Description: Visiting Gedo, Hotaru hopes to get a rematch against Tenma in order to prove she can best that bokken-weilding style of his. Instead she finds another member of the Guardian Kings and decides to see if he's as tough as the other two members.
She isn't a Gedo student. It's pretty obvious at a glance. Her pristine white attire, the fancy gold embroidered rich blue vest, the clean hands, free of calluses indicating a life free of manual labor, Hotaru Futaba just doesn't fit in here too well.
When she first stepped onto campus this late afternoon, she meandered somewhat aimlessly, hands clasped behind her back. Attracting confused stares or sometimes glances less innocent in nature as she wandered about. With the way she glances over the other students still lingering around after school, it seems she's looking for someone in particular.
But when her eyes rested upon the hand lettered sign that pointed the way to the Gedo Dojo, her course became a lot more defined. A dojo? Right /on/ the campus? This she had to see. Seijyun had nothing like that as far as she had seen. Maybe she would feel differently about the all girl's school if it did.
Curiosity compels her to step inside, blue eyes glancing over the two level layout of the interior. Well. What's the point of checking out a dojo without seeing what kind of practice goes on in it, right? Leaving her shoes respectfully at the side of the tatami mats, Hotaru steps to the edge of the sparring area, her hands still clasped behind her back.
Word of a young girl in nice clothes? It's one of those things that becomes big news very fast across the Gedo campus. But despite those murmurs and stories that already fly around, the student council secretary has yet to hear any of it. Carrying two manilla folders under his arm and fumbling about with his cellphone, Kenji Ashima has his work cut out for him in the afternoon hours between classes and the rush of students either fleeing to the dorms or to their hangout perches in the courtyard.
Kicking off his shoes before he steps up to the entrance, the Missile Fist of Osaka whips the door open with a smooth movement of his arm. "Ushitake! Yu! I brought those papers from the office for y--"
And then he looks up from leafing through those folders and stares.
Looking back to actually count the pairs of shoes or sandals, the young man scratches his head and musses his messy black hair. "Uh, can I help you?" he asks, squinting one eye.
Left alone for a while, the girl watches a couple students sparing at the far end of the room. Breathing in the air of the room, she seems to enjoy just being in there for the time being. It's different than the Kyokugen Dojo, yet still a place where students can train, practice, and demonstrate the things they've learned to others. And that's something well worth appreciating.
The twin-ponytailed girl turns around at the sound of someone entering the dojo, her expression warming at the friendly offer of assistance. "Hello," she speaks, her tone not loud, but far from timid. "My name is Hotaru. I was looking for Tenma..." She realizes she doesn't remember a family name for the young man. "He always carries around a bokken like so," she demonstrates, holding her hands out in front of her to approximate the length of the wooden sword. "Usually has it wrapped up though." That should be enough detail, she imagines. Then again, maybe lots of kids use training weapons like that here. Hmn. "Uses a fighting style that involves blood." That should be unique enough to describe him. There can't be a lot that fit /that/ description.
"I was just in the area." That doesn't sound too likely. "And thought maybe if I could find him, he'd have time for a rematch our last fight." That part is quite true. He got her with that... unique style of his once, but she thinks with a second chance, she could handle it a lot better!
'Looking for Tenma...' ... 'Bokken'... and -- yes, the blood. The folders in his hand curl a little bit as he smacks himself in the face. "What the hell, I haven't even been on his team for a week and he's already got people coming down to attack him..." he mutters aloud. As his shoulders fall and his expression sobers up a little bit.
Glancing around the dojo, 'Mr. Secretary' (as their mutual aquaintence calls him) waves down another of the students in the dojo taking a break. "OI! Give these to Ushitake when you get a chance." he says, smacking the two folders against the Gedo student's chest. Turning back around, he wanders back over to Hotaru and tucks his hands in his pockets. "Well, Kiryuu's a tenacious pain in the ass, so you may have a good rematch on your hands."
As the young man smacks himself in the face, Hotaru looks slightly distressed for a moment. Did she say something wrong? Is Tenma a hated rival? Oh- No. Not rival. Teammate! When the student makes his way back over to her, she listens attentively. Last name of Kiryuu, Hotaru notes to herself for future reference.
"His style is weird," Hotaru states flatly before grinning a little to suggest she's kidding. A little. "It's just a matter of getting used to it. Though getting hit by that thing never feels good no matter what..."
A second glance is made over Kenji. It's one of the few times she's seen a student WEAR the Gedo uniform. "Teammate, huh? What kind of team?" Hotaru asks curiously before coming right out and asking the other question on her mind. "Are you new to Gedo High?" Maybe he hasn't had his uniform get roughed up enough yet for wearing it around all the defiant students that refuse to dress to the unenforced code!
"Yeah, you're telling me. Getting hit with a bloody sword, it ... just." His leg lifts and his body contorts, arms close and squirming. "Eyugh!"
Resuming his normal cool and resolve, the young man offers only a grin. "The Guardian Kings. We're around for the benefit of the people that hang out on and around Gedo's grounds!" His hand lifts, his right thumb (silver ring and all) thumping against his chest. "I am! ... Well, not really. I transferred in awhile ago, but it seems like I haven't caught much attention until now. It kind of sucks," he remarks, glancing off to one side, "But I can't complain too much. It gives me an excuse to keep my skills sharp."
"Not that ... I go picking fights and crap. No, not me."
The student's reaction to describing Tenma's style of fighting earns him a short laugh from Hotaru, the girl unclasping her hands from behind her back to fold them in front of her. "Guardian Kings, huh?" One hand raises so that she can rest her finger on her chin, "Sounds like a gang to me," she states, eyes betraying the amusement she has at the idea. "Is Hakuya also in it?" She could tell he was a good friend of Tenma's the last time she saw the both of them, even if they gave each other nothing but a rough time.
Again the girl sizes him up thoughtfully, looking at the young man in a new light now. Not just some random, well meaning student, but a fellow fighter! That bumps him up a few notches. A glance is cast over her shoulder toward the nearby empty section of the large open dojo floor.
"You have time to show me your skills? It is always an honor to get to see new styles in action first hand." Besides, she still has her self-assigned mission to pick out the right school for herself by getting to know the students at each place. And what better way to meet them than seeing their real selves revealed in combat? "I practice a traditional Kenpo with some things I've learned at the Kyokugen Dojo mixed in. I'd be happy to show you." she states, as if warning him what to expect should he decide to spar with the girl that seems comfortable being out of her element here at Gedo High.
The young man raises his finger, very nearly about to correct Hotaru on the nature of their organization-- for they are no mere gang!-- and then she surprises him again by mentioning Hakuya. "Kinna tall, quiet? ... Yeah. Jeez. Looks like everyone knows everyone around here. As for my skills... uh..."
Momentarily hesitant, he allows his shoulders to drop again with a punching sigh. "Oh, why not."
But as the girl begins to list her styles and histories, the wiry young man only looks totally blank. Kyokugen and Kenpo... he saw stuff like that on TV once. Unbuttoning the few closed buttons of his uniform jacket, the student council secretary of Gedo High folds it over and casts the garment off to the side, waving his arm at another student. "We're borrowing a little floor space!" he calls, jerking a thumb ack at Hotaru. Sliding off his ring, he runs a thin chain through it and tucks the accessory under the collar of his t-shirt, turning back around and ...
Putting his hands in his pockets?
"Game face, game face, game face, game face..."
The pig-tailed girl looks amused that Hakuya is also in this Guardian Kings group. She calls it a gang. A team suggests something like an athletic club. A chess team. A group of kids that look like Hakuya and Tenma? That's a gang. "Yeah, that's him." she states as confirmation.
As he agrees to her request, Hotaru's expression lights up. It's always good to see the fighting spirit other students bring to the table! And from someone that seems polite about it too instead of the 'tude she gets from some people... like a particular oar weilding brute from Pacific.
Following him out onto the dojo floor, Hotaru stretches her arms out to her sides but doesn't do any more warm up than that. After a day of being out and about, including the long walk to Gedo, she feels limbered up enough already. Breathing in, she crosses her arms in front of her then exhales slowly, turning her side to face toward him, offering as small a target as possible. Uncrossing her arms, she holds one hand forward, ready for deflecting, while her other arm is held back, ready for hard striking most likely.
"Since I'm the one imposing on you..." the Seiyjun student states, offering him a bit of a shrug and smile, apparently waiting for him to go when ready.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has started a fight here.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru takes no action.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
Rubbing the balls of his feet against the tatami mats underfoot in turn, his toes bunch in and out of fists and his eyes lift to watch Hotaru prepare for battle. Huh, cute. She's got a whole little routine going! Unlike him, he figures, where his hands are hanging out quite contently in his pockets. He doesn't really stretch beforehand, either. "Huh. Normally I let girls take the first swing... but if you insist!"
And then he steps in, his hands emerging from his pockets. His footing shifts and his eyes have a light to them-- a focus on what he's doing, and his knuckles hook low to land a speedy blow in the Seijyun student's gut. "HAH!!"
COMBATSYS: Kenji has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kenji
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Kenji's Quick Punch.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kenji
Even after Kenji mentions letting girls go first, Hotaru simply nods and smiles, acknowledging the sentiment but remaining ready all the same. Sometimes this can spell trouble - someone apt to simply grab your arm and break you for you having the gall to try and hit them might not really be doing letting you go first, after all. Fortunately, young Futaba isn't that kind of fighter.
On some level, she looks a little skeptical at what Kenji is demonstrating as a 'stance'. Hands in the pocket? Looking totally calm and relaxed? Is he not taking her serious? When he does finally move though, she sees the change of focus in his eyes and realizes that he intends to attack from the seemingly lackadaisical posture.
The fist is noticed in time for the speedy girl to step to the side, dropping her stance for a split second then resuming it. There's still a little doubt in her eyes, like maybe he's not really trying. "I'm not as fragile as I might look to you," Hotaru states as if daring him to try something a bit harder.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru takes no action.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kenji
COMBATSYS: Kenji has started a fight here on the right meter side.
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|-------\-------\0 Kenji
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kenji
His fist swings and meets only air. Kenji stumbles a step or two through the swing, pitching one foot underneath him and hopping lightly until he can get his other leg down and stand straight. Staring at his knuckles, the Gedo student looks a little put off. "Huh. I was sure that would do it."
Leaving his left hand in his pocket, the brawler swings up his hand to point dramatically at the pigtail girl, chin cocked up and sounding confident. "No matter! Now I know your speed!" Stomping his foot down, the third member of the Guardian Kings pivots on his heel and spins around to his right-- and cocks up his other leg as it comes around, his left fist flinging itself out of his pocket and aimed to slug Hotaru pretty darn hard. "THERE!!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Kenji's Strong Punch.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Kenji
Hotaru waits, her eyes studying the way Kenji moves, even while he's just pointing at her confidently. He's definitely not using a style that she can recognize yet. But when he winds up for his next punch, she can tell he's not swinging lightly THIS time.
Still not expecting him to attack with the hand in his pocket, she's paying more attention to his right than his left. Only at the last second when his fist comes out at her does she realize that she's not doing very good at identifying his attacks yet. No time to move out of the way, the female fighter intercepts his fist with both of her hands cupping around his hand, blocking the worst of the blow from striking home even if the force does slide her feet back along the mats just a little.
"That's more like it," she grins before sliding her hands along his arm to tighten around his wrist. Then she'll try to pull him forward, her knee aiming for his stomach in order to flip him over to the ground. It isn't a very swift movement, as she's trying to apply more strong force to the attack than speed, even risking going a little off balance to pull it off. This'll show him how serious she is, she figures!
COMBATSYS: Kenji blocks Hotaru's Strong Throw.
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Kenji
The Gedo brawler grins a little bit, standing with his arm still hooked out and profile presented-- and his fist in her grip. Kenji can only hold that grin, silent, and staring at Hotaru through the mess of his bangs. With her hands around his wrist and pulled off-balance, the student council secretary feels a knee plant into his stomach and his whole body flying right over this small girl's head and -- LANDING!!
Thrusting out his hands, Kenji slams his arms down on the mats as hard as he can as his head and neck make the first contact. With enough force and strength behind it, he rolls onto his back and lands in a sitting position. Rolling backwards the way he came-- back toward Hotaru, in a rather awkward pose-- Kenji lands on his knees and spins. His arm-- well, it moves pretty daggum fast. One solid punch, aimed to slug the fellow fighter right in the gut.
Hard.
COMBATSYS: Kenji successfully hits Hotaru with Missile Fist.
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Hotaru 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Kenji
Nice recovery, Hotaru muses, trying to make sense of Kenji's form still. His movements seem awkward to her eye, yet not clumsy. There's a lot of control over how he moves his body. He just doesn't move it in ways that make /sense/ to her.
Watching him roll backwards toward her, Hotaru doesn't really know what kind of attack he thinks he could launch from that position. Which is why when he finally swings around to drive the punch into her stomach, her last ditch attempt to get out of the way fails, causing her to bend forward, stumbling back a couple of steps, eyes widened a bit from the pain of the blow.
Grimacing a little, Hotaru recovers quickly enough to come back at Kenji for another pressing attack. Going for his arms again, this time if she can grab hold, she'll use the leverage on his limbs to allow her to kick her way right up the front of him as if running up a set of stairs. At his shoulders, Hotaru will leap into a backflip through the air, trying to put some distance between the two of them after such a brute force attack.
COMBATSYS: Kenji blocks Hotaru's Shin-Jou Tai.
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Hotaru 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Kenji
"Hah! Take THAT!" Proud of himself for that moment and still kneeling, his eyes go wide and he blinks a bit while she grabs his wrist again.
"Oh shi--"
The first few kicking steps mow right up his torso, his left hand sweeping around to block the kick to the head-- with a brief 'haha!'-- and then the last one smacks him right in the face. Flopping backwards from his knees to his back, he blinks a few times to make sure of what had just happened, then presses his hands down to roll back once more-- and then find his footing. Shifting forward, his arm sweeps around in a feint-- and then Hotaru is introduced to a hard kick to the side, though his posture and footing is all wrong for someone in a fight. It begs the question ... does he even -have- a style?
COMBATSYS: Hotaru fails to interrupt Heavy Kick from Kenji with Hakki Shou EX.
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Hotaru 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Kenji
Coming down out of her backward flip through the air, Hotaru decides to try and keep the pressure on the young man even as he rolls around to get back to his feet. Pulling her arm back, her forearm is bathed in a blue aura as she concentrates a small focus of power into the palm of her hand. It takes a moment to build up, but the time he takes to get ready should give her the space she needs.
Even as he comes in with what looks like it will be a punch, she grins, willing to trade the punch for the powerful blast she plans on planting right into his chest. Bringing her arm forward to launch the little projectile, she realizes too late that he's swinging his foot around instead.
In the end, it's his own confusing posture that spares him her retaliation as Hotaru's fireball flies harmlessly past him while she gets strongly crunched in the side. "YA- OW!" It's enough to send her stumbling over to the side, falling over such that she has to press off the ground with her fingers to push herself back up on her feet.
Raising her hand to press against her side, looking kinda hurt now, Hotaru tries to mask the pain as quickly as possible. She's not about to admit to being about as fragile as she /looks/ like she is. "You're pretty tricky," is all she offers, managing to conceal the pain in her voice.
And yet-- it doesn't even look like he's noticed that she's hurt yet, even with the hand at her side. In Ashima's mind, the reaction is very natural, getting hit and holding the injury. "I am? Huh. I'll have to remember that."
Stepping back, Kenji pulls back his right fist and presents his left, standing in loose profile. "But that isn't everythin' I have to show you!" His arms suddenly pull back to his sides, and--
"HYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--"
The unusual show has a purpose, as soon revealed. Lowering his right arm and opening his hand, his chi comes into sight... and what a sight it is. Not quite a flame, but it burns an extremely -bright- blue. Blazing from his fingertips and through his hand until it completely engulfs his forearm to his elbow, his gutteral scream ends... and then he straightens up, a bit of residual wispy glow clinging onto his arm.
COMBATSYS: Kenji gathers his will.
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Hotaru 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Kenji
At first she braces, getting ready to try and avoid whatever trick he has up his sleeve this time even if so far she hasn't faired too well at getting out of the way. But as his arm lights up in a display of power being channeled, Hotaru hesitates, eyes widening slightly. The look on her face reflecting just how skeptical she was that he actually had any ability like that. Her problem is linking pose and movement too strongly to style. If someone doesn't seem to move like they have a style, then how can they do stuff like /that/?
Gritting her teeth, the girl charges forward after a moment, leaping into the air a few yards out to lend momentum to her next assault. Before her feet touch the ground, she strikes out twice with two windmilling blows with her hands, one toward his shoulder, another for the base of his neck.
Both strikes are meant as merely diversions though, as the final strike is a powerful palm press toward /his/ stomach, trying to return the favor from before perhaps. She leans hard into the attack, lending both leg and torso to her arm strength to try and make it strike hard.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Kenji with Soushou Shin.
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Hotaru 1/-------/=======|=======\===----\1 Kenji
The secrets of his mastery of chi and other energies is something that will have to be discovered some other time. For now, his arm hangs at his side and burns briefly with the bright energy, slowly subsiding into less and less until it whisps away into thin air. While the physical component is no longer there, the energy built is still -there-, welled up inside. And in she comes, sweeping her arms out. The Gedite lifts his hand to catch the first strike and stop it cold-- and gets a good chop to the shoulder and the neck for all his efforts. As her palms impact with his gut, Mr. Secretary reels backwards and lands a little hard on his back. ... Much to the audience's delight, no doubt.
"Ow. Ow ow ow jeez." Rising to his feet, Kenji offers only a friendly grin as he rubs his stomach and tugs on the collar of his dark t-shirt. "That was really good," he says, one eye closed, "... So... I guess I better get serious, huh?"
And just like that, the brawler takes two sharp steps forward and again plants his foot, his right leg whipping around -hard- to plant a kick at the side of Hotaru's head. "HA!!"
COMBATSYS: Kenji successfully hits Hotaru with Roundhouse Reel.
Glancing Blow
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Hotaru 1/------=/=======|=======\====---\1 Kenji
Having delt a pretty hard blow, Hotaru doesn't press her attack for the immediate moment, giving him a second to get his breath back from the palm press if necessary. "I hope you've been serious," the girl replies, her own smile in return a lot more subdued. She's come to respect how hard the young man can hit and his style is confusing to her. So she has to pour everything she has into paying close attention to the smallest of details. No time for friendly banter with him.
When he steps forward to swing his foot around for her head, Hotaru ducks. But she's just a bit too slow and the blow ends up knocking her on the top of her head just a little as his foot flies past. Hey, don't grief the pig tails!
Already crouching, she ends up ducking down the rest of the way, planting her foot on the floor and swinging out toward the young man with a sweep toward his supporting foot, hoping to take him down easily before he recovers from the kick.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Kenji with Light Kick.
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Hotaru 1/------=/=======|=======\=======\1 Kenji
It hurts, doesn't it?! DOESN'T IT?!! Still, using that one of the few kicks Kenji has in his arsenal puts him at a bit of an imbalance-- enough as it's reflected in Hotaru's actions, only getting skimmed along the top of the head with his foot and immediately dropping down to a counter. Falling back, he lands rather roughly-- right on his head.
His teeth bare and his arms slam against the mat once more, the action giving him a sudden surge of strength. It's enough to let him get his abdomen pulled upward and legs following in a loose swing, rolling back up onto his feet with enough force that he stumbles and nearly falls back down all over again. Panting, he stands up as straight as a board and starts shaking out his right hand. "Fine, fine. I'll let you see what even Tenma didn't-- my strongest of attacks."
And then, Kenji starts to run at Hotaru, arm pulled back.
"HYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--"
Stomping his foot down hard, his momentum ceases itself and puts him within arm's reach of the martial artist. His arm whips forward rather fast, that powerful right hand putting a ton of force into a punch that could, rightly, nearly knock someone's head clean off their shoulders.
"-- RAAAGH!!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Kenji's Missile Fist Ashima.
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Hotaru 1/---====/=======|===----\-------\0 Kenji
His strongest of attacks? Hotaru frowns slightly. What he's hit her with already was pretty good for a fellow student. She's been clocked harder before, but that's from real bruisers like Marco in training spars or Jiro, who somehow manages to punch harder than a mule can kick.
But finding out how hard the kid can really hit isn't high on her list of things to enjoy this afternoon. She's already let him slip too many attacks in for her tastes to begin with. Thus it is that when he comes at her, the girl is ready to dart to the side, expecting an early blow out of his incoming charge, like perhaps a clothesline attack. Thus it is that she leans... only to realize as his foot stomps down that she misjudged when the strike would be coming.
Unable to lean any more, all she can do is bring her arms up in a desperate attempt to defend against getting punched right the hell out. Thus it is that her cupped hands end up intersecting the attack. Kind of. All the same she gets driven backwards, her feet sliding over the mat until the girl ends up impacting the wall, "Ermph!" she grunts.
Her first step as she pushes off the wall is unsteady, but she regains her footing after that. "All right," she replies, looking at the young man warily now. "I'll have to show you what I can do too!" And with that, Hotaru sprints forward over the flooring, hopping when she's a few yards out in much the same way she did before landing the palm press. And in much the the same way, she strikes out twice before landing.
However, once her feet on the ground, she continues to strike with her hands, each blow attempting to find an opening in his defense so that she can crush through his guard and press on into an even stronger attack. "Sou-shou...!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Kenji with Sou-shou Tenrenge.
- Power hit! -
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Hotaru 0/-------/----===|=======\===----\1 Kenji
"Tenrenge!" The moment Hotaru finds an opening, she strikes hard and fast, her blows coming stronger now, her fists lighting up with small flashes of chi with each swing. On their own, each individual strike still isn't incredibly damaging, but they add up.
After several swings, Hotaru lunches into him with a rising shoulder tackle-like jump... Once both of them are in the air, she flips changing her trajectory to dive back into Kenji while covered with an aura that flashes gold and blue, crashing back into him like a chi-infused teenaged missile, taking the both of them back down to the ground.
She. She blocked it.
She -blocked- it.
Standing in his followthrough pose with a look of abstract horror even as Hotaru collides with the far wall, staring at her hands as though they were made of granite. Perhaps that's what gets Kenji, in this case-- his awe and surprise at such a daring defense, and the girl suddenly upon him. "Shi--"
And then he's introduced to a whole world of pain, his lunged-out stance making it hard to provide a suitable shield against the rain of blows. His head snaps back as he's tackled into the air-- then slammed back toward the ground as she blazes into him.
However, he lands ... on his -feet-. Driven back some, his voice comes forth, a bit raspy.
"One-- more-- GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH--" The energy summoned earlier again flares, the powerful blue glow that almost tries to burn it's way into one's eyes. At this range, it's hard to miss. It's also hard to miss his arm reeled back to a disgusting distance to announce his intent. Hotaru's clearly won the day, but he isn't going to let her win cheaply. It's that stupid pride Sakuya chides him about, the stubborn streak a mile wide. And though his head is tilted forward and he looks to be at his limit, his arm -explodes- forward, sending a punch at Hotaru's chest that dares to move faster than even the 'technique' he dubbed his strongest attack. A horizontal beam explodes from his fist on the swing, a light that, hit or miss, reaches from wall to wall and shines even through Hotaru-- but acts like a track for his blow to follow.
"RAIL GUN!!"
COMBATSYS: Kenji can no longer fight.
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Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Kenji's Rail Gun.
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Hotaru 0/-------/----===|
Hotaru does not land entirely on her feet, coming down out of the dive into a sliding crouch that leaves her slow to recover. It's good for her that she managed to wear the young man down enough to slow him down, or else the opening her own recovery afforded would've been the doom of the girl.
Pushing up to her feet, she turns around to watch as Kenji charges up with a rather frightful yell. And he seemed like such a mild boy at first, too! As the light beams right through her, Hotaru gasps, expecting that to be a hit in and of itself, only to realize the /real/ pain was coming in the form of a punch strong enough to possibly smash her rib cage on a clean blow.
It's a fit of panic that drives her to move faster than she had with any of her previous attempts to dodge, the girl stepping into a turn that allows her to move out of the way of the swinging fist. His knuckles just barely graze over her vest, making no direct contact. But the sheer force of the passing blow and burning energy is enough to tear small rips in the blue fabric.
As she comes out of the sidestep, Hotaru stumbles, the panic in avoiding the attack leaving her off balance. The off-kilter stagger continues until her shoulder hits the wall, allowing her to brace herself and turn around to face the young man, propping her back against the wall for support for the moment. That kid punches like a beast, she muses. No /wonder/ he got recruited that gant with Tenma and Hakuya. Team. Whatever.
Paused for a moment in the full of his swing, the air rumbles and the tatami mats themselves shift in the residual force of the swing, the excess of chi assaulting the air instead of the person it was originally intended-- even making the wall in line with the blow shudder. His arm falls out of the energy line as he himself drops to one knee, panting hard and the pretty lights fading away slowly.
After a moment, Kenji props his elbow up on his knee and holds up his other hand. "Whew... haha. Hold it, hold it. That hurt. You win, you win." Dragging his hand across his forehead, a bit of sweat is taken away while he finds it in him to stand up and set his hands on his knees. Looking up, he eyes the tears in her vest and her expression-- and blinks. "Er... haha. Are you okay?"
As he calls the end of the fight, Hotaru's expression relaxes visibly, the girl pushing herself off the wall to step forward back onto the mat. "Yes, yes, I'm fine," she states, her voice calm, the panic and spike of adrenaline fading out of her system now that the spar is over. Seeing someone swinging at her like that was about as frightening as some of her most challenging opponents in the past.
She's quiet for a moment before she just shakes her head, a smile working its way into her expression, "You really get into your fights!" Hotaru exclaims, clenching her fist. "It was pretty inspiring actually. Where did you learn to fight like /that/?" The young man sunk his all into practically every blow, which is a lot like how Hotaru enjoys fighting. Short, intense bursts of power, before she wears herself ragged by pushing so hard.
Her hand brushes idly over the tears, glancing down to see her white blouse through the openings. "Heh. Don't worry about this. I go through a lot of these vests," she laughs lightly, shrugging just a little.
Whistling sharply and waving his hand at one of the students that watched the battle, he gets his jacket tossed to him to be pulled back on. Walking over to her with an obvious amount of fatigue in his step, Kenji laughs halfheartedly and rubs the back of his head. "I didn't really learn anything. I mean-- I fight. I did it a lot back home. I didn't really want to start fighting again when I came here, but ... eh. Well. Can't escape it, I guess. My only real 'sparring partner' is my sister."
Fixing his sleeves, he shrugs a little and nods. "Yeah, I can understand that. I haven't had to go through a lot of uniforms yet." Looking blank, the brawler suddenly realizes something as his hand tucks into his pocket. A thumb is jerked at himself, "Oh, -- uh. I'm Kenji."
Hotaru shakes her head thoughtfully. Such fighting spirit in this boy. But it's very raw, untrained and untempered. "Kenji then. Nice to meet you. And for having no trainer, you fight really good." She taps her cheek thoughtfully, "I bet you could really benefit from some instruction sometime. Perhaps from someone with a similar style... boxing maybe?" She isn't sure what really comes close, but the student is definitely a puncher, that's for sure.
Hotaru bows her head slightly out of respect, "Thank you for taking the time to demonstrate what you got. Getting to know the different schools by what their students can do is... kind of an interest of mine lately." Stepping around him, Hotaru starts to head for the exit, "Let Tenma know I was around when you see him next, ne?" she asks, "I still want a rematch!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has ended the fight here.
Log created on 20:37:31 06/05/2007 by Hotaru, and last modified on 00:39:55 06/07/2007.