Neo League 326 - #345: Alma vs Yurika

Description: In today's episode of MOTM: The Mysterious Play, 'Rainbow Rangers in Love', Alma Towazu and Yurika Kirishima meet on the main stage of Seijyun High, are impressed with each other's good manners, put on headbands, and have a classic clash between good and evil wherein Alma reveals how truly well-suited he is to the part of cliche sentai hero. (Winner: Alma)



It's been a long week.
What had begun as a refreshingly engaging return to a more active life as Alma Towazu -- psychic prettyboy and young champion of virtue extraordinaire -- that is, a life involving more new friendships and unique expressions of his deeper self and less routine schooling and modeling, has gotten extremely complicated.
Certainly it's been worth it. After all, he went looking for new challenges, and he's certainly found them; just, on a far wider scale than he ever anticipated. He had been hoping for new clashes on an individual level, breaking through the too-simple life he's created for himself and resurrecting his true purpose through the intensity of martial conflict, and he's gotten them to be sure. For though achieving some semblence of normality in his life is more of a triumph than most will ever know, and going to university and continuing to model are both activities he loves dearly, allowing them to become old hat would be something of a crime. If he does truly love them, he must, he feels, be in awe of them, perpetually excited about them. When he begins to lose that sense of excitement, it is time to do something new; or go back to something old, and find something new about it.
In this case, 'something old' is the Neo League.
What's happened beyond these individual clashes he was seeking, however, is something beyond even his grasp. He can't save Jiro now. He certainly doesn't know how to deal with that madman Tran. And, though his faith in himself is implacable, Alma is not certain if he'll be able to achieve the kind of victory against Dante that-- that, well, honestly, Alma feels he deserves.
This sort of thing is much simpler.
So, in spite of the injuries he has recently suffered, and in spite of the fact that leaving Tran recovering from severe physical trauma in his own apartment is perhaps not a good strategic choice if he wants his apartment to remain intact, Alma Towazu is here, standing on the main stage of Seijyun High and remembering with quiet mild fondness the last time he was here.
~ That 'Foxy' woman... I never was able to find her again. ~
There's not a trace of regret on his beautiful features, however, as high schoolers and paying audience members crowd in chattering loudly amongst themselves. On the contrary, his near-perpetual mild smile broadens into something brighter and more pleased as he gazes up into the stage lights.
~ Heh, I wonder how Miss Doyle is doing now? ~
He waits patiently, lost in his meditations.

Lately the League was something to prove extremely useful for one of it's newest participents. But that aside, Yurika didn't particularly have any desire to use said League for 'non-trap' purposes. Oooh and what traps they were.
However to the situation at hand, things are slightly.. Off-schedule. It wasn't long ago that the silver-haired girl was dealing with another matter, particularly with the drama club of the school grounds. Come to think of it, Yurika isn't exactly sure how she ended up agreeing to such terms, she didn't consider herself a very good actress, but that was another matter entirely.
What Alma may not have noticed is that there are already props on the stage, it seems to be a beach setting with a ocean backdrop in the background. There's umbrella's lawn chairs, and fold up chairs scattered all over the ground, and when the lights dim a bit, a handsome, 5'10" brunette student dressed in a red, demi-checkered bodysuit walks no stage and is immedietly assaulted by fangirlish screams.. Once it dies down, she speaks in a cool tone, "All right, before we begin act three of 'Rainbow Rangers in Love', we've got an extra special intermission act set up since we lack a fighting scene! I would like to introduce and thank Alma Towazu for agreeing to stage his League Fight here!"
The students applaud, a few whistles thrown in for good measure, "And his opponent is our very own Yurika Kirishima who will be representing our climactic battle! Who will win? Even we don't know! O- Oh right.." she reaches into her pocket, walking over to Alma then and hands him a silk, red headband, "Could you put this on please?"
And that is when Yurika walks on-stage, her cheeks flaring red, and adorn in a tan-color version of her usual school uniform. black boots on her feet, and a black/gold colored headress, wild-hairdo pointing upward instead of downward, it would seem she was cast to play Ms. Repulsa for the performance. Though who knew she carried a violin and bow? I sure didn't.

'Rainbow Rangers in Love'... what is this crap? Aislinn is -already- wondering why she's here. There are a million or more things she could be doing at this very moment and none of them involve giant monsters or weird drama club things... but somehow she's been trapped here. Right up in the front row. Throughout the performance she's kept her expression the same... were she to be an emoticon it likely would be :| as... that's how she pretty much is treating this entire spectacle. She was invited by Yurika and that 'invitation' was subtly backed up.. and with no strong reason to duck out, Aislinn found herself here. Of course, the new transfer student has been chatted about; though diminuitive she gives some of the same air as Zaki and her circumstances have been as curious as they have been hidden. All in all, a combination guaranteed to cause trouble. Not, of course, that Ais is particularly interested... some of these girls want to mother her, some are just fascinated, but none are of interest to the Silent Assassin. She's merely here to evaluate combat potentials.

So what's happening again?
Alma is roused from his reverie as another student makes her way on stage, and immediately the young man begins to feel as though he's missed something very important. The scenery on the stage hadn't aroused his interest; maybe they simply hadn't gotten around to putting it away from another play, although that would be unusually remiss of a place as tightly structured as Seijyun High. Still, it's none of his business, as it won't inhibit his ability to show his skill; if anything, it adds a unique flair to the atmosphere, does it not?
Well, at this point, the atmosphere is more than just unique. Something is afoot. It begins to occur to Alma that these people filing in look as though they've been here for a little while beforehand; indeed, some had left their coats and jackets on the seat backs. And when the girl mentions 'intermission', Detective Alma begins to piece the puzzle together. This isn't just a random performance he's giving. He is part of a greater act!
That means he has responsibilities.
Thus when he is handed the red headband he nods courteously and smiles softly to the student and immediately puts it on, just in time for Yurika to enter center stage. This time, Alma's done a little research, and the violin and bow give his opponent away if nothing else. This must be her. Taking a deep breath as his awareness slowly begins to settle, trying to get used to this new and unexpected environment and situation, the tall young fighter-model smiles winningly at the grey-haired girl, although a slight quirking up of his eyebrows changes his expression enough to show a little comradery toward the clearly embarrassed young lady; a gracious little effort to show that it's fine if she feels awkward as he too, despite his apparent poise, is a bit disoriented.
"Miss Kirishima," he murmurs, voice carrying to her as he inclines his head in a polite half-bow. "I am Alma Towazu, your opponent today. It is an honor to make your acquaintance..."
Still in his half-bow, Alma turns his head slightly to look up at the student in red near him, and adds in a quieter tone:
"And.. what is it I am doing?"

Yurika's goal seems to be to give as Aislinn a difficult time as possible while in Seijyun. Well, that's not true at all, but with all the things Yurika had been 'strongly suggesting' Aislinn partake in, one could easily see that as being the case. But then again, those who know her a little, would know better otherwise. The silver haired student looks astonished at first to the headbanded fighter, and the color starts to fade from her cheeks, replaced with a small but genuine smile.
She's quite impresssed.
"Oh my, good afternoon to you.. Alma Towazu? This is the first time I've met such a well mannered fighter." Yurika's voice is low, audible enough for the other two on stage, however, "This is the first time I've actually looked forward to a league match," without the intent of malice.
The student, lets just call her Chisato, gives a winning grin to Alma, fixing his collar a bit and makes an 'ok' motion with her hand, "Ok, your inspiration is, you're the 'good guy'. Don't sweat the details, just fight how you normally would, and we want lots of colors, got it? Really cool moves! Oh, and most importantly, you're playing me, so try to look as great as I do, ok?" the girl snickers, and with a salute, she turns and hops right off the stage, "All right, is everyone ready for this? I know I am, so... Fight! Staaahto!" The lights turn back up and appropriate fighting music booms from the speakers.
As for Yurika, violin set on her shoulder, she appears to be ready to fight, "Good luck."

Interesting.
"You're too kind," Alma replies to Yurika in the same low tone, his honest smile growing slightly. "I'll do my utmost to satisfy your expectations and make this an engaging challenge. And please... do your best as well. Hm..." He glances askance at the quite excited-looking audience, and his smile turns a bit wry, though probably only Yurika will notice at this distance. "...we should make this entertaining for everyone else's sake, though, I suppose..."
The tall youth rises to his full height again as Chisato explains in vague detail the situation he has found himself in. Now, Alma is no actor by trade or interest, but his passion for modelling -- for such a 'passion' wouldn't really make sense except under these terms -- does relate in some ways to theater. Part of what makes him so photogenic, beyond sheer lucky inexplicable talent, is that he tries very much to get into character and internalize the sentiments of the person he believes himself to be. The stories he creates actually sometimes get rather involved and dramatic. So he has some experience with make-believe, as it were, and rather than get flustered and irritated as another fighter might, Alma decides to accept this too as a challenge in its own right.
And thus it is with an expression of deadpan seriousness that the young kung-fu model steps forward and takes a firm stand, feet spread wide, back straight and head proudly erect-- and points toward Yurika.
"Villain!"
The stage lights illuminate the righteous glint in his eyes.
"Your nefarious deeds have gone on for far too long! Such malicious doings cannot be tolerated by anyone possessing an iota of decency-- but you have preyed upon the helpless and have not yet been stopped! No longer! Today is the day your reign of terror ends!"
Alma was never much of a reader, admittedly, but his mother /was/ a schoolteacher, and now that his stutter has miraculously faded, he finds it wonderfully convenient to toss off vocabulary words. 'Nefarious' indeed. Well, it suits the situation rather well. The younger audience is rapt.
"Prepare-- for JUDGMENT!"
The outstretched hand with pointing finger abruptly clenches powerfully; and right on cue, a bright plume of white soulfire, traced with glittering pinks and purples, explodes around him, suffusing him in scintillating sacred light. It appears less as a halo as it usually does and more as though dramatic bombs have been set off behind him -- well played, Alma -- and a chorus of 'oohs' echo through some sections of the audience.
"My passion for justice will never be denied!"
His profile is facing the audience, and it is thus that there is no way the audience can see when Alma, even as he stares at Yurika with heroic resolve reflected in his eyes, winks.

COMBATSYS: Alma has started a fight here.

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Alma             0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Alma gathers his will.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Alma             0/-------/---====|


Well much like Alma, Yurika doesn't have much experience, if any at acting in theatre. Performing a violin in front of a crowd is considerably different than acting in front of one. Perhaps, then, it's a blessing that she at least feels comfortable in a fighting environment, as unusual a situation as it is.
To say that Yurika is stunned by Almas passionate outburst would be an understatement. Her dark eyes widen a little, his encouragement for her to do her best completely lost on her from this point. And it's clear he's just pretending, but why does being called a 'villain' still sting a bit in her heart?
Pssh, as if she didn't know. As the crowd so easily and quickly gets into the matter, screams following the models 'dreamy' words, Yurika finds herself intimidated.. Very slightly, but she had 'tricks' of her own! However speech, on the other hand, end up a half-hearted, "N- Never, I.. Shan't, or rather shan't not.. Or ah.." and her cheeks light up once more.
And then the would-be actress just chargest forward, stopping near Alma just close enough to lift her leg and kick her booted foot outward, aimed right toward the young mans stomach as she cries in a heavily american accent, "<I will ruin your martial arts spirit!>"

COMBATSYS: Yurika has joined the fight here.

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Alma             0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0           Yurika


COMBATSYS: Alma blocks Yurika's Light Kick.

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Alma             0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0           Yurika


"Never!"
Alma sweeps his arms out and banishes the flames, the last of the heat rolling away and fading in the air as he dramatic thrusts a hand forward and parries the girl's kick as she approaches. Although it was a real kick and Alma's defense requires a fighter's grace and reflexes, the audience may not notice this; at least, not the younger audience. But that's alright. That's not what they're here for.
They're here for the drama.
And it is a testament to Alma's growing experience in the realm of martial arts that he is able to mount a satisfactory defense even as he gesticulates with the other hand, alternating between pointing at his opponent and clenching his fist manfully as he takes a step back and shifts his feet into a less spread and more appropriate fighting stance. "My martial arts spirit must always endure! For it is fueled by the power of good, and good never fails! It is fueled by the power of friendship, for my friends are always with me in spirit! And-- and--"
What was the play called? Oh yes.
"--it is fueled--"
And he throws himself forward with another blast of unusually ostentatious spiritual pyrotechnics, sailing into the air as he double-kicks at Yurika's sternum and forehead with legs sheathed in psychic illusory fire.
"--by the power--"
And if he isn't somehow shot down out of the air in the process of doing this, whether or not he fully succeeds in making impact with his strikes, Alma will sail up a little higher into the air and twist to face the audience, spreading out his arms beautifically to them in midair.
"--of love!!"
Oh, Alma.

COMBATSYS: Alma successfully hits Yurika with Rising Fury.

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Alma             0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0           Yurika


YUCK! Stomach turning, but appropriate are Alma's words, love most certainly being the focus of the entire ordeal. Yurika had always been a sap for these kinds of stories too, and while she had been looking forward to the match, she had been finding herself rather intimidated at this point by Alma's display.
For a split second, Yurika actually did believe, dazzling technics aside, that love was certainly going to destroy her! And that moment is the opening Alma needed to hit her with the double kicks, enough power to knock her flat on her back afterward and allow the man his moment to pose.
If most of the audience wasn't completely won over by his passion and good looks, they're realize just how *BAD* those lines were.
Yuirka slips to her feet, grip tight on her wand, "<You foolish teen!>" she retorts, "<Love is only an illusion! I false hope you rely on for power! I will show you.. The power of Hate is superior!>" she holds her bow outward, the tip blurring with grey afterimages that take the shape of glowing treble clefs, she first swiping to chop at Alma's neck, then in the same motion swings back to swipe at Alma's ankles to knock him off of his feet, "<Take this!>"

COMBATSYS: Alma endures Yurika's Tragic Hesitation.

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Alma             1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0           Yurika


Alma's strikes and drama hit home with equal measure, his trite monologue managing to suit the occasion perfectly, much to his pleasure. Indeed, his mask of righteous indignation fades for a moment and reveals a mild smile as some of the younger girls applaud his efforts with stars sparkling in their eyes-- but he has no time to bask in glory. His opponent is coming on quickly, and he has only just recovered his balance from his all-out attack.
Alma possesses a unique talent related in some sense to his psychic capacities and his choice of fighting style, and one that is quite appropriate here. Specifically, in the pursuit of passion, Alma, through intuiting the battle's atmosphere, is able to synchronize what actions will help him achieve victory and what will also be the most dramatic. Because his abilities depend so profoundly on how engaged he is in the match, and his capacity to be engaged relies in some sense on how engaged his /opponent/ is, and even how the others watching are, the drama-fostering espoused by Fei-Long in his own teachings suits Alma's own style quite well. It is because of all this that rather than attempt to dodge or even block the strikes, Alma rushes forward into them; both to overwhelm Yurika's own momentum and thereby achieve a tactical advantage, and-- well, for drama.
"Ohh!" Alma twists as the energy burns across his throat and body, gritting his teeth slightly in real pain but appearing much more startled than he actually is as he falls to one knee at the girl's feet. "The power of Hate-- it's so strong!" But the twisting motion gives him the torque necessary to twist yet more and lash up, and even as he's finishing his line he is punching up fiercely at Yurika's abdomen, aiming to knock the wind out of her as he 'struggles' to rise. "But, I must preservere--"
And his chin tilts up handsomely, eyes gleaming in the stage lights.
"--for justice!"

COMBATSYS: Yurika blocks Alma's Strong Punch.

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Alma             1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0           Yurika


"Hah!" Yurika throws in as Alma falls to the ground, though she can't exactly tell which part of him is acting and which part isn't. Because if he weren't then.. Well clearly her blows are quite strong! She isn't going to worry too much about the crowd, or rather, trying to outdo Alma. It's quite clear her that there's no way she can possibly contend with his natural talent.
Though it is a little weird in a way, where is that energy coming from? But having no time to ponder that, she opts to make use of her bow once more, it seems she's ready for the counter attack, quick as it may be, and taps the wooden weapon against his wrist and redirects most of the momentum.. Though it would seem he can still hit her shoulder, making her stumble back anyway with a yelp of suprise.
Well.. He was certainly strong himself. It was interesting how he could make it look nice though. A cruel smile on her lips she wags the bow at Alma, "<Meh!>" she utters, "<So it seems you still have energy, Rainbow Red. But that won't be the case for long, try this!"
Yurika takes a couple of steps forward, twirling in a full circle and in an uppercut motion, attempts to catch Alma under the chin with the flat of her bow. The momentum would be enough to lift him off his feet, in which she'd then twirl the model twice in the air like a human gymnasts ribbon! And assuming he doesn't escape, she finally crouches to slam him to the floor, "<Friendship! Good! Are you trying to make me lose my lunch??>"

COMBATSYS: Alma blocks Yurika's Melancholy Air.

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Alma             1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0           Yurika


Aislinn watches with those unceasingly accurate lavender eyes of hers; the show and pomp and circumstance mean nothing to her and are filtered out, edited by her own little internal thought processes. What she is seeing is markedly different from what others are seeing.

But to her... what she is seeing is far more relevant, dynamic, and even beautiful, than anything the Seijyun Drama Club could ever come up with. Not that the adventures of Rainbow Red are particularly beautiful. But the interchange of kicks and punches, the surges of energy and emotion... Aislinn sees only a fraction of it and yet... though she would not put it in those words, it -is- beautiful. However...

Yurika is taking the worst of it by far. She needs to do more, to not fall behind. This is the advice Aislinn would give--were she in a position to, or were she possessed of a desire to. She is not. Whether Yurika lives or dies here, in the figurative sense, is up to the violin-playing girl; every loss that she experiences in front of Aislinn will make it that much less likely that she will be able to exert any sort of influence on the NESTS agent--influence won, by and large, by her handy defeat of same. Thus it is probably in Ais's better interests to see Yurika lose... Yurika's style is so unique, however, that Aislinn doesn't want to see her lose just yet. And if Yurika wins... well...

Well, then, Aislinn's already made plans for young Mr. Towazu.

Alma finds his attack redirected, and though he feels the connection he's made against her shoulder is still significant he is impressed by her technique-- especially considering her unique choice of weapon, on which he has politely refrained from commenting. But as he remains low and in a defensive crouching position, he feels well-prepared to defend himself against a follow-up attack.
Thus, the tall youth is able to deflect the bow from striking him under the chin, and the burst of momentum that might have otherwise lifted him off the ground fails to do so; he rises up onto his toes, but that's it. And, if anything, he has achieved control over the momentum she has passed onto him.
He decides to use it.
"Foul foe, I am trying to make you /understand/!" He surges to his feet in a sparkling burst of pale fire, lunging up and raising his knees aggressively as he leaps into the air directly before her, aiming to startle her if nothing else. "Nothing can come of evil but despair! Give up before it's too late and you are lost forever!"
Though he's close in and could perhaps go for a flying knee strike, Alma instead twists his large frame in the air and gathers yet more momentum, the vibrant soulfire pulsing around his right leg as he surges with strength.
"Surrender--"
And with a final spin, he kicks out with a fierce hooking high kick.
"--to the power of love!"

COMBATSYS: Alma successfully hits Yurika with Shooting Star EX.

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Alma             1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1           Yurika


Yurika most certainly wasn't expecting that much, having believed she had complete control over Alma's fate, she could only think that Alma wouldn't be able to retaliate so quickly. She didn't seem to notice she hadn't lifted the young man off of the floor, and that he leapt upward by his own will until too late. So while it's 'in character', Yurika is truly shocked by his athletic display and cry, "What??" and the soulflamed kick meets it's mark, the girls costume somehow managing to survive the fires assault, and knocked off her legs, lets out a pained "Aurgh!" as she slams onto the stage floor once again, sliding back just a bit.
Now she was getting worried, Alma had put her in an extremely bad situation at this point, and she was forced to kick things up a notch. So she does in her own way. Getting to her feet once more, she raises her bow to her violin and cries defiantly, "<Never!! I'll show you my true power, and make *you* understand! Magic Violin!"
The girl proceeds to play, a melody that's aimed to be pleasent in everyones ears, and the background music is even cut off as her tragic piece fills the air. Perhaps one could sense worry and frustration in her music, which completely betrays her otherwise very determined look, grey quarter rests, eighth notes, and treble clefs circling her frame and causing the bottom of her skirt to billow up ever so slightly as she adds, "<Make my hatred, GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!>"

COMBATSYS: Yurika focuses on her next action.

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Alma             1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1           Yurika


Alma, drama forgotten, is stunned.
His kick had scythed through the air with expert timing and struck the girl powerfully, his love of drama and battle strategy able to combine once again to produce an impressive result; normally the audience would be appalled at the intensity of Alma's strikes, but he is the hero and she is the villain, and of course this is a play and not a true fight, right? At least, they've become convinced, which in a way is a victory for both of them. In a way. Whatever the case, the tall youth lands safely, twisting gracefully once more after his kick and touching ground with startling lightness, body buoyed by the aftereffects of his summoned Psycho Power.
He might have said something heroic, cliche, and suitably sincere in response to Yurika's own defiant claims... but he finds himself cut off. For she has begun to play.
This was unexpected.
He got caught up in the superficial drama. He didn't expect to have his soul touched in /this/ way. But although he had heard that Yurika was a musical prodigy, he never imagined it would be like this. Alma is filled with a sense of great awe, of a power and a kind of truth beyond his current understanding. An aesthetic truth, on how music can so deeply touch the human heart.
When she is finished, it is fortunate that the audience's eyes are no doubt all trained on her-- for she should be able to see that Alma is smiling honestly, as though unable to stop himself and having no desire to, and his eyes are warm with a deep appreciation.
"Well played," he murmurs, so that only she can hear.
But, in a no doubt unintended consequence, though Alma has for the moment lost track of his character, he feels himself touching upon renewed resolve. He must not lose the true sense of what the fight is about admist the disguise of this play. He must integrate them all, take them all as a whole. He had not lost that feeling yet, of course -- if he had, he would have not been able to fight so well -- but hearing her music has been a good and powerful reminder of what he truly finds meaningful.
The audience applauds.
Refreshed and refocused, Alma silently awaits the villain's move.

COMBATSYS: Alma focuses on his next action.

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Alma             1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1           Yurika


Yurika is used to her own playing, in fact, it's so natural for her that she is hardly ever moved by her own playing anymore. While she loves to play, she loves to listen even more because she just as much enjoys being the listener, to be on the receving end of a musicians story.
Even the applause don't mean much to her at this point, wheras Alma's compliment does, catching her ever so slightly off-guard. Only slightly, however.
Yurika leans forward slightly, suggesting she may fall to the floor as she then plays again, a slightly different tune, more appropriate for the scene as it were; the harmony of the theme easily recognized as the Villains theme. An unseen force pushes her forward, Yurika gliding along the floor and with a twirl, her back is to Alma as she approaches, somewhat cloaking the strike that is aimed to strike Alma right across the bridge of his nose.
Ideally this would blind him from the blur of her gray and black toned music bars, smattered with similar color notes that would, to the musicians eye' display the very notes she were playing. And continuing to glide back just a couple of feet further, cries, "<Now you're done!>" the notes that had trailed behind her all burst toward one at a time, the unique waves of sound aiming to slam into Alma, and pound him into submission.

COMBATSYS: Alma interrupts Fatal Nocturne from Yurika with Divine Intervention.

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Alma             1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\1           Yurika


Had Alma been more conscious of the energy Yurika was investing in this attack of hers, he might have reacted differently to this.
But the young man is on a whole other level at this point. He is no longer perceiving the world in terms of conventional reality. Alma is on a transcendental plane; he is in a world of music, where each breath is a beat and each move a note in the melody of the battle, the song of their blazing souls. He is no longer a fighter striving for victory, an actor in a play, an anachronistic young gentleman with a poetic sense of morality and expression.
He is a hero.
And thus, as convincing and genuine as his play-acting is, it is with a more powerful sense of drama than he ever could have achieved through make-believe that he prepares for her assault. His eyes blaze with real purpose-- a determination to seek the truth, the truth to be found within the rhythm of battle.
It's right in front of him.
After all, her chi is making it visible.
"On the contrary!"
Fist suffused in sacred flame, he punches through the melody.
"I'm just--"
And before she can react to his disruption of her elegant attack, accepting and enduring the pain of her chi as part of the greater music of battle he seeks to embrace, Alma thrusts forth his very soul in a beam of piercing light to tear through Yurika's defenses, appearing to penetrate right through her torso as though her body is insubstantial.
"--getting started!"
Truly, how can such passion be denied?

Yurika most certainly can't deny it. Alma isn't just intimidating in skill, but he's just completely overwhelming for the musician. Were she having a better grasp of the situation, she would realize that much like Kensou, Alma is just as easily tearing her up with his crazy energy.
Which is perhaps a good thing, since her confusion would only make the situation more difficult for her to concentrate on. Because the bigger picture is, her arguably most graceful technique is taken and the tables again are completely turned.
Her dark eyes widen slightly the moment that beam blasts through her, going limp for that very moment, flips over the young model and once again collapses onto the stage. She wasn't going to be able to keep this up much longer, the costumed musician shakily pushing herself up to face the heroic.. Well.. Hero.
"<Blast! H- How can this be?>" she huffs out, getting slowly to her feet, "<So Love may be stronger than I thought.. But I will still wipe it out! Come forth my minions!>"
Yurika is on her feet, bow held to her cheek and 4 girls scramble on stage, wearing gray clay masks and outfitted in black bodysuits, moving about in mime-like behavior.
And then Yurika dashes forward, she raises her bow again and proceeds to assault Alma, striking at him with to and fro slashes, body jarring stabs, and if she's lucky enough to get that far, finishes off with a twirl and an uppercut like motion to launch Alma into the air, while her comrades 'helpfully' dance around the musician, "<When in doubt: Cheat!>"

COMBATSYS: Alma blocks Yurika's Fatal Requiem.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Alma             1/-======/=======|-------\-------\0           Yurika


Resolve strong as ever, Alma stays on the ball.
Even after his impressive interrupt, he retains his balance and heroically moves to parry each one of Yurika's flurry of strikes, his defense seemingly impenetrable, eyes still glowing with purpose. "Cheating is wrong!" Power continues to build around his hands, his body suffused with an entrancing light, motes of spiritual power beginning to circle around his upper torso. "Without integrity, a warrior is nothing! Because we must be true to ourselves to have friends, and a warrior is nothing without friendship!" Dodging and weaving dramatically -- and perhaps unnecessarily -- around the dancing 'minions', Alma closes in. "Because friendship--"
He lunges, power throbbing through his very being.
"--is about love!"
Ah yes, love, we'd almost forgotten about it too.
How appropriate that the power of love is what has now manifested around his fist. Love for the battle, for the song of the fight, for the contest of wills.
Despite his dramatic lines, the light of self-righteousness has faded from his eye. He can be nothing but completely and utterly sincere during a technique like this. In his eyes, there is respect; for her music, and for her person.
He strikes once, mental force represented by illusory flame.

COMBATSYS: Alma successfully hits Yurika with Absolution.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >                                ]
Alma             0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0           Yurika


Even before it's over, Aislinn stands. Even before Alma's attack strikes. She knows the outcome. Whether Alma has the gods on his side; whether he's lucky; or whether he simply outclasses Yurika by a margin unimaginable. Aislinn knows. Her form is back-lit by the flare of energy, her shadow thrown long. Yurika's lost this battle. Aislinn shouldn't care... and yet she does, somewhere. A consequence of being told 'fit in at Seijyun'? Or maybe her heart searching for something... with Krizalid gone suddenly from her life, as tenuous and infrequent his visits were...?

She doesn't know. But she will have words for Kirishima Yurika, later. Or perhaps... or perhaps what she has to say about this bout can't be said with words. She hasn't yet decided. A murmuring breaks out, of course, amongst the Seijyun girls, but that babble is lost to Aislinn as she leaves the theater.

Yikes, a ending speech and move that is perhaps too fitting for the situation at hand. The stand-in minions are more than careful though, once Alma starts making his motions, they either scramble back or leaps right off of the stage to safety, leaving Kirishima to her fate.
Yurika would like to think it was a little too early for her to be going down.
Stupid love.
Yurika simply just cannot get away from the flames sent her way, so once the technique strike her, she knows it's over as well. Which is just as well, since she just didn't have the strength to continue anyway, proven as she collapses to her knees, and drops her bow to clutch her chest, "... Guuuh.. Noooo! This can't be!" she cries, looking then up toward the heavens, "I HATE YOU AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!!!" and she drops onto her stomach, violin clattering to the floor.
And thus that particular act ends, one an impressive note. The Rainbow Rangers theme then blares from the speakers, allowing Alma one more moment to pose, and then the large red curtians drop closed, followed by a massive ovation from the crowd. Even though many of them don't have the fighters eyes, it was an astounding performance by two rookie actee's. What chemistry! And of course most importantly,
'Good End'.

Log created by Alma, and last modified on 20:28:16 04/02/2007.