Description: Shenwoo faces off against Southsynd's very own brutal brawler, Duke, in a no-holds barred Neo League! There's a lot of punching involved. Oh god, so, so much punching...!! Who will win this punch-a-thon?! (Winner: Duke)
Ken Master's Red Arena. A fighting grounds that is, to put it lightly, -unique- in its design. This arena has played host to a wide variety of bouts between titans of the fighting world, young and old, and has proved time and again to be one of the more interesting sanctioned arenas to fight. More importantly? It serves as one of the more popular locales for one of Ken Master's own conceptions -- the Neo League.
So it is today that the vast and varied space of the Red Arena has been reserved for one such match. A few spectators line the stands, and while slightly populated, it isn't brimming at the seats; this isn't a highly advertised event, after all. Cameras, as per usual, focus in on the arena itself. And who is to be fighting today?
The first combatant makes himself known a minute or so before the fight is to 'officially' be underway. Walking out from the left entrance of the arena, the man known simply as Duke makes his way towards the center of the arena, cracking his neck almost non-chalantly as he goes. The man quite a well known public figure in the fighting world -- in fact, he is, in large part, a mystery. Beyond his previous SNF, this will have been one of only a few times he will have made his way into the public eye. He doesn't need the money, and he doesn't -truly- do it for the sport of it. But..
... it's better to be publically known as a professional fighter than something far worse.
As soon as he reaches the middle of the arena, closer towards the forested area, Duke stops... and waits. Hands slip into his pockets, and dark eyes take a long, slow look around him, taking into account everything in his surroundings. Well. At the very least, the -location- should prove to make things interesting.
It's been a pretty good week for Shenwoo. You wouldn't think so, given that he got into a big fight on a volcano, but you know what? To him that's good stuff. Especially since Rock put up such a fight; battling a tough opponent under impossible circumstances, it's like his birthday came early! And the fact that he won didn't hurt either. No, overall he's been a happy Shenwoo. So, some might ask, why isn't he involved in Saturday Night Fight this week as well?! The truth of it is, he forgot to.
Hey, he was kind of stuck in Costa Rica for the better part of the week.
That doesn't mean the self-styled 'God of Battle' is going to be slacking off this weekend, oh no. Which is why he's here, in the middle of Masters Stadium, emerging from the remaining entrance into the Red Arena, opposite Duke's. Shenwoo is, as he makes his entrance, the very image of indolence and confidence, his eyes hidden behind designer sunglasses and his thumbs hooked into the pockets of his leather pants, while a constant, annoying chewing sound escapes the berserker; he has a mouthful of bubble gum, even going so far, as he steps across the carefully designed and landscaped fighting arena, to blow a big pink bubble, before popping it and chewing again.
Shen is, clearly, pretty confident of himself against this mysterious 'Duke' guy.
"So," says the Shanghai-born fighter's lazy voice as he gets closer, hands lifting finally from his sides as he tugs his leather gloves tighter, the material creaking in protest. "You think you're gonna be a satisfying opponent for the likes of me?" Given what he calls himself, would you /really/ expect Shenwoo to be humble?
Duke is, and always has been, a patient man. He is content while he waits for his opponent -- though fortunately, it seems not to take the self-proclaimed 'God of Battle' too long to actually arrive -- standing in the midst of trees, dirt and rock. Slowly, he bends down, picking up one of said objects; a small cluster of rocks, throwing them in the air with his massive hand before swiping them just as easily. He waits, continuing this action until -- soon enough -- his opponent arrives through the opposite entrance. He looks. He frowns.
"... Hmph."
Shenwoo. Of course, this particular fighter has made himself well-known enough that one would have to never watch any fighting event at all to not know who he is. Duke, for his part, knows well enough. There's little reaction on his part, however; he turns on his heel to face Shenwoo fully, considering him with dark brown eyes before his right hand lifts. Fingertips press against that thick scar around his neck, tracing the length of it across his throat. "Oh? How funny..." he begins in a calm, measured tone, "... I was going to ask you the same thing."
The bell rings only moments after, and Duke doesn't seem intent on wasting any time talking; such things are a waste in a fight. Instead? He shifts briefly, placing weight on his left foot before he pushes -off- and into the air, flying towards Shenwoo and swinging the right side of his body forward, intent on SLAMMING his right foot straight into the God of Battle's throat with speed, and more than a little power. "HRAAARGH!!"
COMBATSYS: Duke has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Duke 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Duke
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo endures Duke's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Shenwoo 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Duke
No, when it comes to fighting, Shenwoo's never really been somebody to be late. Why would he avoid doing something he loves more than anything else in the whole world? It just doesn't make any sense. "Heh," the tall, lean young man chuckles at Duke's first words, and then the fight is on... With the gangster's foot headed directly for Shen's throat. Partially out of curiousity, partially out of sheer crazy, the brawler doesn't even try to avoid or compensate for the attack, and Duke's jumpkick hits him right in the neck, with enough force to stagger him back a single step.
"Guess you got power," Shenwoo says thoughtfully, spitting his gum out to one side. In all likelihood, by now Duke has gotten to the ground, and that suits the self-styled 'God of Battle' just fine, as he takes a single step forward and then twists, lifting his leg for his /own/ stomping kick, this one aimed right at the other man's gut. "GRAAAH!!" he bellows as he strikes, following it up with a /second/ attack, a fierce overhand punch that could very well drive Duke down into the ground underfoot. "RAAAAGH!!"
COMBATSYS: Duke endures Shenwoo's Fusen Kyaku.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Duke
If Shenwoo is curious as to Duke's fighting ability, then the same could be said of Hell's Executioner's interest in just how hard this 'God of Battle' can actually hit. As he lands, Duke sweeps off into a more combat-ready stance, legs tensed and at the ready. Shenwoo staggers once from Duke's blow, but it seems the space between that and his reaction to the strike is more than enough for the gangster to respond in kind. Shenwoo took the full brunt of his attack, and, as the brawler rushes forward...
... Duke is intent to do the exact same thing.
Shenwoo steps forward, and Duke? He moves INTO the kick, his body lurching forward from the kick. The punch comes in, but as it does... the black-haired man suddenly jerks upward, his skull crashing into the blow with such force that it keeps that blow from knocking him into the ground, while at the same instant simply -lunging- forward with his right hand outstretches, seeking to grasp Shenwoo solidly by the face...
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo fails to interrupt Treadmill from Duke with Tenrenshou.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Duke
--Too fast. Just a bit too fast, and Senwoo finds his plans halted by a sudden, HARSH grasp on his head. From there, he'll be lifted up into the air, fingers applying pressure that almost seems to threaten to crush the poor God of Battle's skull. However uncomfortable it might be, though, it doesn't last too long. Soon enough, with a single, violent -twist- of his body, Duke thrusts Shenwoo DOWNWARDS with titanic strength. The force alone dents in the rough dirt, and it should end there...
... save for the fact that, only a moment after Duke releases Shenwoo, he lifts his right leg, and -slams- the heel of his polished shoe right into the brawler's sternum. He grinds his foot right into the man's body painfully, beginning to apply -so much force- that eventually, without much cause for explanation as to -how- it happens, Duke's downward force causes Shenwoo to be literally launched -straight- into the air as Duke's foot crashes to the ground, the gangster watching calmly as Shenwoo flies up, and away.
Entirely too fast - at least this time. Shenwoo's miscalculation sees him twist at the waist in an attempt to bring his foot up at Duke, but he's unable to get his own limb in the way in time, which leaves him wide open for the gangster's brutal assault, getting tossed all over the place. Finally though, he gets kicked up into the air, and ends up falling downards, some distance away - he lands, in fact, in the shallow water, his expensive sunglasses long since lost.
Pushing himself to his feet, water runs off of the God of Battle in sheets, plastering his silk shirt to his torso and his dirty blond hair to his head, and... An enormous, feral grin crosses his face. "Oh, good," he says, and he sounds like he means it. "I was worried you were gonna be all power, and nothing else." His knuckles crack as he flexes his hands, assuming a kind of casual boxing stance. "Now we can fight for real," Shen adds. Weren't they alrady?! Who knows what's going on in his head.
And so Duke watches, and waits for Shenwoo to finally come crashing down -- in the water no less, droplets splattering everywhere and flying through the air in a sparkle of reflected light. Duke says little more; he doesn't even seem intent on coming after Shenwoo, which, in any other circumstance he most -certainly- would. He stands still, listens to the berserkers proclamations... and smiles, wryly. It's not really a pleasant smile. In fact... it's more than a little bit -condescending-.
"Fight for real, huh?" He echoes, cracking his neck in a roll. His hands slide into his pockets, before he gestures to Shenwoo with a nod of his head. "Then come on. Show me your worth fighting for real." Apparently, if they -were- fighting for real before, Duke's not entirely convinced Shenwoo's worth all he's got yet. So he stands only a few feet from the brawler for now, waiting and planning his next move -- and waiting to see just what the other man has to offer.
COMBATSYS: Duke focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Duke
Well, isn't Duke a nice guy! But then, he probably wouldn't have that scar around his neck if he was Mr. Hugs or anything. Shenwoo, however, seems largely unaffected by the gangster's attitude, at least so far. He rolls his neck a little, with a faint cracking sound, but seeing that the other fighter is just standing there watching him rather than pressing the attack, he /almost/ gets offended. That's going to hurt his feelings, just standing around! But he doesn't worry about things like that for long; instead, he'll just take the opportunity Duke isn't.
Suddenly rushing forward, Shenwoo ducks low, cocking a fist back. It looks pretty obvious, what he's going for, some kind of uppercut, but as he closes with the gangster, the 'God of Battle' proves to have other ideas on his mind. Clever ideas. Tricksy ideas. It's certainly a feint, at least, if a somewhat amateurish one, but when he gets within range of Duke, he fakes to one side and then throws himself forward in a kind of lunging headbutt, hoping to smash his rock-hard skull into his opponent's hopefully slightly more fragile face. "HORA!!"
COMBATSYS: Duke endures Shenwoo's Strong Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1 Duke
Tricky, tricky God of Battle. Of course, as intently focused on the fight as he is, such things don't exactly fail to slip past Duke's notice. While he stands in patient waiting, Shenwoo takes advantage of the opportunity to potentially get a clean hit in, and the gangster doesn't even remotely -try- to stop him. Instead, as Shenwoo rushes forward... the Syndicate enforcer stands perfectly still. He asked Shenwoo to come get him. What kind of man would he be if he tried to get out of the way?
As the Chinese brawler feints, Duke sees what the intent is; seeing the other man coming in for a clean -headbutt- rather than a punch, Duke braces himself... and then gets hit, full-force, by the other man's brutal strike. He staggers back once, twice, and then--
"BETTER! GRAAAAAAAARGH!!"
Duke surges forward, a single hand thrusting outward in a wide, vicious swing aimed to haymaker Shenwoo with unbridled fury...
COMBATSYS: Duke successfully hits Shenwoo with Volcanic Bomb.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Shenwoo 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Duke
One strike, bringing with it more than enough strength to simply floor Shenwoo with such power he'd probably make his own Shenwoo Crater in the Red Arena floor. But, he doesn't ever get that opportunity; only a moment after this occurs? Duke lashes out, gripping onto the other man's legs with both large hands. He drags Shenwoo across the ground in a circle, letting his face scrape against the rough ground before he is elevated up, further and further as Duke coninues to spin. Once, twice, three times before he releases Shenwoo, high into the air... straight towards the forest.
But that's not -quite- the end of it. Soon after, Duke bursts across the ground, following after Shenwoo's retreating form. As the God of Battle descends, Duke -ascends- to greet him, leaping through the air, grabbing him, and then simply POWERBOMBING the poor brawler through the canopy of trees and into the harsh ground below, rocks, dirt and plantlife flying in the wake of the explosive CRASH into the dirt, the ground caving in in a significantly large crater as Duke leaps back, and away... finishing it all off by simply straightening out his jacket and -smiling-.
Wow... What in the holy hell was that? Shenwoo just got... Quite securely rocked. It's not often he gets hit that hard, not by /anybody/, and to say that the assault surprises him would be an understatement. Of course, to suggest that it /upsets/ him would be grossly incorrect as well. In fact, as Shenwoo lays there in the crater, in the aftermath of the attack, he couldn't be happier.
This just got fun.
Slowly and quietly at first, but building with each moment that passes, laughter escapes the God of Battle. It's a harsh sound, but it's not so much malicious as it is simply filled with pure enjoyment of battle. This 'Duke' guy... Is strong. "Keh... Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!" Shenwoo laughs aloud, getting to his feet with deceptive slowness in the bottom of the crater. "Ha ha ha... HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!" Maddened laughter continues to escape the brawler, who puts a hand over his face in mirth, tossing his head back as he laughs. And then... And then.
The crater actually, suddenly /expands/ as invisible force pushes on it, a violent red aura surrounding Shenwoo for the briefest of moments. No longer laughing, but still grinning from ear to ear, the God of Battle, now a berserker in truth, lunges at Duke in a rushing punch, his signature Gekiken... And if it hits, he won't stop there. "GRAAAAAAAH!!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo successfully hits Duke with Bakuma Assault.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Duke
...As the first strike hits, knocking Duke back, Shenwoo keeps the pressure on, following the gangster as he's knocked back, lashing out with another pair of punches, and then sweeping his leg up to bury his shin in Duke's side, right under his ribs. "ORAAAA!!!" Suddenly reversing his momentum, Shenwoo whirls around the other way, spearing the side of the gangster's head with his elbow, before reaching out to grab his opponent by his jacket. Oh, there's no way Duke is getting off /that/ easily. Instead, Shenwoo finishes off his combination with an absolutely THUNDEROUS headbutt, the attack accompanied by a wordless bellow of fury from the berserker, who finally releases Duke, and stands there, his breathing ragged, his shoulders sagging, as he comes down off the high of power and fury. "Pfeh... Hah..."
Brutal. But such is to be expected by a man who calls himself a grandiose title like 'God of Battle,' isn't it? Duke is momentarily taken by surprise from the sheer force and speed at which Shenwoo comes at him, dark eyes snapping wide. He attempts to steel himself, brace himself for the assault, and just as he is in the midst of doing so... he gets a single, potent punch straight to the face.
"Hurgh--!" Hell's Executioner begins a small exclamation of pain and rage, but it doesn't quite materialize into anything more than that strangled growl before those dual punches rock him back further, a trail of blood following in the wake of the sideways snap of his face. Thunderous blow after thunderous blow, Duke feels a slight crack in his ribs before he is knocked to his opposite side by a flurry of elbows and power. All finished off.. with the -CRACK- of Shenwoo's head meeting Duke's face full-on, sending the enforcer -flinging- backwards from the sheer force alone. He lands, thuds once in a bounce, and comes to a screeching halt in a crouch several feet from Shenwoo.
When Duke stands, he lifts up with a slight stagger, but otherwise -- still looks able to fight. "... heh. I suppose you are pretty good, boy..." he compliments in a single, rare moment, before he just as suddenly lifts his foot. From this distance, he couldn't possibly hit Shenwoo, but that's not his intent. Instead, he SLAMS his foot into the ground with monstrous force, with such an immense impact that the ground begins to shudder in the wake of violent tremors that rock across the ground. These tremors seek to knock Shenwoo off his feet -- just in time for a circular wave of fire to BLAZE out from Duke's impact point, intent on crashing into the berserker -explosively-. "GRAAAARGH!!"
COMBATSYS: Duke successfully hits Shenwoo with Seismic Impact.
[ \\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Duke
Of /course/ he's good. He's friggin' /Shenwoo/, dammit. The blond berserker is still in the process of recovering from his huge assault when Duke... Stomps the ground? Which oddly enough actually does something as force erupts from the point of the stomp. The brawler's first thought is to leap over it, but he doesn't time it quite right, instead getting knocked down, and then blasted with fiery chi. What the hell man, why does everybody have something like that? Shenwoo sure doesn't! Of course, he also doesn't stay down long.
Instead, still off-balance from his own attack and only moreso thanks to Duke's, Shenwoo charges forward anyway, burnt and battered but running on pure stubbornness. "Not finished yet!!" he bellows as he runs at the gangster, swinging one fist out in a blurring-fast punch aimed right for the scarred throat of Hell's Executioner. "BUT YOU ARE!"
COMBATSYS: Duke endures Shenwoo's Quick Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/----===|=======\===----\1 Duke
'BUT YOU ARE!' Such a bold claim. And as Shenwoo makes it... Duke can't do much more than scoff at the notion. He's finished?
"Don't overestimate yourself..."
Shenwoo rushes forward, and he comes -fast-, certainly. But not so fast as that he can't be predicted before he becomes a nuisance. The God of Battle flings forward with a bellow and a fist, and Duke... much like the times before, does -not- move. Shenwoo SLAMS his fist straight into the scarred man's scarred throat, but as he does--
--he might note the fact that Duke is -glowing-.
In the midst of Shenwoo's rush, Duke had already begun to churn with energy, a cocoon of dark crimson chi swirling all around him in a constrained sort of storm. The second that Shenwoo's fist makes contact, well... Duke staggers back.
Then he explodes.
All that energy Shenwoo has just made contact with RUPTURES as soon as he makes contact with it and Duke in one breathtakingly fast EXPLOSION of deep crimson, intent on blasting Shenwoo straight off his feet and away from Duke... all in the affair of an instant.
COMBATSYS: Duke successfully hits Shenwoo with Minefield.
[ \\\ < > //////// ]
Shenwoo 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Duke
Today is, perhaps, not Shenwoo's day; but he's not the sort of person to make excuses like that. Either he messed up, or Duke's skill was just too much for him, as he tries to stand his ground against the sudden eruption of force. It's overwhelming though, enough to knock him back where he hoped to create an opening, leaving the brawler with not much in the way of options. But that's okay, he's never been one to let that sort of thing get him down.
Landing in a heap, Shen rolls over one shoulder to get his footing beneath him, and from there he takes off like a shot, right at Duke. His reactions are slowed from all the damage he's taken, but his focus is complete, directed entirely on the gangster opposite him. He pulls his left fist back as he runs, but when he gets close enough he suddenly throws it forward, turning his run into a smoother lunge forward, a rushing punch aimed right at Duke's gut, hopefully with enough force to take the gangster out as well: All of Shenwoo's strength, poured into one last strike...! "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
COMBATSYS: Shenwoo can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Duke 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Duke blocks Shenwoo's Gekiken.
[ \\\\\\\ <
Duke 0/-------/-----==|
At the very least, there's something to be said of Shenwoo; he's fast. The Syndicate lieutenant has to give the brawler credit for that, even with the God of Battle on his last legs as he is -- that last flinging strike comes out far swifter than he expects. It's enough to nearly take Duke off guard. From all the abuse he's willingly taken over the course of this fight, he is -almost- not quick enough to respond in time to the strike.
But let it not be said that Duke -isn't- good at looking entirely calm, even under such circumstances.
The fist flings forward, and in an instant, Duke stops it cold with a single, massive palm. He takes a step backwards from the force, but a second after, -releases- Shenwoo's hand to let him fall easily to the ground, still standing tall. And despite his injuries? Duke does not even do so much as stagger as he turns around, pulling a pristine and perfect front of calm as he begins to walk away.
"You're pretty tough, kid," he says as he walks, hands straying into his pockets. "Maybe we'll meet again, hm? Try to get stronger before it happens."
COMBATSYS: Duke takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\ <
Duke 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Duke has ended the fight here.
Log created on 19:52:14 07/14/2007 by Duke, and last modified on 19:50:22 07/22/2007.