Description: Legacies can only be shirked for so long till some remnant returns to haunt, this time in the form of Kurow Kirishima. The latter has deemed the time right to confront the errant younger Imawano twin, and Kyosuke refuses to backdown so easily from his refined perspectives.
Taiyo High has caught Kurow's attention for a lot of reasons. The primary one is of course that it's a breeding ground for heroes, people with the strength to make a new future for Japan, for the world, for Kurow. The secondary one is, of course, his personal investment in a few of the students. Most notably, his investment in Kyosuke, one of the various Imawano clan family members he's been sent to neutralize by whatever means necessary.
It's the end of the day. This means that finding Kyosuke is in most respects playing the waiting game -- a game Kurow's used to playing, and which -- after his fight with Daigo last night -- he's willing to play. Hundreds of students leave the building, heading home to their families and loved ones, impressive in terms of raw numbers if nothing else. It's a very typical end to the school day, and one that would make finding a single person in the crowd difficult without the finely tuned senses an experienced fighter often develops.
It's a good thing Kurow had patience, because unlike the majority of the student body, Kyosuke as a member of the Morals Committee often remained behind quite late attending to his duties. Or, admittedly, sometimes he just caught an impromtu catnap in one of the classrooms or a tucked away secluded area so he was wide awake to finish up his studies and projects. It wasn't sheer brilliance alone that allowed him to coast through his classes with flying colours, there was hard work involved, hard work many people took for granted.
The courtyard was empty like when the first hints of colour took to the morning sky, here night had fallen and the moon hung low on the horizon, it's crescent slash tipping backwards. The air carried a chill to it as the last vestiges of winter were beginning to make their egress. Maybe Kurow's stomach was growling, maybenot, but dinner was sitting in many homes by the time the white-garbed student made his appearance. Kyosuke had slung across his shoulder his satchel, and in hand was a bag he held carefully. Its contents were a simple glass vase he had in mind to use...
He wasn't expecting any suprises, but then suprises usually weren't. If he noticed he'd been watched, he gave no indication, walking along as if nothing were amiss.
That's just fine with Kurow. Kurow can go for quite some time without eating if he really needs to; he learned that discipline a long time ago, or more accurately had it beaten into him by the Imawano clan from birth. When Kyosuke finally leaves the building, entering the courtyard, that's all the sign Kurow needs that it's time to engage Kyosuke in the usual sort of semi-mortal combat that seems to dictate the climate of the schools of Southtown, for better or for worse.
Perhaps the most obvious sign of Kurow's hubris is that, rather than sneak up on Kyosuke and eliminate him quietly, he steps out in front of the Imawano youth with a series of slow, deliberate motions that make him very, very obvious. Perhaps he's crazy; perhaps it's indeed hubris; perhaps he's punch-drunk after last night still. Who knows? "I suppose I'm a week late to wish you a happy birthday," he says, looking the head of the Morals Committee in the eye and giving him a smirk.
Only when it became obvious that Kurow's destination was infact himself, would the fair-haired teenager halt and cast his mildly inquisitive gaze at the other. There was no fear, no intimidation from the other's bold approach, just that curiousity as if the fellow Imawano Clan member were...an oddity. An oddity to be deciphered and picked apart by this assessing regard, neither friendly nor hostile. What suprise he did feel on the other hand was muted from being expressed, since not many strangers knew of when his birthday was. Close friends, yes-- but the stranger certainly wasn't.
Wariness was added to the cocktail, a hint of which lay reflected in the ghost of a smirk that threatened to form. "Better late than never, the sentiment behind a 'wish' seldom fades in value if the desire remains true." Balancing his delicate parcel, he pushed the center of his glasses a little higher on the bridge of his nose, his dark eyes narrowing a hairsbreath. "You waited on me to tell me this? I must regret to say I can't recall your name." Yes, he'd noticed him before he'd made it obvious apparently, or just quick surmising. "If you'll excuse my rudeness."
...There was no real regret there, nor excuse. The allusions of the swagger and Kurow in general pointed to his lack of sincerity.
Cracking his knuckles and reaching down for a second, when Kurow's hands come back up, he's wearing his usual pair of clawed gloves. "No, Kyosuke Imawano," Kurow says, intentionally ignoring the more commonly-known surname of Kagami, "I waited here to kill you." Isn't that always the way? No one does anything out of the goodness of their own heart anymore -- it's always got some ulterior motive attached. 'You killed my father!' 'You left our clan!' 'KYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!' There's always something.
"Or at least neutralize you. But then, I'd expect you to know that -- or don't your relatives tell you anything? In any event, my name's not important -- I'm here to rectify the Imawano clan's mistakes, and I'm starting with you." He steps in close to Kyosuke, and gestures for him to do the same. "Come on -- show me how much strength your family's supposedly gained with this new path." Is this guy for real?
COMBATSYS: Kurow has started a fight here.
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Kurow 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke has joined the fight here.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kurow
Each knew they'd been playing into a facade of congeniality, the thin venier could hardly hide the other's distaste for the Imawano teenager who'd by all reckonings, had deserted his clan. Did Kyosuke know there'd be repercussions to his actions? Yes. Just not in what form they would take as of yet, but none of them would have been as gentle as a wrist slap. Inwardly Kyosuke steeled himself, as several unanswered loose ends came together. He didn't know Kurow's name, but it wasn't truely needed. With the kind of father he had, there was little guessing involved now that he knew whom Kurow represented.
"It is unfortunate...that a clan as proud as the Imawano's is unable to be flexible in how they percieve the world. I had hoped with the example set by my brother and myself, others may garner a more open mindset. If this is how priorities still remain...then I feel no shame in residing apart from them." His voice had grown flat and edged, rising to the challenge with a lack of any intent to back down or change his view. "We shall have to continue to agree to disagree, as they say..."
Kyosuke moved to place out of the way the glass vase, then his satchel-- he had tomorrow's class assignment therin, he couldn't afford to get that blasted to bits. Turning back to Kurow, any pretense of friendliness had gone, and though there still wasn't any outright hostility, his features remained austere. "Strength is measured in more than just what I can physically bring, but then such concepts will be lost on you-- so the former I will simply conceed."
Kyosuke stepped foward and then spun, his foot lashing out so as to toss the other into an offbalanced state, setting things up for future attacks. He was also feeling out his opponent, getting the read of things.
COMBATSYS: Kurow dodges Kyosuke's Light Kick.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kurow
Mugen Imawano was a cruel man, yet his teachings about strength held significant appeal -- especially to those like Kurow, who could stand to benefit if only they were willing to take those teachings to their fullest extent. The man had been a remarkably formative influence on Kurow, at least if the boy's fighting style was any indication -- while he lacks the swords, he shares the man's predisposition for brutal pick-up strikes. ... and for, perhaps, a few other techniques.
Ducking away, Kurow narrowly avoids Kyosuke's kick, not unbalanced in the least. His speed serves him well, as he proceeds to sidestep around the other boy, being careful about how he approaches his enemy. "Just the same, Kyosuke Imawano, I know you're not /weak/. Maybe there's a use for your skills yet." That simple phrase alone is very telling. It's not even a use for Kyosuke -- just for his skills. This may indicate at least a /little/ about Kurow's methodology. On the other hand, it may just be a somewhat archaic turn of phrase.
Taking three quick steps in, Kurow wastes no time in going for the direct approach; one of his claws streaks out toward the Imawano youth's gut in a vicious slash at his midsection, and the other goes for his shoulders at about the same time. If he lands both, of course, he'll use the force of both to turn Kyosuke sideways and toss him to the ground.
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke just-defends Kurow's Double Slash!
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Kyosuke 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kurow
It was true, the father of the twins was indeed a persuasive man, one that had convinced his offspring that his was the only way to proceed, with might on their side, they could change the world for a better place...Naturally where they remained in control. And for a time, Kyosuke believed such a thing, but as the recent events had shown him, it was all a matter of perspective-- and there was far more to life than such a simplistic view. He had no special bonds to Kurow, nothing to help him in trying to remove the hood from the other's eyes...Indeed. His opponent struck him as a man, who didn't want as much.
Kyosuke adjusted for the lack of connect, his eyes shifting to follow the agile member of the Imawano Clan, hearing his words and feel no sort of flattery in it. He knew what Kurow wanted him for, knew that he would be no more than an instrument to be used then discarded. People ceased being human, only objects, means towards an end. "And I am to believe that you are the one to find such a use for it, one that I clearly fail to realise?" He exhaled sharply, a silent kind of laugh of derison.
Any further words were cut off in a bid to block the other's razeing attack-- high and low, a twinned effect. Spurred on by the other's inhuman assessments, he stepped into the attacks, his arms already situated. He deflected the slash at his midsection, the other halted the one aimed for his shoulder. "You're just as mislead as we were." Words heated this close. "The path you hold will only lead to your downfall." His left arm came up sharply, flicking in towards the other's face-- that wasn't where the danger was held though...but in the surge of crackling blue-white energy that followed the guesture. "You just haven't realised it yet!"
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke successfully hits Kurow with Lightning Uppercut.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Kurow
Kurow can't reflect on his actions. Any efforts Kyosuke would make in that direction would, yes, be futile indeed; the Kirishima, ironically, are some of the most loyal adherents to Mugen Imawano's /ideology/, even if they hate the man himself and all his progeny with an indescribable scorn. In this respect, maybe Mugen's already achieved immortality -- he's spread his ideology far enough that not even having his own family break from it is enough to rid the world of it.
Kurow grins at Kyosuke as he starts talking. "Of course I'm the one to find a use for it," he says. "I have vision! You d --" Here he was /going/ to say 'don't,' but the lightning-strike that hits him squarely under the jaw and launches him up into the air finishes his thought prematurely. He directs his fall a little farther back from Kyosuke, rather than going straight up and down, and just waits.
Take it slow, Kurow -- Kyosuke knows how you fight. He's an Imawano, but he doesn't fight like one... which means he knows /you/ and you don't know /him/. Swallowing, he breathes in and out evenly, trying to re-center himself after that lightning uppercut knocked some of the breath out of him.
COMBATSYS: Kurow gains composure.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Kurow
It isn't often that Kyosuke would feel some measure of gratification on landing a strike, but for Kurow...he'd make this an exception. The implications of the other's potiential plans didn't sit well with the younger of the twins, and he had no intentions of making things easy on the unnamed Imawano Clan member to run over him, his brother, and their ideals roughshod. He was making a point not just verbally, but physically, and he was satisfied that the impact was felt in a timely manner at both ends.
"And what vision would that be?" He asked quietly with deceptive calm, straightning from his earlier stance. "Where the weak have no voice, where the strong are allowed free reign? Where you...are the one who controls the power in not only Japan, but the world?" Kyosuke snorted, "Sudden silence...if that is enough to still your tongue, then the power of the Imawano Clan is not as it once was." Was he taunting him on purpose? Kyosuke almost smiled, his eyes fastened on Kurow and his confidence unshakeable. It would remain so no matter how many blows hit...if Kurow was the one who did it.
Kyosuke didn't immeadiately rush to the offensive, instead he watched the other measuringly, as if mentally preparing himself for the heavier blows to come.
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke focuses on his next action.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Kurow
"The weak don't /deserve/ a voice!" Kurow yells at Kyosuke as the fighter spends time analyzing him. He knows that scrutinizing look -- it's exactly the same as his own. Perhaps Kyosuke and Kurow are not as far removed as one might think. "If someone wants to live freely, they need the power to make it happen! The strong earn the right to do as they will."
He starts looking for points of similarity between Kyosuke's style and other styles he knows. The boy doesn't quite move like an Imawano -- he knows that much. The question becomes, then -- just what /is/ his paradigm? What's he aiming for? All Kurow needs to learn that is enough time, and Kyosuke seems to be more than happy to give Kurow that. Even if it looks like Kyosuke's trying to do the same thing, he /still/ finds it to be overall the best course of action. Maybe it's irrelevant to Kyosuke's choice; maybe it's the only thing that motivates him. It /has/ been said that the Kirishima youth doesn't know how to do anything other than imitate.
COMBATSYS: Kurow focuses on his next action.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Kurow
Igniz heads OOC.
One step, Kyosuke advanced on Kurow, pausing as he studied where the other waited. He had no care to stand staring down the other all night, he did have his assignments to finish up, if he were to continue with his straight A's. "And who made that decision, you?" Another step. Kyosuke was walking towards him in an almost casual manner, as if the two weren't in the middle of a possibly vicious fight. "If that is what you believe, then I suppose I shall argue it from your point of view then, so as to allow you to better understand my position." Kyosuke lightly touched his glasses, having shortened the distance between the pair.
"If the strong earn the right to do as they will, then I shall be one of them-- and my will, will be...to let those who are weak, speak." The wind picked up in small gusts every now and then, bending the blades of grass on occasion. "You're missing the root of the problem." And that was the evil within, eating the Clan, eating Japan from the inside out. Still, tonight wouldn't be some ephiphany moment, and after giving Kurow a chance to digest that, he sprinted foward. And leapt -- right for above him.
Kyosuke was quite comfortable performing acrobatic flips in the air, and this he would aim to do here, timing it such that his position would allow his legs to latch onto the other...to literally with his momentum toss the other into the air. Into the air then bodyslammed heavily into the ground.
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke successfully hits Kurow with Hurricaranna.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Kurow
"You can try," Kurow says, and that seems like it'll be all he says. In part, this is because he has little else to say to Kyosuke -- they simply have differing philosophical stances, and there's nothing they can really do to reconcile them. The other reason is, of course, that he's promptly grabbed onto with Kyosuke's legs, tossed, and slammed in roughly that order -- none of it hurts too much individually, but as a set the attacks are pretty vicious.
Rolling out from underneath Kyosuke's bodyslam, Kurow pulls himself about halfway up off the ground, taking a deep breath. "... you're very careful about how you fight," Kurow notes, rolling his shoulders a little before leaping at Kyosuke just as his opponent did not moments ago. He stays low, though, and after a second actually curls up into a ball, black chi surrounding him. A whirlwind of claw marks, some natural and some made entirely with the power of the Kirishima's chi, begin to form around him as he barrels in toward Kyosuke.
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke fails to interrupt Yasha Guruma from Kurow with Quick Punch.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Kurow
He could try? He supposed he would, it's what he had come to decide long ago, giving up on the ways his father had ascribed too and adopting his own after his companions at Taiyo had openes his eyes. The pair would fail to see eye to eye on these matters, because each were staunchly set in their ways. Kyosuke liked to think of himself as being open minded, and only through a thorough examination of both sides had he made up his mind. What had Kurow done? But follow like a fanatic.
Back on his feet again, he spun about to face his opponent. The irony of the other's words weren't lost to him. Yes, Kyosuke wasn't one of the rash fighters that frequented the Leagues or dotted the streets. One of his best friends had a style that was blithly more offensive and instinctual than Kyosuke's measure of a situation. It didn't always work for him however-- as Kurow just proved.
Kyosuke was knocked off of his feet and sent sliding back, the front of his shirt and jacket ripped and somewhat shreded. Not only cloth, but flesh aswell, adding a slick sheen to his skin where he lay on the ground, his breath laboured for a moment. So, things finally got serious on Kurow's end he privately mused. Would that he could shake his head at himself in wry amusement.
Instead he sought to regain his footing, picking how he moved so as not to further aggravate his injuries. "You're not one to rush in yourself, if there was any doubt in my mind where you came from, it would be gone now." Alas.
Sometimes, all the critical analysis of a fight you can muster isn't enough. Sometimes you have to be a little more forceful and quick with your assaults, a little more vicious. There's more to fighting than the measured response, as Kurow knows -- though the measured response, on the other hand, might be something he could stand to learn. That's another thing Mugen never taught anyone. Kurow, both one of Mugen's better students and one of his biggest detractors, never had the chance to learn that lesson.
"We're products of the same cluster of families, Kyosuke -- you just forgot what that /meant/!" Kurow yells, rolling to one side and putting himself remarkably close to a small trash bin. As distasteful as it is, Kurow realizes the worth of sometimes bizarre weaponry, and so he tosses the trash can into the air, starts to roll back, and kicks it at the Imawano twin, buying himself some distance, letting him see Kyosuke's moves a little earlier. Right now, he needs that distance -- and that time.
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke overcomes Thrown Object from Kurow with Cross Cutter.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Kurow
It's true Kyosuke tends to be a little more cautious than some, but at the sametime he tries to adjust to the situation he was in. And with another individual with similar tendancies, that was as mercurial as the liquid the word derived its name from. Each pain-filled motion was grit down upon and shuttered away once he regained his feet, albiet he stood a little bent foward to avoid pulling at the skin immeadiately. "I have not forgotten." He responded with a hint of chill to his voice, as if forgetting was something of an insult. "It is the only way I could have moved foward.
And move foward he did, the trash can is noted and its trajectory calculated in a methodical manner, already Kyosuke's decided on a course of action. By timing it correctly, by ajusting the tanget-- the focus was not so much the can, but Kurow. The flow of chi coalesced, gathering in intensity as he inhaled deeply, only to release it with a poignant commanding yell of focus for it. The twin crescents snapped out with the motion of his hands, and sliced through the air for the oncoming trash can, and if Kurow hung around long enough...right for him.
What was it he yelled? Cross Cutter.
COMBATSYS: Kurow full-parries Kyosuke's Cross Cutter!
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Kyosuke 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Kurow
The trash can falls to the ground, nearly cut in two by the Cross Cutter's forceful chi strike; Kurow, however, advances right in /toward/ the Cross Cutter, chi flaring around his hands. "Yet you don't /behave/ like an Imawano!" he yells, bringing a hand across his chest as if to block the wave of chi. At the last second, though, he swipes his claws forward and /into/ Kyosuke's keepaway tactic, actually batting it aside with a sudden explosion of the Kirishima youth's characteristic deep red chi.
This remarkable maneuver gives Kurow a surge of confidence and strength that empowers him more than a little, making his next assault all the more impressive. That blood red chi switches hands, moving down to the one that /didn't/ just bat away the more calculating fighter's projectile. Perhaps he's just trying to vent it?
The answer becomes apparent as he takes his last wide step in toward Kyosuke -- no, he's not trying to vent it at all. His clawed hand strikes forward and up at full speed, aimed just beneath Kyosuke's breastbone, trying to disembowel him. Of course, with fighters, this is always a terribly relative term. "You accept the weakness in others! It's pathetic! You give them control over your emotions -- and that's why you can't win, Kyosuke Imawano!"
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Kyosuke with Roppu Zuki EX.
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Kyosuke 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Kurow
And it hits, right on...lifting Kyosuke off of his feet, and claws stabbing into him. Pain twisted his features, and he choked out a cough, blood flecking his lips. What remained a disconnect however, was that upturn to his mouth, the way he seemed strangely satisfied by these turn of events-- as tragic as it may seem to the other's health. And don't be mistaken, it hurt, it really hurt. But as Kyosuke was careful in combat, he was also willing to make sacrifices for potiential payoffs in the next round.
By the time he was released, he would hit the ground heavily, still up right though. Kyosuke wouldn't attempt to back off, or put some distance between the two, infact, he'd try to grab onto the other's hand, drawing him in closer again, a flintly glint to those earthen eyes behind the glasses. "I accept in others what cannot be changed, them...you. It is my decision to make what I do, and if adhering to what an Imawano is supposed to behave like gpes against that-- then I do it willingly."
Kyosuke actually looked disappointed, no, almost with some form of pity on Kurow. "If I lose this fight and my convictions remain unshaken, then as far as I am concerned, I have already won." No doubt all irritating words to the younger Clansman. Kyosuke'd back it up how best Kurow understood however-- reaching up in a mirror of how he'd done earlier...except the intensity as if in a reflection of the twin's resolve flared up, casting its blistering light in the darkened courtyard. A snaking energy serpent sheathed in a wall of chi.
COMBATSYS: Kurow blocks Kyosuke's Super Lightning Uppercut.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Kurow
The Kirishima youth rarely, if ever, makes sacrifices for payoffs -- he tries to win decisively rather than tough things out or take sacrifices in the name of long term success. Here, however, is an exception -- rather than try to roll out of the way of Kyosuke's vicious uppercut, he braces himself, folds his hands across his chest, and lets the attack strike him. It slides him backward across the ground, but doesn't hurt him that much -- he's still more than ready for anything the other boy could conceivably throw at him.
"At least you have that conviction -- but if you don't have the power to enforce it, it's meaningless!" Kurow yells, chi suddenly flaring around him as he gets ready to visit the same kind of pain on Kyosuke that Daigo visited on him last night. He forgot his purpose, before -- he got distracted. This is a reminder. Grind the Imawano into the dirt. Tear them apart. That's why you're here. You may want to rule the world, but take it one step at a time, Kurow Kirishima.
Ducking low to the ground suddenly, Kurow dashes forward, chi collecting in small swirling balls of claws behind him -- it's as if he's leaving behind a tiny version of his earlier tactic with every step he takes. And if his lightning-quick steps take him into Kyosuke's legs, knocking him over... well, Kyosuke'll suddenly have to deal with a /lot/ of those swirling balls of chi dragging him along for a very painful ride.
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke dodges Kurow's Kirishima Kyoujuu Reppa.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Kurow
Looking at Kurow now, Kyosuke had to wonder...was he ever as rabidly devoted to the Imawano's ideals as his younger counterpart? He never recalled the same level of zeal, to willingly cut down another for personal advancement. Their personalities were indeed too different. He waited on him, through his own injury and sensing the sudden spike in chi around him. It was his own personal warning, regardless of the one embedded in the other's outcry, and Kyosuke shook his head, once. "That's where you wont, can't understand." Kyosuke wove back, following the other's dash foward, seeking the path that directly saw him where...literally Kurow wanted him to be.
He avoided the dash for his legs, and using the flow of chi as his guide, managed to avoid each and every ball that followed its creater. It was a feat that was deserving of the meticulous nature of the Imawano, one that Kyosuke executed seamlessly...he may lose this, as he was weakening from the loss of blood and effort. But there could be no doubting his lineage. "The strength you do not have on your own, you can achieve from those you call your friends. Not tools to be used. That is where I will surpass you."
Having remained infront of Kurow, he quick stepped foward, then pressing off of the ground, literally saumersaulted in the air with a flashing kick-- proving his agility again in an abbreviation of a more devestating attack.
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke successfully hits Kurow with Shadow Cut Kick.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Kurow
The youth's quick, vicious somersault kick hits Kurow dead-on in the shoulder, taking him down to the ground relatively efficiently. This could mark the start of a turnaround for Kyosuke if he's exceptionally careful about how he fights, but then, that's been said of a lot of fighters in the past -- and it doesn't always work out the way people hope.
"The people you call your friends -- ugh," Kurow starts, as he rolls to his feet, heading in toward Kyosuke as quickly as possible, trying to put him down as efficiently as he can. "You're just opening yourself up to a large number of unnecessary weaknesses -- all of which can be happily exploited!" Leaping up toward Kyosuke's chest, he tries for a vicious grab with his claws, then propels himself /around/ his enemy's body with his hands, trying to unbalance Kyosuke and send him to the ground in addition to the obvious slashes. He takes care to include the arms in this assault, this time -- he remembers what happened when he forgot to.
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke dodges Kurow's Circle Slash.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Kurow
Kyosuke fought as he saw fit, sometimes it was enough, sometimes it wasn't. It was true against some more experienced opponents even his best was not enough, but where Kurow fell into this remained to be seen. He had taken some serious injuries earlier on, but he was unwilling to simply lay down for the other teenager to gloat upon. If it were to happen, then it would come at its own price. "Can't you see that a person who has many weaknesses, some unecessary but is able to keep them from dragging him down...strong in his own right?"
As the other leapt for his chest, aiming to grab at his hands he did the same-- this time drawing back one till that tell-tale glow suffused its length. Balls of gathered chi that left imprints on the air as his arm moved streaked towards Kurow's head. Kyosuke hadn't paused to wait for the other's approach, instead slipping past the grab, to instigate a crushing blow from overhead as he descended.
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke successfully hits Kurow with Shadow Breaker.
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Kyosuke 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Kurow
Kurow hisses at Kyosuke, not even saying anything at first as his enemy goes in to strike. The overhead strike lays him out flat, and really starts to turn the fight around for the 'true' Imawano -- the Kirishima boy just can't take this kind of punishment. It's not what he's built for. "You can't have a single vulnerability..." Kurow starts, leaping toward Kyosuke, "if you expect to win!" Ironically, his emotional state has left him with a few weaknesses himself, but he doesn't think of them in the correct paradigm.
Staying in close, Kurow goes for what looks like a lazy swipe that misses Kyosuke completely, one which would've launched him up into the air. However, what he's really aiming for becomes apparent as a flare of chi erupts underneath the Kagami/Imawano boy, a pillar of blades made entirely of yellow chi springing up beneath him, trying to launch him up into the air and put space between Kurow and Kyosuke.
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke just-defends Kurow's Kirishima Shinkuu Yamiarashi!
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Kyosuke 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Kurow
"That's where you're wrong." It was their vulnerabilities that made them human, that made them weigh the costs and benefits to picking a path on the road ahead. Without those, it would make someone into an individual without a conscience, and bereft of true humanity. It was not a fate he desired, and a loss too great. If he were injured for keeping them, so be it. But it wasn't something he would try to explain to Kurow tonight, not when he wasn't listening. It was true he'd had to literally beat it into his brother's head his point of view, proving again only through the strength of his new path with his friends that it could be done... Here he didn't have that luxery, and Kurow...
Kurow didn't have that connections Hyo and he had.
The swipe passes him entirely, but the swell of chi was impossible to hide from Kyosuke. It was a different utlisation of it from before, and as he was drawn back to the earth through gravity, its glow cast dancing shadows about him and his clothing. Instead of attempting to avoid it, he embraced it his hand fanning out above its beginnings...yellow flickered and then paled as he reached out in more than one way--halted before it could come to full fruitation.
Halted it and turned the pathways along an alignment similar to his own attacks, that hue shifting to a familiar icy-blue--"Are we winning yet." Came the soft reply, snapping up that hand again as a flare of the turned chi rose near Kurow's feet in its stead.
COMBATSYS: Kyosuke successfully hits Kurow with Lightning Uppercut.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Kyosuke 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Kurow
Once again, Kyosuke turns the fight around -- perhaps it was overconfidence that was Kurow's undoing. Whatever it was, as he lands from yet another launch into the air by Kyosuke's vicious uppercut, he decides he's had enough. He doesn't want to get beaten into the ground again -- more accurately, he /can't/.
He scrambles to get upright, and stands, arms outstretched just a little, for a few seconds. He doesn't even acknowledge Kyosuke's statements -- they're things he simply can't understand, and likely never will. So he does what all people do when badly bruised and not particularly wanting to hear more justice speeches:
He disappears. It's perhaps the greatest upside of learning how to teleport.
Kyosuke is left standing staring into the spot the figure of the younger teenager had been standing in, his expression unreadible along with his gaze. No parting words, no more attacks, just him alone again in the courtyard with the enroaching night steadily advancing. Closing his eyes briefly, he exhaled and his entire body relaxed from the tensed and ready state it had been in, the wash of pain from his injuries ignored for the moment still. "How long will it be, I wonder." Was the private murmer.
How long indeed. If this was just the beginnings of their Clan's retribution-- their difficulty in clensing Japan of corruption would see disruptions that would be most detracting. Kurow was no unskilled ninja sent, Kyosuke was aware of how lucky he'd been tonight.
And yet after a further minute of quiet reflection, he started his walk back to his belongings, and to his home beyond the river.
Log created by Kyosuke, and last modified on 22:34:36 05/07/2007.