? Yeah, I do... It's fun sometimes I guess. I mean, when my classmates aren't inventing new things to call me- that's kind of annoying... Oh! And the lunch menu is terrible. I've never seen a week when dry Chicken Fried Steak wasn't served. It's like they-- Daigo?"
He was obviously the type that didn't mind shifting tracks quickly and without warning. "Daigo's fine, I think. I haven't talked to him in a while but.. -- well.." He stuffs more food in his mouth then and offers an awkward smile.
"...You talk too much."
Dante retorts rather sourly, and with almost a commanding air that it's a bad idea to continue such poor manners in his presence. The sourness creasing his features intensifies somewhat at this. The man he used to be never left him; It may have flared on the phoenix fire of hatred, embarrassment and vengeance years ago to ash, but even that smoldered to the new persona he's adapted. Only his self-chosen name truly remains. "But I would have assumed Daigo to be gone by now. Although with his intelligence, he could be held back indefinitely."
A spit to the side is offered, impacting the sidewalk to highlight that personal disdain. Saturday Night Fight more then anything was the link that Dante had; He watched it rather rigorously, to better assess the styles of those he might fight. And anyone from that cesspool has a special place in his memory.
"How has Gedo been...? Are there many new faces such as your own? What new gangs have developed? Does everyone still put up with his stupid little discipline? I am a former student myself." A nigh flutter of tension, one of the gloves yanked on a little tighter with his free hand. "And it's the politics... not the menu... that interest me."
The Heinlein student seems content enough to firmly shift the conversation where he wants, bordered precariously on the edge of being outright rude. And doesn't look content to move, at least until some amount of his inquiries are satiated. Etiquette was never much of an addition -- that Saffiullah is eating in the midst of deliberation he could care less about.
Perhaps... 'weirded out' was too strong a term for this situation. When a person seeks conversation, the first thing they do is properly introduce themselves and perhaps enter into things with a joke, a smile or at least a wince. This fellow however had done neither- at least not the right way. Not that Saf was a stickler for traditional rules, he just wasn't at all prepared for someone wanting to talk to him. In fact, he stands there and listens to the man like a well studied, well rounded student of a popular, or at least well-to-do school. Which he wasn't. He was a Gedo Rat and most of all.. worse even than that. Half of Gedo hated him, the other half ignored him.
Then the man spits on the ground. Wrinkling his nose, Saf's eyes dip to look at the gob of spit before he looks slowly back up into his face. "Look.. uh..." He starts, stirring his rice around more, his eyes wandering away from him as he speaks- as if he wasn't even there... like Saf had some kind of ADD that required he be engaged at all times. "I'm not the one you should be askin' this stuff... I mean, no offense, Daigo's a nice guy but I only spoke to him this one time he helped me. I don't know much else after that... I mean, what do I know? My classmates hate me. I have no friends and I'm completely unpopular.." Rambling off at the mouth, he tilts his head to one side, "Actually at Gedo, I'm kinda .. . -- y'know... a loser," Saf ends the sentence, and there's a -little- twinge of hurt in his eyes, as if he didn't necessarily agree with that assessment but couldn't get away from it.
"Ah." Dante sounds almost disappointed, although to be sure he was rather attentive and quiet during the entire statement. However, what Safiullah would never have seen was pity or compassion. Those peculiar emerald eyes looked almost dead, arms interlacing before his lean chest with an air of great, but ponderous, patience. "So you are a weakling... A shame, but Gedo tends to receive the trash." It's something of a harsh statement perhaps, and intended as such, but if the man opposite has no actual link to Daigo there's little purpose to the meeting. Any random student, or mayhaps a simple visit of his own accord, would display what Safiullah might via any interrogation. And he's mildly exasperating to deal with... Rambling again, when told he talked too much...
"Then tell me who might now more then that he is a dog. Be lucky you came when Daigo was in power... The Gedo of old, ah..." There's almost a look of fond memory, as Dante licks his pursed lips, stance shifting in a ripple of his peculiar black garment. "Only the strong survived there, and the rest were subservient animals."
If Safiullah was searching the nuances and vibes, there's definitely an air of conflict and aggression, but Dante has no apparent intention of starting a fight of his own accord. Much like many before, and in tune with what he just said... The former Gedo boss believes the rocker beneath such. A daring, yet that of an alpha dog completely sure that the other will dare not to bite. And smugly satisfied with that assurance.
There were some things you naturally called right and others wrong. Then there were the things that made you feel strange about that you later find out were bad for your health. Looking the man in his dead eyes was enough for Saf to get that feeling. His own eyes leave the man sloowly, looking around the street side to find something better to focus on. Something to keep him from looking back at this guy. "I'm not a weakling," he says, and that cuts the relative silence from him in a way he hadn't expected. It just came out of his mouth. Perhaps he'd heard that so much that the man had struck a nerve.
Shaking his head, he looks away again, this time trying desperately to find something to throw his attention at. He even goes so far as to turnhi sdent to Dante, "Like I said, I know Daigo, I could speak to him if I wanted to but I have no reason. We aren't just friends like that. Whatever Gedo was like back then doesn't concern me. I suggest you buy some new CDs and stop living off of the billboard sales from months ago. Pal.
"You just admitted in your own words you are. A man nobody likes with few redeeming qualities. The era I saw passed in Gedo... I wish to see again." Dante flexes his glove while squinting at it, almost as if witnessing something transient within it before shrugging his thin yet broad shoulders in an almost dismissive fashion, finally rising to his full height. Were he to have more weight, it could be intimidating. "If you wish to see just how weak you are, then challenge me." Arms spread, almost invitingly, the most overt show of derision and confidence yet. A hint of something within, a transient force -- twisted, tainted, and almost poisonous -- seems to ripple. He's by no means weak, and not nearly one of the upcoming chaff that seems to permute the woodworks. "Yet I know your type. And I came to this city to test my new skill... Not waste it!" Beating up a meager member of Gedo /does/ happen to be beneath Dante at this moment. Kain hates emotions; One of the hardest things he has to curb. Having fun with his vendetta to probe his advancement is harmless, but... "If you do see Daigo... Merely say that Dante has returned. He might remember what I did." Whirling around in a ripple of black clothing, the Ankoku disciple would be content enough to walk away, once more assuming the answer that Safiullah will give.
An easy breeze brings the scent of barbeque from the all night eatery down the block. The few people seated on the patio outside of the place share drinks and conversation late into the night, completely unaware that just two blocks away there were two people staring at one another like enemies from different city states. Dante the aggressor and Saf the confused townsman thrust into a difficult situation. Difficult in that this man clearly meant him harm. It wasn't hard to sum that much up. Lifting an eyebrow, he sniffs and turns his attention away from the man long enough to look aside, considering his words before he says anything.
His mouth opens then, but still no words come out, he just lets the man finish before he finally nods, closing his mouth all together. He just stands there staring, looking up at the taller man, taking those strange chopstick things in hand again, prodding around at his rice, shifting shrimp around against the greasy bits of rice grain. Finally he tips the paper container back and shovels more into his mouth. Chewing and still considering the man with curious eyes, he wrinkles his nose a little before he says, "I didn't admit anything, but yeah, whatever, you're right." He says non-committally, swallowing his food. "Few redeeming qualities... you don't even know me. I've got plenty of good qualities it's just.. -- they .. - I don't know.. I guess people don't.. It doesn't matter, really." Shrugging his decidedly smaller shoulders, he shifts to look back behind him, then looks back at the man, his head craning up to look him in the face, "... I'll tell him, yeah... I guess it can't hurt anything. As far as the challenge thing goes, I wasn't really looking to fight anybody, but you don't seem the type to just let me be okay with that decision. So, hey, sure. I'll whip your butt right quick," he chuckles, his tone more than sarcastic. "Or try anyway, right?" Offering him a thumbs up, Saf takes his chopsticks again and stuffs the rest of his food into his mouth, tossing the paper container in the waste can. "But go easy on me, kay? I'm a light weight."
There's a joking smile on his face when he says this of course, his gloved hands flexing a few times at his sides as he steps back. "And since we're passing messages for eachother, if you happen to see a really tall, tank-kinda-guy with two-tone blonde hair and an expensive black suit on, tell him I couldn't get his dry cleaning out, he didn't give me enough money. -- So test your skill, bud! I ain't gonna stop ya." He doesn't assume a stance, just steps back a few paces and takes a deep breath, pulse already starting to thump at his chest. "Do what you do."
"I'm not interested in the half-assed fighting ability of someone who lacks confidence." Dante snorts, still turning away despite the somewhat less then truly intimidating reciprocation. His head turns to glance backwards, green eyes narrowing in Safiullah's direction with just the most minute of smiles creasing his features. "You already will tell Daigo what I want him to know. All that challenging me will bring you is destroyed pride. You are not /sure/ you will be annihilated, are you?" Slowly Dante turns to face the Gedo punk, interlacing his narrow arms before his chest. That chin is held high, holding a sagely look meant to be insulting rather then truly knowledgeable.
"But you know you will lose. Am I right? ... It is that quality which separates the strong from the weak. No ambition. And no will. If you decline, tch. I do not care. My hatred for Gedo is due to what was lost, and the man who took it." The somewhat pleasant ambience of Chinatown seems completely lost to Dante at this moment, wearing proverbial blinders; He's simply observing Safiullah now, ankles together and stance tall. Although for all such, he's still not intimidating. Withered, pale, sickly, but not a bastion of physical menace. Yet he has shown in spades what the other has not -- raw, unshaken confidence. Whatever he might mean in the statements about dry cleaning though... Well, he's supposedly from a nuthouse anyway.
"So I'll tell you a story, and you can decide if you at least have pride in your school and what it has become. ...I was one of the strongest gang leaders of Gedo when Daigo came. And when he struck me down, in the face of the school body I once held in sway, I crippled my own gang in vengeance and left. In a way, rather then punish him... I should thank him."
The wry smile creasing those thin lips is somewhat disturbing, and might hold clues to a more transient lack of sanity. His body ripples in a shrug, once more spreading his hands, invitingly. "So tell me now and stop wasting my time. Do you wish a fight, or not? I have time to spare..." And secretly, even from Kain, a vendetta. Despite what he has said, just being from Gedo is enough to incite Dante's hate. Knowing Safiullah is the type he would of walked all over in his tenor makes it worse. But to succumb to the raw impulse of that desire goes against everything taught to him. Worthless, inhibiting emotions that burn too hot, and drive one to reckless pursuits... Yet trying to goad out a formal challenge? That's completely fair and legal, isn't it?
In truth, Safiullah had to admit to himself in that moment that, in another version of the world where Gedo was still held prisoner by the will of Dante, he'd likely be looking in the face of his bully.. He could tell just by observing his behavior, by seeing how this interaction was going... by looking at the fact that he couldn't keep up with him in a conversation based on the battle of wills... He didn't have the internal fortitude to combat this man on any level. Be it intellectual or based off of physical prowess. That's probably the beauty of Saf, really. The fact that he wasn't blind to nor ignorant of the values of class in society. He wasn't like the over-eager Sakura Kasugano who fought impossible odds on television just for the ability to say she was there. Saf was much more realistic in his goals and ambitions. He didn't want this fight. In fact, while he wasn't sure if he'd lose or not, he had to think about the fact that if he did, he might have to deal with this guy on more than just this one occasion. Could he really afford a life where Yamazaki was pulling him one way and this guy was pulling him another? ... But then there was that fighting spirit...
The fighting spirit that refused to allow him to walk away from the opportunity to have a good fight, or even fight someone who might best him. The ability to fight and learn, to get stronger through experience. Damn that stupid fighting spirit. And perhaps the most frigthening thing about it all was... this guy was totally and completely serious. This Dante meant what he said.. he wasn't just peacocking. Saf's eyes wander away from him for a moment, turning down to the ground. It's a look that, for a split second, reveals everything that was going through his mind just then-- the fact that he knew the value of class. But when those green eyes come back up, the deviant inside returns- the little liar that was so good at faking it until he made it... it all comes boiling back with a mischievious smile. "So you were the strongest before, huh? ... I can't say that has anything to do with me... Gedo's just a place they put me. You probably heard the rumors anyway... I'm just a nut, right? Not worth talkin' about... Just a loser with a track record and a shrink, yeah? ... Sure. I'll fight you. I even look forward to it. Maybe if I beat you people will take me seriously and stop pushing me around."
The internal confliction within Safiullah is allowed, with a sort of almost calm patience from Dante. His hands remain crossed before his chest, observing the myriad shifts and nuances in the other man's form as he comes to the final course of action. And when the latter is said, the smile cannot be disguised. That he might not of been the absolute strongest needs not be admitted; Dante was not the Gedo boss as Daigo is now, but he /was/ the last to fall, the very final bastion of resistance to the ways of old before the street justice and harsh discipline reigned supreme. And he has a chance now, far beyond the realms of that old school, to enforce himself once more. "Then I accept." Nothing more then this leaves his lips, stance spreading abruptly as Dante squats, to a level that some might find comical; He's suddenly low to the ground with feet wide spread, positioning one fist forward and the other near his body. Yet it's a genuine combative stance, an adopted wushu of Nanquan for his purposes. No longer does he rely on simple street fighting and innate talent anymore. He's ready, but not instigating the fight; It seems he will leave that to his opponent. Within reason.
COMBATSYS: Dante has started a fight here.
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Dante 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Dante takes no action.
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Dante 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Safiullah has joined the fight here.
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Safiullah 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Dante
Moments like these more or less define a person like Safiullah. The problem was, he had a real issue with indecision. He was Obsessive Compulsive, among many other things related to mental ailments of or relating to paranoia. Thus, after the man says that he accepts and falls into that low stance which Saf in now way finds entertaining, he just kind of... stands there. Hands at his sides, he looks around himself, eyes slowly moving from left to right, surveying a few things around them, finally stopping on a paper lantern which read in Kanji: 'Foolish'... "... That's always a good sign," he mumbles to himself, pacing back and forth before Dante, "Yeah... you're gonna make me start, huh?" He says, wiggling his fingers a bit before interlacing them together and stretching himself out. Grunting, he lets his arms flap back down to his sides and says, "I .. Guess I can, yeah." But he's stalling.
Stalling because he can't decide if he should keep his distance or get in close. A million possible outcomes come to mind and all of them have him worried. If this guy was a grappler, getting in close might be painful... But if he wasn't, then staying at a distance might hurt. And what if he was an evenly balanced fighter where near and far are both assets...? Mumbling something under his breath once again that sounds something like, 'screw it,' Saf turns his attention back to Dante and starts the rhythm in his mind. His feet tap forward three short steps before he turns, one foot over the other, tossing himself into Dante off of the last step with a short hop, sending his knee rushing down at the man's anchoring leg, Saf's heel turned up to the sky, body leaning over as he attempts to push the knee downard from the hopping maneuver.
COMBATSYS: Dante dodges Safiullah's Light Kick.
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Safiullah 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Dante
Ah, that patience. There's no irritation at the sustained lack of Safiullah actually instigating combat. He merely waits there, emerald eyes watching the roaming figure, probably capable of punching him a few times in the kidneys were he more inclined. It could be a ruse, or it could be -- more likely -- a sustained lack of confidence. The latter is the conclusion when Safiullah finally makes some manner of assault, which shows itself to be clumsy and rather less then dedicated by most accounts. Although this style is ill-suited to rapid movements, it's still managed. Quickly Dante skips away in a pair of loping shuffles, the black open jacket rippling about, although it's marginal. He's certainly not all that quick evasively; Safiullah was just slow and unwieldy. "Tch. I said attack me. Do not waste my time with such half-assed efforts." Again he beckons, but no longer looking to be patiently waiting. The combat, as such, has begun. And although witty commentary and snarling remarks are doubtlessly going to be part, they are not included just yet. Instead he observes, reading and watching, returning to his lowered squat with the fists in the same position. Let's see what Safiullah does the second time around.
COMBATSYS: Dante focuses on his next action.
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Safiullah 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Dante
One of the problems with that leading attack was, that was actually Safiullah attempting to hit the man. Though the attack itself was without style, he was trying to at least lead off with a light distraction. Nevertheless, the second problem was the fact that Safiullah, much like a solid sphere rolling down an asphalt hill, was not one to find a rest point for some time. Once he started moving, his way to stay in the game was not to stop. With a heart condition like his, letting the adrenaline fade was a bad thing. If Dante did his homework at all about students in Gedo, he'd know Safiullah has an as yet unspoken-of condition that leaves him a gasping, collapsing mess after any type of physical activity. No one at school, short of the nursing staff, know that he actually has a bad heart, but... someone with a marginal ability to investigate could find that much out at the very least.
After the knee strikes only air and comes down to the ground, Saf shifts his weight forward, Dante's words in his ears as he rolls over, stretching his legs out, only to push down against the ground after a complete revolution, one hand shoving him back upwards, his body still rolling like a barrel through the air, launching another quick kick at the man's lower torso area, attempting to plant his flat foot in Dante's stomach. The other foot falls to the ground for balance, Saf's body leaning back at an almost parallel to the ground save that one foot against it, holding him up.
COMBATSYS: Dante fails to interrupt Light Kick from Safiullah with Sidewinder.
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Safiullah 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Dante
Of course, such investigations mean little to Dante, and had he more tangible information he'd not be bullying someone who is linked at the basest social level to the school. For this man as well has a ravaged body; Once he was a man of great stature, scarcely shorter and less powerful then Daigo himself. How he retains only broad shoulders and height. Were Safiullah aware of what Daniel Brown once looked like, it could be frightful, sickening, a question of how he remains alive. But it would seem Safiullah is not to be taken /too/ lightly, as his continued motion is somewhat distracting. His chances are still rather obscenely high, beginning to shoot forward with his right hand blazing with purple energy, attempting a diagnal strike towards his opponent's ribs. But the peculiar acrobatics strike him in the chest, and the hellish swing arcs a few inches from impact given Safiullah's torso is no longer where it /should/ be. The very air sizzles loudly from that hand; It sounds like a snake, hissing violently, and there's a look of pain as sweat seeps from Dante's features. He retracts himself a step, the sound cutting off with the purple chi. "Good..." he manages. This should be a good fight to ease himself into the 'real' world, after all.
The feeling of impact actually surprises him. Saf wasn't prepared for it, he figured after what happened the last time around that he'd have missed entirely. And so when the feeling strikes his foot and the tremor of collision shakes up his leg, Saf falls back onto waiting hands. Pushing them back against the ground and bounding back up to his feet, he looks up in time to catch that word, his body never ceasing in motion. Stepping forward, one foot over the other as his ankles cross up, the Punk Skunk leaves the ground with a short hop, using those twisted ankles to launch himself into an easy spin. His body cuts through the air like a screw through wood.
Snapping out the very foot that had hit Dante before, the heel of that tennis shoed foot sweeps around with the quickness one of his size and stature should possess, moving in towards Dante's head. He was aiming for the temple, trying to disasemble the man's balance as quickly as possible, knowing that him being taller and possibly stronger, his own leverage would come in making sure he couldn't coordinate such movements. But then again, leaving the ground left him open to a lot, so Saf tries to concentrate more on the force of the attack, trying to destroy his focus.
COMBATSYS: Safiullah successfully hits Dante with Heavy Kick.
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Safiullah 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Dante
Well, one can never claim the other man doesn't keep up a sustained onslaught. An attempt was made to duck the whirlwind kick, striking Dante rather hard across the head for his trouble exactly as intended. Although his upper body whips aside the stance remains firm, Dante looking more disoriented then outright hurt. .oO( He's like a damn monkey...! ) If he wished to disorient the Ankoku disciple such was managed completely, but not his capacity to reciprocate. Shifting his stance to one more aggressive, Dante suddenly rushes forward, right hand shooting out to catch the wirey man by the throat. And then apply a potentially neck-shattering amount of pressure, grinning wildly and attempting to heft the Punk Skunk skyward. What would follow would be a vicious detonation of purple chi, hopefully sending his opponent flying into the adjacent street. He spits to the side thereafter, a bit of blood evident. But he would again wait, slowly licking his pursed lips and watching for the other man to approach again.
COMBATSYS: Safiullah blocks Dante's Strong Throw.
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Safiullah 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Dante
Whipping through the air, those annoyingly bright pink bangs of his flailing in a seashell of hair, whirling around his face, Saf again feels the rewarding sensation of impact, his heel slamming into Dante's head. As the man shifts to receive the impact, Saf bounds back off of the strike, bringing that foot down in attempt to catch the ground... But as his body comes around, the only thing he receives for the effort of attempting to catch himself out of the air is a loud, hard swallow and choke. The sound catches in his throat however, his head tipped back, mouth open, his eyes suddenly rolling back as Dante's fingers slam tight around his throat, his entire body weight put on his spine, "Nngh--gughrk... ck--- ck," he wanted to say something but couldn't, his hands immediately flying up to clutch at that hand.
He was small enough to be held aloft like a sack of potatoes, his weight likely not much for one used to fighting for a means of living. Already his face began to flush, turning severely red, his teeth clenching in his mouth, his green eyes wide as flashbacks of being in this very position with Yamazaki play through in his mind. As if on instinct, feeling that tainted chi building, Saf releases the hand holding him aloft by the neck and lifts his knees and hands defensively. With them come trailing tendrils of electrical energy, sparking against that chi, forming a barrier of sorts that fades instantly after impact, Saf thrown away from Dante, his back slamming into the door of a small Beetle just outside of an alley. With a yelp the glass breaks behind him and his back arches, the boy dripping off of the car, falling to the ground. Attempting to stand, he ends up stumbling further into the alley, falling back against the brick wall, his eyes slowly lifting to Dante as he sags on his feet, one arm clutching the other's elbow. "Damn... if it hurt that bad and I stopped you..." he says, unable to ignore the fact that if that had hit him full on, he'd be in twice the pain.
COMBATSYS: Safiullah focuses on his next action.
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Safiullah 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Dante
There's no doubt that Dante enjoyed attempting to inflict that much pain into his opponent, letting out something of a laugh before subtly shifting towards his opponent. His foot edges along the sidewalk, toes pointing in the other man's direction. "I have yet to get serious." The other follows, twisting in his body while letting out a slow breath, eyes closed. And then there's an abrupt rush forward, the run incredibly fast and almost a blur. About three meters away from Safiullah, he flips into the air, twirling his body to come towards the other man leg's first. The goal is to snap his legs around Safiullah's neck, with rather bone-crushing force... What happens next is entirely dependent on the success in this endeavor.
COMBATSYS: Safiullah dodges Dante's Burmese Python.
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Safiullah 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Dante
...And indeed, that seems to not be the case, as Dante lands in a heavy crouch, seeming to be rather impressed the endeavor failed. He'd languidly rise back to a stand, twisting to face Safiullah anew. Faint surprise is on his features, to be certain... This may not be quite the simple beatdown that was anticipated.
The road to recovery for some after taking the types of chances that Safiullah did was a slow one. But for Saf, at least in this instance, he shifted his weight and momentum around much like the very Burmese Python that this maneuver was named after. Shifting back and then around when those legs come rushing in at him, he twists out and around him, bringing his body back into alignment, his hips shifting, upperbody twisting at the middle, his legs digging in to bring him out around Dante. Gritting his teeth, he skips back a step and breaths a sigh of relief. "Wow, you're really fast, do you know that? I'm serious. I was totally guessing there."
Lifting a hand to point at him, anchoring his back foot at the end of that last skip, he says, "I didn't even," off of that anchored foot he charges across the short distance, "see you coming!" Leaning into each step, his body swaying left and right with the pushing force of his charge, he hops once, twists himself around and steps out, spearing his legs down low, one catching the ground to stop himself while the other comes in towards his ankle.
COMBATSYS: Dante blocks Safiullah's Light Kick.
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Safiullah 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Dante
"I'm aware of my capabilities." Dante states simply enough, shifting down lowly while drawing one of his legs backwards. The response is to merely stiffen his stance; The kick hits him, but it seems to be absorbed. His stance doesn't even shift an inch. It was a genuine attempt, but being able to repel Safiullah with little more then the tension of his muscles and disturbingly rubber physiology is probably further testament to his skill. "And becoming familiar with yours. You were lucky once, and lucky twice. This string of success... Will not continue indefinitely." There's no immediate rush to go back into the fray. Dante instead seems to flare with some almost intangible energy, fluttering his black attire and causing a peculiar hiss like leaking gas to permute for meters around. Eyes shut during it, and when they open, he seems somehow refreshed. The grin, though, is completely lost. If Safiullah's goal was to be taken as a serious threat, that much has been achieved now...
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Safiullah 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Dante
Coming down from the kick with a solid, though temporary stance, Saf can do nothing but wonder just how a person withstands a straight on attack, regardless of the impact speed. His mind wanders back to a similar situation in which nothing he did effected someone. He tried everything and -- Well, perhaps it's best that he doesn't think about that. The foot that he used to catch himself pushes off of the ground again and he skips back, only to press both feet into the ground and push off once more towards Dante. Using the new momentum to carry him towards the man with greater speed than before. His next step has him turning around, his back to Dante as he comes in on him.
Hopping, his body turns over in the air, spinning quickly with a single roll, body bunching up, only to extend once more with his foot coming down towards Dante's shoulder, driving his other foot into the ground, only to push off of it and launch his entire body back at him, trying to slam into his torso and bump him away.
COMBATSYS: Dante endures Safiullah's Sand Cradle.
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Safiullah 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Dante
Patience, patience. That is the best tactic for a snake, and in this case the coiled viper might be finally prepared to uncoil in full measure. As the foot descends, it catches into the shoulder with a grunt. But he manages to twist forward, bracing his own loafered foot off the sidewalk as the second portion is attempted. He's slammed, but Safiullah would find that he's being pushed away rather then doing the opposite. And one hand lances out, trying to catch his opponent by the wrist thereafter. It would burst into a flare of purple chi, hissing loudly and attempting to wrench the Punk Skunk's arm /hard/ before Dante would whirl around, to backhand him in the same shoulder. To most people, this would both break the wrist and dislocate the shoulder. And the poisonous chi that might seep within is merely an added bonus. "Haaaaa!!!" is called out thereafter, punctuating the latter part of the attempt. Dante can be rather mean when he's focused himself in such a manner...
COMBATSYS: Dante successfully hits Safiullah with Anaconda.
- Power hit! -
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Safiullah 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Dante
The first impact brings a cocky smirk to his lips, Safiullah balancing himself for the bump-- but here's the rub. He hits Dante's chest, hard... but the man doesn't budge. Instead there's a shove forward and he stumbles, arm flailing out wide. Saf's eyes snap open, he looking back over his shoulder in time to feel the crushing grasp on his wrist. A short sound comes out of his mouth but it's muted when the man wrenches his arm, silencing Safiullah with pain. The Punk Skunk nearly drops to his knees, "Mmngh! --" Trying to pull away, the next strike coems faster than any attack should. With impossible force it railroads into his shoulder and the grunt that came out of him turns into a yell, his eyes slamming shut, mouth open wide, his voice cracking as he crumbles to his knees.
Trembling there at the end of his suspended and brutalized arm, Saf's head drops, his pink bangs falling over his face, his other hand dropping to catch himself on the ground. It hurt so bad he wanted to puke. A dry wretch is muffled in his closed mouth, his momentum halted for a moment, heart rate thundering in his chest, his heart feeling as if it were trying to rip out of his throat. Yanking his arm away with another yelp of pain, he forces himself back up to his feet, shaking his head to clear it of the haze of pain. Yanking the abused arm hard, he feels the bone shift back into socket, biting down on his bottom lip before he whips both arms around in front of him, drawing a circle with his hands, that circle igniting white, crackling bolts of electricity drawing once, then a second time over eachother. Whipping the arm out towards Dante, the first brilliant ring zings in, closely followed by a second, the two dancing and wobbling about one another, traveling on an strange and unconfirmed path towards him.
COMBATSYS: Dante overcomes Ring of Ire from Safiullah with Taipan.
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Safiullah 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Dante
There's no mercy or sympathy given by the brutal technique. Safiullah is reacting like many would, when they get assaulted cleanly with a blow that could permanently cripple a limb. Although Dante is rather tired thus far, and his own body holding up to the rigors less then he would like. Retaining his iron stance, as the twin rings of lightning are intoned, Dante simply spreads his fingers. Another broad gout of fire manifests into being, before he rushes forward with incredible speed. Drawing back his arm, it thrusts forward as his own drawn flame takes on the shape of a snake's head, two fangs apparent. It blows through both curls of lightning as if they were targets, before attempting to smack it straight into Safiullah's chest. There'd be a quick burst of fire, but the result might be peculiar. There would be two clean holes in the man's chest, and likely red spots beneath. As if he truly was bitten by a venomous reptile. His manner of moves are more literal then they might seem...
COMBATSYS: Safiullah dodges Dante's Taipan.
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Safiullah 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Dante
The blinding aura of light that surrounds those lighting rings serves the purpose of giving him ample time to think up what to do next. To say he wasn't at all worried about Dante would be a lie, but despite that, he tries to force himself to think past the doubts. Watching those rings travel on, they're suddenly obliterated by a tide of purple flames, lead by the head of a large snake. Saf's eyes flash wide again and he leans to his right, whirling once around on his feet at an almost impossible angle. One would wonder why he hadn't hit the floor. The long line of fire rushes past his shoulder, he missing the impact by inches... by seconds, only to stop his turn and push off towards Dante.
Rushing him behind the trail of the snake-like flame, sensing the venom in that chi still working in his body, causing an uneasy, woozy feeling- something akin to nausea- Saf brings his hands up from his sides, crackling bolts of white lightning coiling up from the ground around his feet. He takes to the air with another hop, the first spin bringing his right arm whirling around, cutting the air with a tail of crackling power. The second spin he whips his left arm forward, cutting a similar line of power into the air. The two whirl around one another in opposing directions, creating a double helix of lightning that rises up from the ground where those two tendrils landed. It spins about itself like a cylindrical tornado, cutting the distance between he and Dante fairly quickly as Saf himself lands in a three point stance, crouching down low with a hand on the ground, his eyes two predatory green gems staring at Kain's apparent heir.
COMBATSYS: Safiullah successfully hits Dante with Ankh - Double Helix.
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Safiullah 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Dante
There really wasn't anything impressive done in response to the maneuver. Dante merely attempted to back away, looking to be entirely unafraid. Given that the impact was dead on, surging across his form in a crackle but only managing to send him skidding a meter away, that might not be an inaccurate assessment. The assault in the eyes of the future Heinlein didn't warrant any true effort. "You fight with an unpredictable style, trying to prevent yourself from being assessed. Interesting. But the gap between us is too significant for that to allow triumph." Dante then suddenly flows into a cross-legged sit upon the ground, resting a hand upon either knee while bowing his head forward. "This conflict is teaching me more then I anticipated..." Enough that unnecessary expenditure of his limited reserves on someone who apparently has the traits of a monkey are ill-advised in most situations. He's incredibly vulnerable, which appears to be intended to some degree; What Safiullah opts to do in response to it is the question however. It might be the most insulting thing -- taking time to dissect and think, as if this was some unofficial time-out?
COMBATSYS: Dante drops his guard to recover.
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Safiullah 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Dante
Behind the crackling whirl wind of electricity, Safiullah doesn't press the attack. Instead he falls back on his feet, stumbling back a step from the awkward angle in which he'd hit the air. Catching himself fully on his right foot, his left in front of him, cocked back on his heel, he tips his head to the side, watching Dante fall into that strange sit down. Unlike most who might find this intimidating, Saf actually finds it a bit of a relief. He could feel himself swallowing his pulse. The veins in his neck were pounding, causing serges of blood to rush to his brain, a migraine having set in moments ago. Lifting his hands, he massages at his temples and pants.. more than anyone should for an exchange that had only taken minutes.
Setting himself back right on his feet, he drops his hands to his sides and hops a few times on his feet, attempting to force the blood back down, his face slightly flushed. When he goes still, he can't stop himself from opening his mouth. "Yeah, well... maybe you need to learn a lesson. Besides, if you fight like that all the time, I can see why you got your butt whipped. I don't necessarily agree with everything 'The Prince Of Gedo' has to say but-- .. I don't think you'd have been much better."
COMBATSYS: Safiullah gains composure.
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Safiullah 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Dante
"Oh. I was a monster. I hated the weak. To have been brought down like some common thug by Daigo..." Dante stops speaking abruptly, with such an expression of hatred that it might be startling. Unfurling back to his feet and brushing upon his rolled-up sleeves. It seems his gambit was successful. Safiullah could have pressed the assault, but only at the expense of retaining his weakened physique. Once more the tide has shifted back towards the former Gedo leader, although he had little fear about any reciprocation regardless. "Although I have never fought like this before. These flames..." One hand opens, and a small wisp is summoned. There's a wince, before it cuts off. "...I am still learning. Do not worry. I will never return to Gedo. That was the hell I passed through. Now... I shall endure my purgatory." His legs spread, squatting down and raising both fists towards Safiullah, eyes narrowed. An allusion mayhaps to the poem? Although that type of advanced reading Safiullah likely never took much interest in.
COMBATSYS: Dante focuses on his next action.
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Safiullah 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Dante
Believe it or not, Saf was not above understanding. Actually he was more akin to it than most. People didn't understand him at all. They never did-- most didn't even try. So when someone comes along and actually has a legitimate statement.. something like 'I've never fought like this before,' all he can do is nod... though he's still breather hard, still analyzing the situation as best he can. Moving in slowly as the man stands and assumes that stance, Saf looks him over, trying to figure out the best way to press an attack.. to vy for an advantage. When he decides it's best to continue, he pushes forward, rushing his opponent.
Still breathing harder than he should, he slides to a stop on his feet, one leg outstretched, attempting to strike low and hit the man in his lower ankle, before his leg lifts, snapping up towards his chest. When he pushes again, forcing himself off of the ground, it's sending a knee rushing in towards the man's face, his hands reaching out in attempt to grab his clothing and pull him in towards it.
COMBATSYS: Dante interrupts Long-Horned Scarab from Safiullah with Sidewinder.
- Power hit! -
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Safiullah 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Dante
Yet allowing the advantage to come back to Dante in this fashion anew is likely a poor maneuver. The man simply waits, and coming upon him in such a state can have negative ramifications. The sweep towards the ankle succeeds as anticipated, but that's as far as Safiullah gets. There's a sudden "HIYAH!" before the Ankoku disciple retaliates, impacting the Punk Skunk within the hip as his hand gouts into purple fire. The attempt is to rake up towards the opposite shoulder, and send him flying backwards as the trail of flame behind the fist wavers and writhes like the body of a snake, before the entirety dissipates into motes. Once more such attacks the body just as much as the flesh, an invading and torturously painful chi that attempts to permute one to the core. Adjusting his stance slightly, Dante once more flows back into his ready position, squatting down. "Come. You are becoming predictable."
Focusing his gaze, attempting to watch Dante's every move, Safiullah unfortunately still suffers from inexperience. He tried and failed to anticipate his movements, but in the end it just got him more pain than usual. The sweep succeeds with a cocky smile finding its way onto his face. But then he's haulted. A grunt escapes him at the first impact at his hip, his eyes again finding reason to go wide. When that rushing arm of purple flame washes over him, raking over his small form, Saf is caught up, his body lifted, a roar of pain coming from him as the flames dance about his body, sending his skin crawling, burning. Feeling much like food must in the microwave, he's boiling from the inside out, feeling the poisonous touch of that dark chi, his body throbbing all over, feeling the ache reach over him as his body turns over and over in the air.
Whirling away from Dante, he hits the ground with a hard grunt and rolls aside, tumbling back a number of feet before he stops, clothes disheveled, suspenders cast aside off of his shoulders, his arms sprawled out. One of his legs is up, bent at the knee, body trembling, the other leg out straight and twitching. When he finally comes to a some sense of himself, he's turning slowly over, hands on the ground, slowly pushing up to his knees. His head sagging, bangs hanging down over his face, heart thundering in his chest, he coughs. "You're not that strong-- aghk-- .. you're not.. Just another- ngh.. weak punk, just like everybody else... trying to scratch out a handlehold on power... Is that it? Did I call your number yet?" ... And of course when his abilities fail him, he gets angry... and he lets his mouth write checks his little body couldn't cash. "That's it, isn't it? You're just a wannabe. Wish you were somebody. That's it, isn't it? ... You're pissed off cus you're just. like. me... Huh, loser?" -- There's a spark in his eyes... a twinge of electrical power seizing him.. but nothing more.
COMBATSYS: Safiullah gains composure.
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Safiullah 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0 Dante
"I am a man on the path to true strength." Dante comments simply enough, once more shifting himself and seeming to be unperturbed by the onslaught of insults. Which hints that either the number was wrong, or he's ignoring it. One foot rasps across the concrete, other following suit to point himself in Safiullah's direction. His right hand arcs up, fingers splaying and other fist pulling inwards. "I once wished to be little more then the king of the mountain. Daigo showed me how high that mountain was. So you are correct. It is my aspiration to be a world renowned fighter of some acclaim; But I will not take insult. You are watching me on my first step... It should be you who despair, knowing that our gap will grow wider and wider. While you will stagnate, a man at the peak of an arc that already petered out..." And then he suddenly bolts forward, once more mildly blurring as adjacent debris whirls in the motion. His right hand strikes out, flaring with fire and trying to impact Safiullah right in the heart, and send another surge of his venomous power within it.
COMBATSYS: Safiullah blocks Dante's Medium Punch.
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Safiullah 1/=======/=======|=======\-------\0 Dante
Taking a long moment to catch his breath after his words, Saf continues to stare at the concrete before him, watching the granules of dirt pass by in the slow blow of evening air. The man's words catch him and he coughs out a little laugh, his head turning up in time to see Dante streaking towards him. Spurred into action, he lifts his hands, quickly tucking his arms in in front of his chest. The punch slams in hard and he grunts out, the sting of that poisonous chi washing over his forearms as it tosses him over onto his back. Shaking his hands hard and hissing in pain, he rolls over backwards and pops back onto his feet.
"God -- what the hell!" Pushing forward, he charges Dante with all the same vigor, his eyebrows knitting together in irritation as he whirls in on him, turning his body over, snapping his fist out hard towards the man's midsection, trying to catch him in the upper ribs with a fist just as forcefully drawn and swung as the one Dante would have hit him with. Green eyes streak up like twin beacons to look him in the face, "You've got no choice but to take insult. You're not worth anything else. Besides, Daigo protects people. Looks like you just want to hurt them. That's why you're not gonna beat me. Dick."
COMBATSYS: Dante fails to interrupt Strong Punch from Safiullah with Light Kick.
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Safiullah 1/=======/=======|=======\-------\1 Dante
Ah; Safiullah is so open. It would be child's play to strike out with his right foot, which suddenly bursts with chi. The intent was to catch him with crippling force in the ribs, but he underestimated something else. Passion. Safiullah has the true heart of a fighter, something that all his negative attributes combined can weigh more then the old, simmering hatred in Daniel Brown's. Mere chances mean little in such cases, and he's smacked resoundingly and sent skidding backwards, missing by a close margin. But those close margins are irrelevant; If you almost survive a car crash, you still die. "Hah. Is that so? You think merely wanting something so bad you can taste it will overcome me?" There's a wild look now, and Dante opts to ignore his proper battle stance to stand at his intimidating height. "Do you know how much I desired to defeat Daigo? To strike him down? The entire school watching..." Again there's such a look of venomous seething that it's unbecoming to behold. Enough that he actually does wash with fire, the purple flame raising upon his entire body. "...And I was humiliated. Struck down. Laughed at and derised. But unlike you... I will not take a life as a laughingstock. I will do whatever it takes... And pay any price!"
Rushing Dante again, Saf's body cuts the short distance with a quick series of skips forward, a short hop turning him over in the air, inverting his body, flipping him heels over head, a leg extending to punch in hard at Dante's ribs, the other extending straight upward to catch him when the turn continues, he landing on that foot, only to spring off of the very same and launch himself upward, spinning like a dervish, his heel cutting in towards his head, completing the double assault with a smooth landing.
COMBATSYS: Dante interrupts Heavy Kick from Safiullah with Black Mamba.
- Power hit! -
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Safiullah 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0 Dante
"Why should I care about you? You are the kind of weakling I hate. I wouldn't try to..." Dante grins, although he does allow something of a frown at what follows, green eyes glowing in an ominous manner for a fraction of a second. "This is not about school. I am surprised Daigo is even still within Gedo. You fool -- This isn't about what happened! Daigo is merely a stepping stone. If I overcome him... Then I overcome the weakness I once held. THAT is my goal! And you..." Once more Dante moves, like some immobile object. He's struck viciously within the ribs, but his right hand flares to life with purple chi. "...are an obstacle." Entire body flowing with the motion, he then strikes Safiullah right in the heart. This time, it lands clean. A huge surge of his venomous chi would erupt within his body thereafter. The impact is surprisingly light, but the result probably crippling to someone already riding on pure adrenaline. What follows is seven more strikes, towards shoulders, stomach, and a final open palm blazing again with fire to hit right on the chest once more. The latter intends to scorch through his shirt, and leaving a glowing handprint on his flesh. Dante's breathing heavily now. He's exerted himself far too much in a conflict with someone this weak...
"I know it." The reply comes back sharp, biting, interrupting Dante's first sentence, Saf's breath coming heavy, his shoulders moving with every intake and exhale. "I know you hate me. But like I told you before, I'm not a weakling. And my existence to you, while grotesque, has nothing to do with your opinion. Life's hard enough without people like you thinking you can just walk all over everyone. I put up with a lot because I understand. I understand people... I know why they do the things they do. I can't force anyone to like me, but what I do have control over is my ability to respect their decision." -- The strike takes place... and it's absorbed without much of an effect otherwise.
Saf is more than surprised when he comes back up to his full height his body is rocked with a hard impact upon his chest, the air blasted completely from his lungs. The strikes that blast in to follow shake his body, stumbling him left and right, only to absorb more blows, the hard, punishing impacts bringing from him grunts, yelps and whimpers of pain before the final strike crushes in on his chest and sends him flying back and away from Dante, the handprint burnt into his black shirt visible, his tanned flesh beneath baring a welt in the shape of the man's considerably larger hand. His back slams into the corner of a nearby building, causing him to arch and yell out in pain, body coiled, face tight before he stumbles and falls to the ground, slumped against the brick, wheezing.. "You hit like a woman--ghk-- khehe..."
COMBATSYS: Safiullah gains composure.
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Safiullah 1/=======/=======|-------\-------\0 Dante
"Cope with it however you want." Dante comments simply enough, having no other response beyond that once he sends the other man brutally away again. But he's still getting up, and apparently opting to perpetuate the conflict with his stubborn will. "I will win here." Dante then resumes his stance once more, narrowing his eyes in obvious focus. He's out of tricks now. He has nothing left to show off, but he's not nearly down and out just yet. Safiullah is retaining a huge reserve of energy for some reason. Is he attempting to make sure it hits? What a waste. Some people have likely heard the results of this assault thus far, and might be peeking, but the black-clad student of Kain could care less.
COMBATSYS: Dante focuses on his next action.
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Safiullah 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0 Dante
Slowly pushing himself up from his slumped position, Saf anchors his body against the wall, turning his eyes up to meet Dante. "I will," he barks right back, arguing back like a child. Forcing himself back up to his feet, pushing away from the wall, he stumbles forward a step before better anchoring his gait. Marching in on Dante, he brings with him an upward lifting, sizzling palm. It crackles loudly, popping and hissing, arms of electricity snapping and popping between his gloved fingers, lighting his face on one side, casting the other in shadow. His other hand lifts then, slapping his palms together, the crackling sum of energy in that one hand spreading evenly between the two. The next instant, he's a blur of motion.
The attack comes slow... it comes patient. Saf pushes himself forward into Dante, attempting to launch both of those palms forward into his sternum, trying to shove him back hard, just before one foot lifts, looking to step down on his knee and walk his frame, where should it connect, he'll bound off of his chest and stomp him right into the ground with both feet on his chest, his hands coming down, throwing globes of burning chain lightning down upon him, hands pumping as if he were hurling dozens of large ostrich eggs.
COMBATSYS: Dante dodges Safiullah's Crown of Amun-Ra.
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Safiullah 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0 Dante
When an attack is slow, that means that a fighter is incredibly fatigued. And there's merely something of a snort as Dante takes a smooth step away, missed by a slim margin as the rather incredible light show is unleashed point-blank. "Impressive show. Were it to connect. But it's time to finish this." And then once more, Dante bursts into motion with one arm rippling with impossible flexibility, snapping up a claw-like grip and attempting to grasp Safiullah by the neck. And then whirl him over a shoulder, to slam him upon the ground with an incredible amount of force, entire body ripplin gwith it. His other hand would then flare with deep purple fire, before shooting down to impact him right in the sternum and unleash a few pulses of his venomous aura deep into his already ravaged body. "My chi is already slowing you down... You are almost a kitten to me at this point. I had no idea you were so masochistic..."
COMBATSYS: Dante successfully hits Safiullah with Strong Throw.
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Safiullah 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=------\-------\0 Dante
As strict and overbearing as Daigo was, in that moment, Safiullah honestly wished he was here to protect him. Daigo was the type of guy that believed in tough love, and while he may have let someone suffer for a little while, eventually he would come to the aid of the greater good. This? This was just sickening. Knowing he was bested, the boy kept going. And Dante, knowing he had bested him, continued to ramp up the punishment. If he was trying to send Daigo a message, this was certainly the way to go about it. Daigo had flipped out the last time someone hurt one of the student body of Gedo in this fashion... even the last time Yamazaki had done this- had disasembled him in this fashion- Daigo had come to his aid and backed the tank of a man off. It seems Dante wasn't stupid after all... perhaps he knew a little something about provoking people.
When the man steps out of the way of the first advance, Saf's eyes slowly turn to follow him, his reactions slow, his mind numb, but he continued at it. A sickeningly harsh cough barks up from his chest, spittle flying from his mouth in droplets when that hand clenches around his throat, "AUGHGHK- -- ck... ck," his hands lift to fight against those fingers tightening around his throat, his face flushing, body lifted onto the tips of his toes. He stretches his feet down trying to support some of his weight on them but finds no purchase as he's lifted high over shoulder and planted into the ground. Another awful cough bursts from him, a rasping gurgle, his arms flying out to his sides, legs twitching, struggling, digging at the ground as his back arches in pain, feeling that disgusting, nauseating chi flood his small form in stomach wrenching waves.
As Dante holds him down, his words chiding, looming over him, Saf glares into his face, struggling to keep his focus, to stay concious, body stripped of air and rebelling against the fact that he couldn't breathe. A kitten indeed it would seem. -- Bolts of lightning begin to sizzle behind his eyes, his irises lit brighter even than before. His body goes flacid, fingers twitching at the ends of his hands as he seizes once, twice, muscles tightening and relaxing. When finally his hands snap back up, attempting to grasp that hand at his throat, electricity fires from his body like an exploding power conduit-- but that isn't the attack. That's only to break the contact, to give him enough strength to shove that hand off. Gasping and coughing, he rolls over onto his hands and knees, nearly throwing up, his hair standing out on end, bolts of electricity climbing every strand as he stands, backlashes of electrical chi firing out from his feet as he paces in on Dante, crackling rings of chain lightning echoing out with every step. Lifting his left hand, he slings it out towards Dante, a slow moving bolt of electricity snaking up and riping into the ground. From the sky above, a bolt as thick around as a street intersection rushes down upon the both of them, whirling, angry like the belly of storming winds. Saf
himself bursts forward, driven by an unseen force, his body seeking to slam into.. and even -through- Dante, like a ghost, shooting about within the lightning bolt, trying to tear into him with every ounce of physical strength he possessed.
COMBATSYS: Dante interrupts Lightning Emperor from Safiullah with Jab Punch.
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Safiullah 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Dante
There's a smile now, almost fatherly, as Safiullah finally unleashes his final torrid onslaught. The grip to the throat of the looming figure is managed cleanly, and he's shoved off with a stumble, rubbing his throat while facing the other man still. Although the peculiar strike from the heavens seems to be surprising, just before it finds purchase Dante enshrouds himself in bathing purple fire, the crackles offset by the loud hiss of the chi. "Hmmph." is stated, although whether it can be heard through the finale is questionable. As that final, epic strike is attempted, two fingers shoot out. They hit Safiullah right between the eyes; Dante's's hit in the other shoulder, wrenching the Heinlein heir around with a terrifying sound as the shoulder dislocates. His face twists in agony, but it's insufficient. There's a sudden jolt of that venomous energy, this time channeled right into the Punk Skunk's brain. And that should be sufficient, as Dante stumbles backwards while gripping his impacted shoulder, the arm hanging somewhat limp and spasming. The Ankoku flames boil away -- and show that his outfit was not immune from his own attack, seared and blackened in many portions. That was arrogant. Had he allowed the full strike, it might very well have turned the entire fight around. "This fight... is over." is all that he intones. Even if he's far from unscarred at the conclusion then he would have liked.
Inside of the storm, there was only Dante and Saf. It raged with the trecherousness of a typhoon. Both frightening and calming at the same time. A creature of lightning, striking at Dante wherever he could reach, but sadly the man came prepared even for this. As he moves in on the man again inside of the uproaring, sizzling light, he's met with the simplest of counter attacks. And it's enough. The two fingers jab at him and that nauseating chi once again finds it's way seeping inside of him. With a loud sonic boom, wind shoved out of the way, sound pushed aside by the expanding lightning, it all disappears in a flash of white light. The people in the nearby eatery who stare on cover their eyes. -- And Safiullah, the Punk Skunk, a creature of roaring electrical chi, stops. Feet hovering about the ground, clothes slightly tattered about his small form, the Lightning Emperor slowly seeps away, leaving only the beaten boy behind, his feet slowly coming down... and his body rocking over like a package of crackers off of a shelf.
He hits the ground with a dull thunk on his back, eyes open. -- But moments later he stirs... curling over onto his knees, panting, his hands holding him upright, his heart thundering hard in his chest, he jerks his head back, slinging those pink bangs back out of his face. "You're-- ghk-- still nothing... You're the weakling. Daigo's gonna destroy you completely." He hisses, voice barely a whisper. "If you could barely handle me you certainly won't be able to handle him... I'm not even telling him you're alive, pal... You're not worth his time..." His bangs fall back down and he laughs through his harsh breathing, mocking Dante as a fighter.
COMBATSYS: Safiullah takes no action.
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Dante 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Safiullah can no longer fight.
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Dante 0/-------/----===|
Dante smooths his outfit as best he can, putting out the smolders. This truly was a somewhat laughable performance to say the least on his part. Far from the peak of his game. Yet he cracks his neck to either direction, frowning towards the fallen man with genuine unhappiness. "So you will not not pass on my message to Daigo as promised... Well." A few slow and careful footsteps clack towards the fallen Emperor of Lightning, before Dante attempts to kick him over, then straddle him across the stomach to prevent him from resisting. "...You do not necessarily have to speak." And then he would attempt to place both hands right upon Safiullah's chest once more, before his entire body suddenly whirls and dances with purple fire, eyes growing bright green as an obviously killing intent becomes apparent. There would be a single sharp spasm of energy, attempting to send it deep within his opponent's body, and this time focused into his heart. What effect this might have is questionable, but he would get up regardless and flick down his sleeves to again cover his hands. "He will seek who did this, regardless of if you tell him. And I am sure he will find the answer." Content with the eventual victory, Dante would then begin to stride away, vanishing within an adjacent alley as the pedestrians around might begin to realize this was more then a street fight now -- it was an attempted murder.
COMBATSYS: Dante has ended the fight here.
Elle had told him a long time ago about his mouth. It wasn't that Saf had a bad one or a particularly sharp one.. it was just that in his attempts to get back at people, he often said things he ought not have. In fact, some of the things that came out of his mouth, while truthful in some respects, were the kinds of things that got people killed. She always told him he'd end up dead because of it... He just never figured that day'd be today. Thankfully for the little shit, it wouldn't be... but after all was said and done, he'd certainly feel like it. -- Because the laughter stops when he hears those feet clacking towards him. He'd forgotten the fact that he'd been beaten to a pulp.. that he had nothing left to give. His head slowly lifts, his bright green eyes slowly widening. "... What are--..." He starts to shake there on his knees, his body shifting back, sliding back onto his rear end when Dante's foot slams into his chest, "Aah! -- St-- stop it!" he struggles out as that foot comes down onto him, pushing him to the ground. He struggles against it as best he can, hands working weakly beneath him, crab walking back away from the tall man, his eyes the size of saucers, "Get away from me," he breathes, hatred tightening his expression. When the man straddles him to the ground, Saf attempts to pull away, his weak struggles in vain, muscled into a docile position, finally giving all that he has- his heart beating against the back of his chest so hard that all he can do is groan out in pain and drop his arms down beside him, mouth open, wheezing, staring Dante in the face. "Don't--gh--AAHH!" His scream pierces the dim night when Dante's hands fall over his chest, those flames roaring up around him, fear preceeding the pain.
It coalesces around the larger man and the boy beneath him screams for his life -- then it's all stifled. The sharp, stabbing pain that jabs down into his chest, beneath his breast bone, beneath his ribs, exploding throughout his entire upperbody, focused on his dangerously afflicted heart. Saf's back jerks up from the ground, his fingers clenching so hard that the nails upon them burst through the material and stab into his palms, blood spurting up from each crescent shaped wound, his bottom lip dipping between his teeth, a line of blood appearing as he bites into it. The weak grunt that comes from him sounds like that of a man hit with an AED machine... and then he slumps, eyes rolling back, mouth falling open, blood falling fresh from his bitten lip, his fingers uncurling to let the blood leak from his palms. His head sags to one side and he doesn't give another twitch.
It's some minutes after Dante is gone that people come running to the sight of what they are all sure was the most cold blooded murder South Town had ever seen. Someone has the sense to dial 911... seven minutes later Safiullah's abused heart is forced back into motion. For seven minutes, Saf was clinically dead. -- Hours later, when he's hooked to a breathing aparatus in the hospital, the word gets
back to Gedo .. and of course the news. -- Along with Cell phone pictures and video of Dante half killing a schoolboy in the streets of China Town.
Log created by Dante, and last modified on 06:10:32 03/18/2007.