Description: Stationed in Singapore during the Thailand crisis, Soma is stuffed in an office doing boring but necessary intelligence work for Interpol. When he gets a call from the League people offering him a match against Mizuki, he's glad to accept... and the young miko presents a challenge that pushes the undercover agent's abilities to their limit. (Winner: Soma)
The BBC branch office in Singapore is a decent size, but not necessarily all that grand. The news outlet's major offices are understandably in formerly British-controlled Hong Kong, which serves as a major news hub for the southeast Asia region. But the prosperous island nation warranted at, the very least, a floor of an office building to keep in touch with locals and make arrangements for reporters.
Interestingly enough, there's also the "Lost Records Office," a single corner office where the door is kept locked and only certain individuals are given the keys. Employees never bother anyone going into Lost Records, and in fact only the top brass in Whitehall know that the Lost Records Office is part of a BBC collusion with MI6; the space is lent out to counterintelligence agents and intelligence analysts who need space to work during times of international crisis. MI6 generously gave the space to Interpol, who called Soma to the office on a brief assignment change to do some analysis for Interpol itself. His cover is, as a freelance writer, that he is currently freelancing as a correspondent for the BBC and, indeed, a few stories about the Thai situation have come from his very pen.
The call from the Neo League to his cell phone -- a number Soma has, with some smug self-amusement, given the individual ringtone of Blondie's "One Way Or Another" -- was actually a relief for the undercover agent, who had until that time been driving himself mad doing decryption on a coded Shadaloo message... a cipher that is entirely beyond his skill. In frustration he turned the entire message over to his superiors and went to work on another story about Vega's assault until noon rolled around, the sun of a gorgeous day streaming into the windows of his borrowed office. When the Masters Foundation people suggested there was a possibility for a match, Soma took them up on it, hoping that the physical activity would do him good.
As it stands now, the Fighting Novelist is in a small park outside the office building in which he is working, his dark black common outfit replaced with a white tank top and khakis for fighting in, the light-colored clothes contrasting with his dark skin. Sipping from a bottle of water, he chats with the cameramen as they set up the venue, waiting only for the challenger to arrive.
Needless to say, Mizuki doesn't know crap about the BBC, Interpol, MI6, or any of that jazz. She is of course aware of the Thailand situation but that is not something she is willing to touch--as she explained both to Alma and Frei, she wants to apply her skills and power where it will do good, and while the people of Thailand could certainly use help, Mizuki isn't sure she has what it takes to make a difference there. So she doesn't really understand Soma's frustrations--wouldn't, if she were made aware of them--and, likely, she sleeps easier for it.
She is, however, signed up for the League--and the call to -her- cellphone also comes as a relief. The text message contained all the necesary information, of course... opponent (Soma, she notes, with a little smile), location, flight times... of course flying into Southeast Asia might make some uncomfortable, but the location is far enough away from Thailand for Mizuki to have null perspiration.
In fact, Hong Kong is quite beautiful; she thinks to herself that she'll have to visit as a tourist sometime, looking through the windows of the black limo that takes her to the park where the match is supposed to be. Climbing out of the car, Mizuki stretches a little before trotting over to where Soma is.
"Soma-san, good day!" she cries, pleasantly, "So we're to match against each other today..." she continues, with a smile, "I wish you the best of luck!" Turning towards the cameramen, she bows and smiles, then retreats a short distance, drawing her baton and going through a few prepatory exercises.
The entrance of his opponent catches Soma by surprise, but at least it's a pleasant surprise... sort of. He seems to be fighting a lot of young girls lately, and the fact that he is a weapon fighter who uses daggers tends to make him skittish about this... though in a way, his SNF against Marisol was a refreshing change of pace, considering she actually complimented him on the things. However, he does remember the girl -- Mizuki, right? -- as both a competent fighter and another weapon user. That's a good sign.
Walking over to the impromptu arena, as a crowd of business and salary men on their lunch breaks begins to fill in around the little park as observers, Soma stretches and, placing his bottled water on a chair and picking up an odd belt, sort of like a gun holster belt but with two dagger-sized sheaths one one side, making a sort of 'X' near the small of Soma's back. No jacket means no sleeves, after all. "Glad to see you didn't let that one fight get you down," he observes, briefly playing a mental 'tape' of the fight where he and Mizuki faced what can only be called a 'vengeful' Drake and a jovial, if aggressive, Leilani. "You will be happy to know I have no irrational desire to grind you into the pavement or anything," he adds with a faint smile. "Ready when you are."
COMBATSYS: Soma has started a fight here.
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Soma 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Mizuki has joined the fight here.
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Mizuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Soma
COMBATSYS: Soma focuses on his next action.
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Mizuki 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Soma
"o/~ Ain't nothin' gonna get me down... ain't nothin' gonna slo-ow me down, oh no, I got to keep on mo-vin'!o/~" hums Mizuki, in response to Soma's observation, then smiles. "My father loved that song, played it for me a lot..." It certainly would help explain her ability to bounce back from such a thing.
The reminder of Drake, however, does dim her smile a couple of watts, briefly at least, while she watches Soma move to his starting point. "And I'm sure this will be an educational fight...!" she continues, as she walks to -her- starting point. The signal is given from the League official, and the fight starts. Already, people are starting to gather, as they do whenever a fight goes down.
However, it seems as though both fighters aren't doing much... though Mizuki's not much is more visible, an icy, silver-blue swirl of energy exploding upwards from around her, twisting about as she stands where she is, her hands clasped in front of her as if she were praying.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki gathers her will.
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Mizuki 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Soma
Grinning, the undercover agent drops into stance and whistles along with the song. It's reassuring to hear that Mizuki is on the rebound, and she looks to be in good shape. And to be honest, Marisol was a fun fight for Soma, and he'd like to have another bout with someone genuinely interested in having a good time. When someone's interested in what they're doing, after all, they're typically better at it... and the challenge is what Soma is after.
Deciding not to get too fancy up front, he nods at Mizuki as a way of expressing his intent to start, and then dashes toward her, his steps light. When he gets close, the undercover agent tilts, and then as he spins, draws one dagger, sweeping it around to make a shallow cut toward Mizuki's stomach. Testing the waters, as it were. "Hyah!"
COMBATSYS: Mizuki blocks Soma's Medium Strike.
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Mizuki 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Soma
The kiai gives Mizuki the slightest amount of warning--enough so that her eyes snap open and she draws her right leg back, making her stance more stable. The baton is held along her right forearm, and that dagger is deflected off it--mostly--a cut opening up along her arm, shallow but painful.
"Ouch!" she observes, twisting away to try and further lesson the painful cut, "Live steel... someday I guess I might have to carry that, too..." she muses. Her style, while certainly focused on the baton or short-staff... is also adaptable to blades. But for now, she only has the blunt weapon--and so she continues her twist, lashing her baton out at Soma's shoulder with a swift backhand strike, her weapon wielded as if she were attempting to cut him.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki successfully hits Soma with Medium Strike.
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Mizuki 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Soma
Grimacing despite himself, Soma hesitates for a moment at Mizuki's comment, and it costs him. His attempt at evasion is a little too late, and he takes the blow on the shoulder full on it. It forces him back a step or two, but it doesn't appear too serious; after all, Mizuki's weapons aren't designed to cut, simply to bruise and/or pulp bone into a fine powder. "I found I learned a lot faster when live steel entered the equation," the Fighting Novelist says to the schoolgirl with a small smile. "It's AMAZING how much it can really motivate you to master your disarms."
Pressing his foot back against the ground, Soma doesn't waste time before heading into the counterattack. He ducks forward, dashing low and sheathing the dagger before extending his right hand, index and middle fingers extended, to a point near Mizuki's side. The actual physical contact isn't more than a second or two of pressure; the real 'damage' comes from the fact that he is quite precisely striking a nerve cluster known for mild but quite distracting pains, like a stitch in the side. "I didn't ONLY learn with knives, though!"
COMBATSYS: Mizuki dodges Soma's Medium Throw.
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Mizuki 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Soma
Mizuki acknowledges Soma's comment with a nod--though she never stops paying attention to him. "You're right," she says, "though my teachers never used live steel with me. But I think you're right... I just--" And here she pauses, as she kicks off with a quick backstep, fading away from Soma's nerve-pinch, "--never liked the idea of having to -cut- someone..." Of course she doesn't really mind being cut herself inasmuch as it isn't really any potentially threatening more than being pulped by strong fists or broken by strong knees.
And then she lunges forward, bringing her short-staff up to ready position... and as she nears Soma she lashes out with the baton, slashing back and forth six times--the weapon glowing suddenly, with blue-green chi, shimmering in an aura around it. The final blow, should she connect, is a hard forward thrust right for Soma's chest.
COMBATSYS: Soma endures Mizuki's Kouryuu no Renda.
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Mizuki 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Soma
"Who does?" Soma asks back, genuinely curious. He's an officer of the law, after all; in his opinion, knives are there for cutting, yes, but CUTTING is not there for cutting. Anyone who enjoys the actual act is probably a little bit sociopathic. Deciding he wants to shift his momentum somewhat, the undercover agent doesn't bother to get out of the way as Mizuki charges him with her flurry of strikes. Instead he sits there and takes it, teeth gritted against the pain but his ground stood, even in the face of the final forward thrust. "But there's a difference between liking it and being okay with it."
Even as the final few blows of Mizuki's assault are flowing across his body, however, Soma's hands are extended, a silvery glow lined in black forming in each and resolving in the semi-substantial form of a 'dagger'... a pair of them, in fact, which he suddenly and quickly slashes in an 'X' shape toward Mizuki's stomach. The knives don't actually CUT, but they CAN do some damage if they connect. "Soul Fencer, go!"
COMBATSYS: Mizuki endures Soma's Gemini.
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Mizuki 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Soma
Mizuki nods. "That's true, I think, too, I--WHOA!" She goes wide-eyed as Soma starts up his Gemini, the glowing energy daggers quite pretty. She didn't have to face them before--here she is facing them now... and she's slashed, almost before she can react. The pain is quite... interesting. The energy isn't chi--she's intimately familiar with chi in many forms, and that wasn't it.
"Wh--what -was- that?!?" she cries, as she staggers back a half-step... but takes that stagger and reverse the momentum, lunging forward to close with Soma again, dropping her baton (which then hangs from a loop around one end), and seeking to bury her hands in his clothing.
If she gets that grip she'll pull him towards her, bury her right leg in his gut, then fall to her back and fling him overhead, much like a certain Ansatsuken throw...
COMBATSYS: Mizuki successfully hits Soma with Quick Throw.
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Mizuki 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Soma
Perhaps he overcommitted just a bit... or Mizuki's closeness just doesn't give him room to maneuver. Either way, Soma flies Mizuki Airlines' Tomoe Nage Express right into one of the short brick walls that surround the space they're fighting in. He lands with his back to it, thankfully, but the blow does knock the wind out of Soma for a moment, and he crouches as he tries to get air back in his lungs... and to process the young miko's interestingly shocked reaction to that attack.
"I call it 'Gemini' after the constellation of the twins," Soma says, falling back on rote in the absence of anything more concrete to discuss. "Because of the two daggers. I know it's sort of cheesy, but I loved astronomy when I was a kid, and I figure... everyone else has these fanciful names for their techniques, so..." Back on his feet, the Fighting Novelist doesn't give up; he ducks forward and draws both daggers, proceeding into a quick series of jabs at various heights. However, these are mostly feints; the true blow is a quick, snapped kick to Mizuki's side that he throws in the middle of it all.
COMBATSYS: Soma successfully hits Mizuki with Light Kick.
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Mizuki 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Soma
Mizuki shakes her head, "Ah, that wasn't what I--" ... nevermind. She'll ask him about it later. Suffice to say she's convinced there's something about Soma... "... but that's a neat name!" Entranced by the brief story, Mizuki is drawn into Soma's dance--she weaves and ducks to avoid the daggers, never suspecting the kick.
"Nnf!" she cries as she's kicked in the side, staggering to the opposite side. "A good feint," she comments, with a grin, continuing her stagger to get a little distance from Soma... but then she crosses the distance once more.
As she nears, she takes the baton in both hands and drops low, slashing out in a wide circle, for Soma's legs. Hit or miss, she continues the combination, rising as she swings the staff upwards in a hard uppercut, stretching to her full height at the end of it.
COMBATSYS: Soma dodges Mizuki's Fierce Strike.
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Mizuki 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Soma
Showing some of his impressively precise agility, Soma leaps upwards at the moment of Mizuki's strike and lands atop the retaining wall he'd just been hit into in a crouch, flipping around as he does so in order to face his opponent as he lands. "Whoa there!" he exclaims, internally glad to have gotten away from that particularly nasty-looking series of blows. Mizuki hits pretty damned hard for a young girl, in Soma's opinion... not that he is necessarily all that beefcake-y himself.
Allowing *himself* to extend his senses a little bit, the Fighting Novelist glances at Mizuki and mmms lightly, his lips pressed together in thought. Something is gnawing at her and you don't need to be empathic to figure that out. "Well, if you meant 'what is it?' in terms of substance... my fighting style centers on achieving harmony of mind and body. It's just an extension of that, you know?" Leaping downwards at the young fighter, Soma swings one arm out to draw a dagger and... the *blade* keeps going even if the *hilt* stays in his hand, the unique whip-like wire blade describing a perfect elliptical orbit around Soma's diving form. It could hit Mizuki in any of a number of places if she doesn't avoid it, but as with before, Soma's merely looking to connect, not to carve his opponent up like a deli roast.
COMBATSYS: Soma successfully hits Mizuki with Saturnalia.
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Mizuki 1/----===/=======|=======\=------\1 Soma
Tricky! Too tricky. The patter and conversation and Soma's blade-wire thing... her eyes widen again and she stutters left, then right, but instead just gets slashed through the shoulder. Crying out, her uniform torn and now bloodied--with her own blood--she stumbles backwards. Of course blades aren't any more or less lethal than a properly-wielded blunt weapon. But the psychological impact is far worse.
Mizuki gathers her legs underneath her then springs backward, landing in a slight crouch, then rising. Once again, she clasps her -- well, she can't, her shoulder's injured -- but she raises the hand of the uninjured arm and starts praying.
A blue-green energy gathers above her head then starts raining down--mostly on the injured shoulder, but over the rest of her body as well--and though her clothing won't seal up, the wound -will-, at least in part...
Soma knows that technique... after all, he was on the receiving end of it. "Haha... that was so helpful when we were on the same side, but I hate to see you doing it now!" the Fighting Novelist jokes as he lands, the blade and wire flipping back to him through the air like a snake, hilt and blade meeting again with a flick of the wrist. "I guess it can't be helped." Partially, his joking is just to lighten the mood after drawing blood... and partly it's because Soma was there the LAST time someone decided to 'get at' Mizuki for using her powers, and is trying to be at least somewhat gracious.
"I can't just sit here and not do SOMETHING, though!" Leaping forward, the undercover agent hopes to take advantage of Mizuki's momentary distraction by twisting and driving another pinpoint nerve strike at her; this time, at the (uninjured) shoulder. That particular point isn't quite as painful as the one he aimed at before, but it has the benefit of being infinitely more accessible. "Head's up!"
COMBATSYS: Mizuki successfully hits Mizuki with Iki no Mizu.
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Mizuki 1/-----==/=======|=======\=------\1 Soma
COMBATSYS: Mizuki fails to interrupt Quick Throw from Soma with Medium Strike.
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Mizuki 1/---====/=======|=======\=------\1 Soma
... great, as soon as she gets one shoulder fixed, here is Soma injuring the -other- one. Her arm goes limp as it's jabbed; there isn't so much pure physical pain involved as a sharp realization that he's just rendered her baton arm useless until she can get feeling back in -that- arm. How frustrating!
Still, Mizuki tries to keep her spirits up, as it were; at least she's not bleeding. Still, she backs off further now, trying to buy time for her arm to sort itself out...
Deciding to retreat for a bit, Soma backs off and lets Mizuki collect herself. After all, he's not in the greatest shape in the world either, right now, and a little time to collect himself is welcome. "Part of me knows you're here because you can fight. I've SEEN you fight, I know how good you are," Soma says absently, replacing the dagger he was holding in his left hand to its sheath across his back and taking a moment to stretch. There IS something he really does want to know, and perhaps an honest person like Mizuki is the one to ask.
"But sometimes as an adult, I feel... a little out of place picking on kids. This isn't how it was in California when I was in college... the street fighting league was mostly karate guys from up and down the coast, kickboxers and whatever... you can see why they did it, though I bet they wondered why a scrawny sociology major from UCLA was in the ring." He's babbling a little, but it's almost mostly to fill the air as much as anything else. "Even though I hear tell there's schoolgirls out there who can break brick walls with their foreheads. We live in a crazy world."
COMBATSYS: Soma gains composure.
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Mizuki 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\1 Soma
Mizuki shakes her arm out, getting some feeling back into it. Mmph. That was unpleasant. There's a bit of an internal resignation; she suspects that she is going to be losing this fight, no matter what. But pride won't let her just go down without fighting. Finding she can grip her baton again, she narrows her eyes. 'Picking on'...?
"I don't know if that comment was ironic or arrogant, Soma-san," she says, her voice holding only the slightest edge--after all, no one likes being called a 'kid'--"but I'm here because I chose to be, and I'm here because I think I can at least match you. You didn't force me into this, therefore you aren't picking on me."
Those blue eyes flash, "And I am NOT a -kid-!" she says, as she once again... charges in on Soma, leaping high, curling herself into a ball, and transferring all her momentum into a single, flying side-kick.
COMBATSYS: Soma dodges Mizuki's Strong Kick.
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Mizuki 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\1 Soma
Oh dear. Soma can sense Mizuki's sudden change in attitude on more than one level, and he instantly regrets it, but at the very least he can try to play off it humorously. As the flying kick comes in for what is sure to be a painful landing the undercover agent puts his all into the defensive effort, practically diving to the ground in a roll to get past it. "Sorry, didn't mean it that way," he says hastily.
With Mizuki in the air, however, the undercover agent has an opportunity to turn his dodge into a counterattack as well. Hoping to catch her before she can land -- although this will certainly work if she has -- he lashes out with one wire dagger, hoping not to cut Mizuki, but to wrap the blade and wire around one extremity -- an arm, a leg, anything -- and YANK her into the air with a flick of the wrist. If he can pull that off, Soma jumps and lashes out with the second dagger even as he pulls back the first, snapping Mizuki out of the air and sending her back down toward earth like a comet... a story he'll be happy to share a second time, if she wonders what the name of THIS technique is.
COMBATSYS: Soma successfully hits Mizuki with Wishing Star EX.
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Mizuki 1/-======/=======|=======\-------\1 Soma
Caught--and slammed--hard into the ground... Mizuki no longer has any sort of inquisitiveness regarding Soma's attacks. Right now she's just trying to keep the world from spinning; she gets to her hands and knees, shaking her head out. Maybe she -can't- match up with Soma; he's had control of the fight almost since the outset and... well, it's discouraging, to say the least. And perhaps she shouldn't do what she does--but she doesn't see any other way of lasting longer. So she remains on her knees, murmuring, clasping her hands together...
And the pressure of chi is much stronger this time, 'breaking' above her into a gushing wave of blue-green energy that looks almost like a waterfall as it pours down over her kneeling form...
Well. It's certainly not a good idea to get close to that -- though a tiny part of Soma's brain wonders, if he could get inside that burst of energy, would it have the same effect on him as it does on Mizuki? -- and thus the undercover agent hangs back, thinking things through. Rushing right in is stupid; never mind the fact that he can feel Mizuki's frustration and knows, as any good law enforcer does, that when you corner something is when it fights the fiercest.
However, sitting here doing nothing isn't going to do anyone any good either, so after a second to let the glare of the healing energy clear (and give him a better view of his opponent) Soma sets his foot and then dashes forward with impressive speed... foot speed he's going to need, because the sudden slash he makes -- a diagonal strike with one dagger, from near the uninjured shoulder toward the top of Mizuki's opposite hip -- is hopelessly telegraphed. Still, it could give him the advantage he needs if it hits.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki successfully hits Mizuki with Iki no Nagare.
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Mizuki 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Soma
COMBATSYS: Soma successfully hits Mizuki with Fierce Strike.
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Mizuki 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Soma
... and again, the efficacy of her ability to heal is cut right in half--almost literally--by Soma, as the moment she comes out of her healing... he's right there, slashing her. And slashing her open, practically, the blade biting deep. It's a wonder she doesn't just up and die from it. Her clothes are certainly ruined, nearly slashed apart in one single movement... and she just sprawls on the ground, looking...
Well, she looks dazed, really, and in pain. She isn't sure she wants to get up and face Soma's daggers anymore; her entire torso is a streak of blood and pain. What is she going to do? What -can- she do?
~ Maybe Drake was right. Maybe I -don't- have any business being here... ~
Mizuki knows she shouldn't get up. Smart money is to stay down, let Soma have the win, go off to nurse her wounds in peace, and possibly forget about ever fighting again. But...
... but she has too much pride, and she just -can't- do it, as much as her body wants to. Pushing to her feet, she gasps, "n... not done yet..." No, she's not playful anymore; it takes all her concentration just to -move and act-... and she makes a willful try, attempting to take Soma's head off, kind of, with a backhanded baton slash. It isn't nice--it isn't like her--but please forgive, she just got nearly CUT IN TWO.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki successfully hits Soma with Fierce Strike.
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Mizuki 1/------=/=======|=======\===----\1 Soma
The schoolgirl's response gets a nod from Soma. "Good," he says simply, taking a deep breath. It probably wouldn't do Mizuki any good to know the undercover agent's mental processes, but every time he fights these young people -- and even at 22, a school-age kid is 'young' to him -- he worries about them. Not because they can't handle themselves, but because fighting is, to Soma, an arena where people are subjected to the worst of humanity, its ability to harm others in the move creative ways possible. Seeing it as an art helps, but in the end it's all about sticking pointy bits into the other guy until he gives up...
Perhaps he reflects self-indulgently for too long, as Mizuki swings for the stands as it were. His attempt to dive out of the way is clumsy; the best it does is keep him from getting smacked in the actual face, but the baton smacks into his head like the ringing of a chruch bell, the dagger-wielding fighter slamming to the ground in a heap a few feet away. Groggily, he stands up.
"See? Nothing to it," he murmurs, trying to get his ears to unpop. This fight has been a challenge for him; after all, a fighter who can pull a proverbial second wind out of her hat presents a particular challenge to someone whose fighting style is, in its own way, a war of attrition. "Alright... let's see." Drawing both daggers for a moment, Soma circles Mizuki at a fairly good distance, judging the surroundings, making mental calculations.
When he finds the right moment... he vanishes.
The speed with which Soma moves is like teleportation, his body only becoming visible as he ducks PAST Mizuki, his arms crossed across his chest and the wires of both daggers, hopefully, wound around Mizuki's body...
COMBATSYS: Soma successfully hits Mizuki with Orihime's Loom.
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Mizuki 1/-======/=======|-------\-------\0 Soma
The grip is just the first part. With a loud "YAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Soma flings his arms *forward*, the wires retracting as Mizuki is flung into the air. Collecting himself, Soma vanishes again as he kicks off the ground and speeds to Mizuki's 'destination', meeting her in midair and snagging her with another wire, spinning her off to the side. The cycle of midair throw and 'teleport' continues three times before Soma appears ABOVE Mizuki, the two silver-black daggers reappearing in his hands and then joining together as one long 'polearm'; in the final move Soma slashes downward, driving Mizuki to the ground below with a slash of that energy weapon, the trail of his blow leaving sparks of black and silver in the air as the two fighters pass.
Essentially, she becomes a crater after a long series of attacks. She has... no thoughts; her body is nothing but a mass of pain. This... although the fight started out alright... well, this is certainly proving the error of her ways. She has been brutalized to an almost absolute manner by Soma; her body hurts in ways she didn't know it could. Unfortunately for her, she's not knocked out yet; perhaps it is only that which makes her get up again, looking really as if she doesn't want to get up at -all-...
She's going to be laid up for a week, or more, just dealing with these injuries--not only to her body, but to her pride and to her mind. When she lunges for Soma, it's almost lazy--she clearly -isn't- moving right, not at all, and her feeling is pretty much that even if she could restore herself to a decent working condition, it would be pretty futile. Still... the effort must be made.
So she lunges, her baton gathering that blue-green glow about it as she makes her last-ditch attack, once again slashing out at Soma's body...
COMBATSYS: Soma blocks Mizuki's Kouryuu no Ranbu.
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Mizuki 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Soma
There is... about enough time to look wide-eyed at Mizuki's assault, before Soma crosses his arms in front of him, daggers already sheathed, and hopes for the best. It's... not as good a 'best' as he wanted, because Mizuki's strength, combined with the blazing aura of watery chi, slams into him like a sledgehammer; there is an actual, audible *CRACK* sound as the initial blow slams into Soma's forearms. Dust is kicked up as the undercover agent is literally sent sliding across the concrete from the impact. When he finally drops out of the defensive stance, his breathing is heavy... and his concentration is on keeping that mind over matter thing that Varma Kalai is known for going on. Ow.
"Agh... man..." Still, Soma is enjoying himself. Mizuki is a strong fighter, a challenge... and that's why he bothers to do these things at all. Her feelings -- writ large by her expressions, driven home by Soma's empathic abilities -- are frustrating to him, however, because he knows there's no way to convey his respect that won't sound... well, in a way, cheesy. Instead he simply tries to bring this to a close in a gentle way, curling his fingers inward and aiming a quick, sharp blow to Mizuki's stomach. Hopefully the worst it will do is knock the wind out of her...
COMBATSYS: Soma successfully hits Mizuki with Weapon Jab.
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Mizuki 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Soma
... Mizuki's breath goes out of her with a gasp. It's a good thing she can't read Soma's intentions--she might get mad again. As it is, she somehow tries a final attack--weak and slow, of course, but she's still being driven by something she can't quite comprehend. Of course, she hasn't really -felt- the fire of the desire to win before, not like this...
Really, all she manages is a sputtering wave of energy, barely knee-height--it won't go farther than five meters, if that, a blue-white wave of icy chi that flares up briefly before fading away, leaving Mizuki slumped over.
COMBATSYS: Mizuki can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Soma 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Soma negates Koori no Hebi from Mizuki with Nova.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Soma 0/-------/----===|
Even if the energy is described as 'sputtering', Soma is a trained enough fighter to know it's still a danger... and he doesn't want to take any chances. The physical blow from Mizuki's technique just previously wasn't so bad, but the overwhelming force of her chi was something that Soma, who understands little to nothing about chi, can deal with. As the wave of ice heads toward him, the undercover agent slips a hand into his pocket and withdraws a tiny metal throwing spike, nothing too dangerous. Charging it with that same silver-black energy, he turns and hurls it into the wave, effectively 'pinning' it to the ground. The two forms of light clash, then vanish, and Soma breathes a sigh of relief.
Neo League medics are already on their way to Mizuki, but Soma is both closer and faster; in a few steps he's kneeling next to the girl with a smile. "That was a workout... you're a really strong fighter." He pauses, then glances around the square. "I'm actually stuck here on business and I'm basically alone 24-7... you want to get something to eat? You can tell me the stories behind all the names of YOUR techniques if you want."
COMBATSYS: Soma has ended the fight here.
... fortunately Mizuki isn't the type to carry a grudge just from a fight. She sits back, taking a shallow breath--big breath not possible without pain--and sighs.
"Another loss," she murmurs, sounding almost sad. "I wonder what I'm learning from this..." Looking up at Soma, she tries a little smile.
"Thank you for the offer, Soma-san, but--I think I need to see the medics first..." Her smile turns wry. "Maybe you should look into getting dulled daggers for things like Neo League fights..." Now that the fight's over, she's realizing her shirt's all cut up and everything underneath, so she's using her free hand to hold the shirt toether.
"... maybe after I'm all fixed up, though...?"
Log created on 22:46:25 06/14/2007 by Soma, and last modified on 14:08:01 06/17/2007.