Description: In the one of the coldest places on earth, Daigo demonstrates the inner heat of the Phoenix. (Winner: Daigo)
Siberia. A cold wasteland of ice, snow, and biting below-zero weather. What a perfect place for a fight. At least that's what the nice people at SNF thought when booking one epic battle of good and evil. Sanity and insanity. Muscle and speed!
Daigo vs. Kurow, that is.
The 'arena' itself is simple, as it didn't really exist much past the couple of bleachers constructed to contain the few people crazy enough to sit in sub-zero weather to spectate. Aside from those bleachers, just enough camera equipmet/crew exist to cover the fight, leaving a great open place of frozen, snowy land for the two combatants.
For this type of event, neither of the two fighters would likely be forced to stand out in the sapping weather to wait on the other, right? Daigo's certainly hanging around, wearing a provided coat to keep himself warm up to go-time. Of all the crazy fights he's been in, this has to be one of the worst. Insane weather, fighting an insane kid... It's going to be absolutely crazy.
Which means the viewers are gonna love it...
Kirishima, unlike Daigo, doesn't even bother to try to keep warm with a coat; he thinks it's a little futile to try too hard to keep warm in conditions like these, especially if it means losing freedom of movement, a factor which is key to his style. The coat simply isn't going to do enough for him, as far as he's concerned, and as such, Kurow has decided to forego preparation. This has the fortunate side effect of meaning Daigo doesn't have to wait for him very long.
The youth already has his claws out and ready when he steps into the arena, looking Daigo squarely in the eyes. He says nothing; all that could possibly be said between the fighters -- at least, all that he'd initiate -- has already been spoken. The powerful man who leads Gedo High likely already knows what's happened between Akira, Shadaloo, and Kurow in recent weeks; at that point, what else needs to be said?
The youth is instantly on his guard, stance readied the moment he comes near the Gedo student, knowing very well that Daigo is likely to rush him the second he comes in. After all, even beyond getting revenge, beyond just desserts, beyond the necessity of a /fight/... here in Siberia, it's also important to stay /warm/, and activity is certainly one way! Kirishima himself moves around a little more than usual, trying to keep his stance a little more fluid than he typically does so his joints don't lock from the heat.
COMBATSYS: Daigo has started a fight here.
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Daigo 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kurow has joined the fight here.
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Daigo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kurow
The coat was only until the fight starts. SNF made it very clear they take care of their fighters...until the fight starts. After that? Good luck! As Kurow's quite evidently ready, waiting, willing to get the fight on, Daigo is prompted to do much the same. The coat is shrugged off, and the Boss of Gedo steps his way away from the small crowd of spectators, camera crew and such.
No words are spoken between fighters for this go-round. It is very much true that nothing needs be said. Daigo's good eye focuses on the bouncy claw'd man he's set to trade fists with, his fighting style the one that's going to suffer from these harsh conditions. A man used to standing his ground, can't quite do that as effectively with such a biting cold threatening him. It means Kurow won't have to wait too long for Daigo, either. Neither one wants to let the cold take anything from their fight.
Without words, actions are all that's left. Normally a patient fighter, a wall of sorts, Daigo Kazama elects to start things off..by exerting just enough energy to warm his body up. A charge, with the explicit goal of taking one fist, and saying 'hello' the Gedo way. Right between Kurow's eyes.
COMBATSYS: Daigo successfully hits Kurow with Jab Punch.
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Daigo 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Kurow
Kirishima tries to leap over Daigo's assault, to take full advantage of the man's comparative slowness -- and finds his sternum cracked for the trouble, as the man's punch hits it dead-on. Perhaps not as satisfying as a punch to the face, but definitely painful. The youth's body makes a distinct crunch and a solid imprint in the snowy, chill arena, but he doesn't waste any time in getting back up; he can't let the elements overtake him.
After their last battle, Kirishima is not so keen on the idea of continually aggressing straight into Daigo, but then, he doesn't have a lot of options with the weather the way it is. All he can do is try to put himself in the best position to let the fight keep him aloft, and he thinks he has an idea when he sees a possible opening in Daigo's defense. Leaping forward, Kirishima tries to catch Daigo's stomach with his claws, kicking off the ground and sending his body whirling around the boss-man's, then pushing off full force with both hands and both feet. Even if the claws barely pierce Daigo's thick hide, the fall might be a bit worrisome... especially with fresh, open wounds.
COMBATSYS: Daigo blocks Kurow's Circle Slash.
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Daigo 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Kurow
No, not as satisfying as a fist to the face, but not a bad start either. Daigo's fist strikes, sends Kurow back, and lets the Boss man prepare for the counter he knows is coming. All he knows about this fight, is the pressure was on from the get-go. The attacks will not stop until one of them is laying face-down in the ice. So he was expecting something... Claws, a fall, given a choice between the two..Daigo takes the puncture wounds over the tumble in the snow. A little blood never hurt anybody. Might even help keep him warm. Long as he doesn't lose too much of it...
So he takes a minor gash in the gut, the ripping of his school uniform worn even in these harshest of conditions, and spins with Kurow's force so that when the bladed claw-master kicks off, Daigo's in a good spot to try helping Kurow off, aiming to follow Kurow's momentium and deliver a couple quick fists to help the Freddie-clone find the ground again. Two punches, aimed to bat Kurow back, the ol' left jab and right cross,
COMBATSYS: Daigo successfully hits Kurow with 1-2 Smash.
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Daigo 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Kurow
This time, Kurow just doesn't have enough tiem to do /anything/ about Daigo's assault -- as the clawfighter tries to pull himself back, he's met prematurely by Daigo's two quick fists. This time, however, it's only enough to knock him a few feet back, thanks to a slightly more conservative approach to /how/ to get out of the way. He does a quick scan of the Gedo boss's body again, just enough to get a vague idea of what he's up to before coming in again.
Thinking back to the last few battles he's had -- each with a man every bit as brutal as the Gedo leader, and most a fair bit stronger -- Kurow decides to try a largely similar set of tactics. Krauser had dealt with this masterfully, but Kirishima isn't so sure that Daigo will know it as well... especially since he'll have less of an idea it's coming. Sweeping a hand out to one side, he speeds toward Daigo, trying to catch him by the chest with one of those claws and then keep on going, trying to ram Daigo into one of the walls of the small, hastily-constructed arena. Who knows -- maybe it'll collapse on him! Wouldn't /that/ be a mercy, Kurow thinks -- that'd be /one/ thorn in his side dealt with.
COMBATSYS: Daigo interrupts Strong Throw from Kurow with Rolling Slam.
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Daigo 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Kurow
So far, so good! The fight progresses much like the last time Daigo battled the claw-wielding psychpath! A few fists to the face, some extra pain thrown around... Good action! Daigo surely wasn't about to let Kurow get too much of a breather anyway given the harsh, frozen atmosphere. So after his double-fisted attack, he had tried to step in to keep pace. A little extra bounce in his step, even, to keep himself limber.
A good thing, too. Kurow's claws come for him again, impending doom and whatnot. That claw digs in, cuts more gashes in his clothing and skin, and drags Daigo along for the ride...but somewhere along the way Daigo recovers enough of a balance to get a grip on Kurow's arm, dig his feet in at the last instant, and spin around to turn the tables on the claw'd warrior! Kurow kisses the wall instead, and hopefully gets those extra-sharp nails out of Daigo's body!
The sudden whirl-around at the last minute is always what catches Kurow. This was how Krauser dealt with the trick, too, though Krauser was faster about it -- the God Press, while an intriguing move, is likely to slip out of Kurow's repertoire at this rate. After all, bone-shattering slams of his back into the wall are not exactly what he wants. The youth's back cracks, and he sees already that he's starting to lose command of the fight against Daigo, ... which means he has to figure out a way to take it back.
Evidently, his plan is to keep the pressure on Daigo rather than allow him a moment of peace, forcing himself forward in spite of his already-mounting wounds and electing, finally, to speak. "Tell me -- what kept you?" he asks, expecting that Daigo will know exactly what he means even though no other words have been exchanged. There's an understanding between men in a fight, especially men who know each other as closely as these two do -- it's all too easy to understand someone when you're exchanging blows with him. Speaking of exchanging blows, Kurow -- not quite so hurt as to give up /yet/ -- goes in for a two-handed stab at Daigo's chest, aiming to sink all ten claws into the man's broad torso.
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Daigo with Fierce Strike.
- Power hit! -
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Daigo 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\1 Kurow
Consider them sunk. A few too many gashes, more than Daigo was really wanting to suffer, but when those claws were already practically inches from Daigo's chest anyway, it doesn't take much to follow through and dig into the Gedo man. Painfully so, Daigo finds, that one making him yell out and try to fall back, leaving crimson streaks through parts of the snow in his wake!
Time to recoup... Daigo skips back, trying to put just a bit of distance. Enough so that maybe he can detect the next move. Gives him a second to catch his breath, and..answer the claw'd maniac. "Didn't find out 'till it was too late..."
COMBATSYS: Daigo focuses on his next action.
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Daigo 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\1 Kurow
Kirishima won't let up on Daigo -- not this soon. He knows that if Daigo stops for any length of time, he's gearing up for something -- a fact which means he has to keep the pressure on, keep him from getting it together long enough to really hurt him. He doesn't necessarily need to strike /hard/, by any stretch... but he can't let up, either.
When Daigo backs away and begins to explain himself, Kirishima contemplates a dozen responses. He settles on the one that he thinks will ring truest, telling the Gedo boss-man firmly, "You said you'd kill me, didn't you? Well. If you've got the strength to take what you want so badly, Kazama..." Here he ducks low and comes in with a quick sliding kick toward the man's legs, "... by all means, take it!"
COMBATSYS: Daigo interrupts Light Kick from Kurow with Phoenix Fury.
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Daigo 0/-------/---====|=======\====---\1 Kurow
"..."
A dark silence. One that almost looms around the Gedo man from that last taunt. Of all the things to say to Daigo, that was one reminder he fully intends to act on.
A light kick isn't going to do much to faze Daigo's newfound focus, his good eye glowering at the claw'd man trying to tip the scales with words and foot. But Kurow went and pushed the one button Daigo had been building up for the past week or so. Since he found out about what his only surviving family had been through recently. So...
That kick is absorbed, and then stomped upon by Daigo's other foot, pinning Kurow in place just long enough for the Gedo Boss to reach out, grab the other fighter, and bring him up face to face. "I think I will..." he growls, winding one big fist back, said ball of flesh erupting in a bright flash of his signiature chi just before contact. One punch to knock Kurow back a step. Followed by another, then a third. A whole string of assaults that doesn't stop at punches, but adds in a few kicks and such as well, Daigo pausing just before his last strike to growl one simple word: "Die." The last punch is a straightarmed punch, to push the clawed wonder back to the very 'wall' he'd been slammed into moments ago.
Each and every punch catches Kurow right as Daigo intends, knocking him successfully back farther and farther, each successive strike cacking /some/ bone or rupturing /some/ critical organ in Kurow's body. When all's said and done, Kirishima is a broken, battered wreck thanks to Daigo's endless assault... ... but there's one thing that Daigo may not have counted on, one critical factor that keeps it from being a total loss. That burning chi is quite the asset in this environment... and Kirishima is certainly warmed up.
The youth rolls his neck as he gets up, trying to dispel the immense pain washing over every inch of his body. There's not much left that he can do, that much he knows -- he needs to finish the fight fast, before the elements and his opponent both overtake him. Right now, he's insulated from at least one factor -- but how long will that last? "... it's not enough," he spits, stumbling back an inch or two. Getting in close with Daigo is clearly a terrible idea... so why not stay a little farther back?
Kirishima takes a deep breath, drawing in as much energy as he can, staying up against the wall. Swallowing, he sweeps a hand up with as much force as possible, staying as far away from Daigo as he can under the circumstances... and summons up a tremendous pillar of bladed energy beneath the man's feet, trying to cut him apart without closing the distance -- after all, getting in close with Daigo Kazama is not going to do him any great service.
COMBATSYS: Daigo blocks Kurow's Kirishima Shinkuu Yamiarashi.
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Daigo 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Kurow
That makes two of them. Warmed up, that is. That much of a fist-frenzy is enough to keep a man nice and toasty for a few seconds in Siberia, at least. Long enough for Kurow to launch an attack. Long enough for Daigo to block the energy with his arms, keeping any further damage from tearing his already-injured body up. It did the trick though, Daigo is at a slight disadvantage when he's at a distance.
Revved up now, Daigo is eager to finish what his Fury started, and inches from losing what cool he has left, but his berserker moment has passed, and Kazama is left with a great desire to make his next hit count.
So, with a bounce in his step, he makes little advancing hops towards the bladed beast of a man, keeping a steady, if dangerous gaze, looking for that last opening... One more good hit should do it...
COMBATSYS: Daigo focuses on his next action.
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Daigo 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Kurow
Kirishima has only one advantage over Daigo at this point, one thing that he's got that Daigo doesn't: he keeps moving. Daigo keeps stopping, avoiding aggression in favor of small bouncing, no doubt letting the cold overtake him. Even if he can see a clearer path to each attack, his body /has/ to be starting to get a little sluggish... and that's something that Kirishima intends to capitalize on, doubly so with the fact that Daigo, now bouncing around, is not exactly a man built to bounce around.
There's only a flash as Kurow suddenly drops to the ground and dashes forward in a quick, vicious little motion. While one more hit could certainly do Kurow in, by Kurow's estimations, he could likewise take the fight in one solid strike if he does it exactly right... and those legs are looking like quite an attractive target...
COMBATSYS: Daigo blocks Kurow's Kirishima Kyoujuu Reppa.
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Daigo 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Kurow
... and while Kurow /does/ probably get a good shoulder-strike right into Daigo's legs out of the deal, it's unlikely he gets a lot more.
Adrenaline does a lot for a man. It kept Daigo from getting too cold, too quick, given his slow advancing on his target. Even so, it's said one only gets a good thirty seconds from that drug before it's gone. One Fury, and...it's done. Daigo can sure feel the cold starting to sap at him, filling his lungs with chill, aching his muscles, reminding him that this ain't no city street. It's Siberia. In Russia, the Arena fights you!
Daigo ain't exactly too thrilled with Kurow, OR the harsh ice conditions of this fight... A solid attack it is, Daigo manages to hunker down just enough to make it only a solid hit to the legs. Nothing more, to further sap the Gedo man's strength. And yet it might've still been enough. Icy fists, fingers nearly numb, Daigo tries to take advantage of Kurow's closeness to slide through the snow closer, enough to pop his cold fist against Kurow's cold nose.
COMBATSYS: Daigo successfully hits Kurow with Jab Punch.
- Power hit! -
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Daigo 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Kurow
The punch catches Kurow dead-on in the nose, which has already been broken at least once in recent days; he winces, and recoils -- he's done, that much is apparent. However, unlike the last time, where Daigo hit Kurow with such immense force that he couldn't even conceptualize getting back up, Kurow's got enough fight in him to try to take Daigo down with him... quite literally, in fact.
Even as he starts to fall, likely catching Daigo off-guard, he lunges forward at the man's beefy legs, trying to sink those claws in just as he had at the start of the battle far higher on Daigo's person. He again tries to flip his body around Daigo repeatedly, shredding anything he can get his hands on... and as a final vicious strike, tries to just /yank/ Daigo down to the ground with all the force he can muster.
COMBATSYS: Kurow can no longer fight.
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Daigo 0/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Daigo dodges Kurow's Circle Slash.
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Daigo 0/-------/=======|
*POP*! Right on the nose! Punch, delivered, Daigo continues his slide through the snow, rolling a couple times through it, probably looking something like a snowman before he's done to get back up. Just in time to catch Kurow diving at him! After such a heated battle, after so much cold, and so much pain, and so much everything else, one might think Daigo's legs wouldn't work well enough to do more than get him seriously hurt.
It just wasn't Kurow's night. Daigo has more fight in him than Kirishima gave credit, and after all that rolling he's got himself worked up enough that his frozen legs do pull him back in time to avoide those claws, though the big man trips somewhere along the way and sends him tumbling through even more snow. Laying still for a couple seconds once he stops rolling, the Gedo man grumbles and rises to his feet, looking as though someone sprinkled red and white confetti all over him from blood, snow, and tatters of his outfit.
But he's still standing...which is more than he can say for his opponent.
Log created on 21:42:31 07/14/2007 by Kurow, and last modified on 00:09:50 07/15/2007.