Description: At the biggest anime convention in the world, two fighters -- one in full cosplay, one more interested in showing his own merits to prospective students -- clash fiercely, never letting up! (Winner: Kurow)
At the very, very deep and core of Ryo's soul, he feels uneasy of just being here.
Oh, sure, it's heartwarming to see a surprising amount of fans coming to this place, but there is just...something else that dosent fits well with him. He can't just place on it...Ah! Yes. Creepy. Some of thoses kids are /really/ creepily dressed. And not in the 'Wooo! Booooo! Scary!' way, neither.
'Don't think on that, Ryo.' Sakazaki mutters to himself, stepping on the upstage, dressed in his usual orange gi! In what other way he could fight in, anyway?
Hopefuly, this battle will be flashy enough to bring a few more students to the Dojo...not that he count on them for lasting a long while. Yeah. That'd be /really/ doubtful.
The crowds bursts into cheers and cries as Sakazaki climbs on the stage. Flashing a grin on, Ryo thrusts a fist upward, facing them. Another explosion of cheers and cries!
But in truth, he's trying his best to not stare oddly at the dude in the middle wearing women clothes, some kind of yellow skirt--Oh my god. He's freaked out for a week, now.
Kurow Kirishima hates Otakon -- or more accurately, hates what it represents. It shows him how the rest of the world views Japan, which is a very skewed view indeed in his eyes, and just seeing all these people here, celebrating something so trivial, makes him a little sick. However... he /is/ one to blend in with the crowd, and as such has decided to show up in a stark black suit and glasses, among other pieces of attire, with black hair dye -- cosplaying as /Captain/ Kuro, from One Piece. Considering the man's use of claws, it's not a bad fit.
Man-Faye is something that Mugen's teachings did not fully steel Kurow Kirishima against. Even he blanches a little as he gets up on stage alongside Ryo. Why can't they pair him with someone new, he asks himself idly. His entire reason for signing up for these fights is to feel out people's combat tactics when they're most likely to show off their greatest techniques, in front of an audience -- he already knows Ryo a little too well.
The youth slips his claws on as usual, and takes up a position opposite Ryo on the stage; this draws something of a cheer from the crowd, one which only swells when he pushes the ill-fitting glasses on his face up with the heel of his hand. "Are you ready?" he asks, cracking a bit of a grin. "We've done this too many times."
Marco to the rescue!
The Black Beast of the Kyokugen Dojo did not understand the poncy getup these kids were wearing, and the dye jobs GOD what loser do's! Why can't everyone be hip? Marco wonders to himself as he stands atop a scaffolding opposite the stage that was bought and set up by the Kyokugen Legend Fund (curtesy of the Garcia Foundation). At the very top of this scaffolding a very large piece of silk was rolled up and needed only to be released by breaking, strangely enough, an extremely dense Karate Brick. Must be something crazy on there.
"That sissy guy is Master Ryo's opponent, huh?" Marco scratches his chin, he remembered his own fight against that girly man. His fairy ninja tricks did quite the number on him. Damn those claw marks left nasty scratches! "Hmm, hmm...but Master Ryo's tough. He'll be fine!"
Marco OH's and takes up a microphone and begins speaking into it, "Ladies and Gentleman and children of all ages and uh...yeah. Are you ready to rock with," Marco karate chops the brick now and it EXPLODES releasing a giant picture stitched into silk showing Yuri, Robert, Ryo and Takuma and Marco himself all looking freaking hardcore. "The Raging Tiger of the Kyokugen, RYO SAKIZAKI! verses...that loser drag queen leg groper!"
Ryo thinks differently! This is...going to be the fourth time he'll be fighting against this Kurow. He's starting to get a very good idea of how he fights and he bet he could slap a few moves of his if he cared -- not that he could ANYWAY, lacking claws. Or would, because fighting with weapon like them would be rather...UnExtreme! Sure, slamming people into the ground and lifting up tree trunks is alright, because it's EXTREME!
See the variation, there? Good.
"If I'm ready?" Sakazaki replies, lifting an high five after Marco's GLORIOUS presentation and facing Kurow afterwards. "I'm always ready! HAH!" The Raging Tiger lowers himself, thursting out his arms wide, taking his trademark fighting stance! Cheers and cries!
"COME ON! COME ON! LET'S DO THIS! ROOOOOOOYAAAH!" This battle is supposed to bring out the very best out of them, to amaze and probably knock out a few of the audience by the SHEER FLASHINESS of the moves and explosions.
They'll be dissapointed that it's starting simple: Sakazaki sliding accross the ground and reaching to smack Kurow into the guts with a elbow, then a following uppercut!
COMBATSYS: Ryo has started a fight here.
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Ryo 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kurow has joined the fight here.
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Ryo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kurow
COMBATSYS: Ryo successfully hits Kurow with Mouko Raijin Gou.
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Ryo 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Kurow
Even though Kurow's starting to get a good handle on the way Ryo fights, some things are just too fast for him -- not the least of which is that forward-sliding elbow, which catches him in the gut and allows the uppercut to strike him square-on in the face. The youth's already starting to feel the burn a little, even just from that one hit -- which makes him all the more sure that he needs to play his cards right tonight.
In spite of this, though, his first reflex is not to attack -- he's aggressive, but if he's going to do this, he needs to make sure that every move is perfect. After all, Ryo knows him rather well by now... he'll need to be /extremely/ careful if he wants to weave under those defenses. Stepping back, the youth -- paying little mind to the announcer -- starts to take slow, even breaths, bobbing up and down on his feet, extending those claws just a little with his chi. "Not bad, but you're wasting your energy," he notes, sounding at least a little bored as he looks Sakazaki over. There are only so many times one can hear the same hot-blooded shouting, after all.
COMBATSYS: Kurow focuses on his next action.
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Ryo 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Kurow
Marco shouts into the mic as Ryo is totally awesome with the first hit, "ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!"
It's strange -- Ryo always seems to catch Kurow offguard with that move. It's just one of the odd things in the universe, he assume.
Stepping back from his attack and giving his opponment some room, Sakazki grunts and snaps back. "If wasting my energy is punching you in the face just like I did, I'll gladly do it again!" Hrm. The organizers said all flashy moves, didn't they? He'll give it to them!
"HRAAA!" The Raging Tiger shouts out, lifting an arm from his fighting stance, bright blue energy quickly pooling into his wide open hand. "KO'OU KEN!" He shouts, firing off the small wave of chi fireball toward the immobile Kurow.
He's not attacking. Ryo knows that's bad -- he's preparing for something. After this attack, he'll have to relax a bit more -- he can't spend it ALL at once.
COMBATSYS: Kurow dodges Ryo's Kuuchuu Ko'ou Ken.
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Ryo 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Kurow
When the massive fireball streaks for Kurow, he's forced to make a split-second decision: leap out of the way or just throw up his hands? Then he remembers what his training taught him, and perhaps more importantly, what the 'role' he's in tonight is supposed to be. He moves like an inhuman, silent blur to the left, almost seeming to disappear and reappear a foot to the right of his last position, garnering another small cheer from the One Piece-tards in the crowd.
Sakazaki's prone to shows of power, Kurow reminds himself -- he's crazy that way. The only way he can keep the advantage is if he lets the Kyokugen fighter wear himself out (easier said than done), and stay conservative -- once the unstoppable force passes by, it's not going to be able to come by for a second attempt, after all.
"You're far too slow to catch me off guard more than once, Sakazaki," the youth hisses, coming toward Ryo with a high, arcing leap toward his neck -- it's a slightly different angle than he's tried this technique from before, but it is likely no less effective if he manages to get close enough to snag Ryo's neck and turn that forward momentum into something more angular, spinning around the Kyokugen fighter twice with those claws dug deep before pushing off and sending him to the ground with as much force as he can muster.
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Ryo with Circle Slash.
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Ryo 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Kurow
That's true, Ryo is kind of slow compared to this guy, now that he thinks about it.
Normaly, that means he can't catch him. Normalcy, however, is not part of a Kyokugen Fighter's mind! Getting caught by the attack, the claws digs deep into the fighter's flesh and shredding some part of his gi apart. That's probably not what the crowd was hoping for -- a blood bath.
What they were hoping for was more...
"Well, then! What about...I become SO SLOW that I turn all the way around to EXTREMLY FAST?!" Ryo shouts out, spitting out the first thing that comes through his head. It sounded pretty cool and hotblooded on the moment...but after he said it, it's pretty ridiculous.
Whatever.
"RAAAAAAAAAARH!" The Raging Tiger shouts out, spreading his arms wide as a wellspring of golden chi bursts from under him and surrounds the young man.
COMBATSYS: Ryo gathers his will.
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Ryo 1/----===/=======|====---\-------\0 Kurow
Marco winces as Ryo gets the scratchy treatment but then fistpumps as Ryo begins to CHANNEL THE HARDCORE!
"Rock on Master Ryo, beat that sissy down!" he cries out over the loudspeakers.
So slow it becomes extremely fast? What is this nonsense?! Kurow can't even begin to fathom logic like that -- it's fundamentally un-understandable for a person like him, and as such is promptly discarded as anything particularly relevant to the task at hand. All that matters here is making short work of Sakazaki -- and there's only one way to do that.
Keep on aggressing. After all, it's both the best way to do what needs to be done /and/ something that will likely please the crowd -- it's what Captain Kuro would do, isn't it? And so, the (sharply-dressed) Kirishima dashes in at full speed, his movements still completely silent. This is another thing that has something of a lazy arc -- he needs to be precise with the leadup, thus, to make sure it counts.
Leaping in toward Ryo as his run brings him -almost- too close to start the technique, Kurow curls himself up into a tight ball, closing his eyes and clawing aimlessly forward, allowing the black ball of chi with the whirling clawmarks orbiting it that forms around him to do as much of the work as he himself does. "JUST DIE!" he demands of his opponent, going for a particularly deep, forceful slash at his midsection with the whirling, vicious maelstrom.
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Ryo with Yasha Guruma.
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Ryo 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|======-\-------\0 Kurow
Nobody's going to die here. Everybody knows that much! What can, and DO happen, is horrible, horrible pain. Maelstorms of blades are usualy hazardous for one's health.
As Ryo can feel for...what, the fourth time, now? Hrmph! No matter -- he'll win this time, he can swear on it, he will WIN. He'll think of something!
Stumbling back from the vicious blows, the Tiger stubbornly refuses to die or fall down.
"Yeah, I can tell what I said confused the heck out of you, didn't it?" Ryo lets out through his teeths, taking his stance back calmly. Yeah, keep playing on that! It actualy have some wisdom in it! "You see, speed is a perception! For example, you are pretty slow for a diving eagle, you know."
A burst of chi gathers around Ryo, his eyes narrowed dangerously at Kurow. "But there is something behind speed that in changable! And that, my friend, it is..."
With a battle scream, the Tiger dashes toward his opponment, shouting the last bits of his sentance: "EXTREME FIGHTING SPIRIT! COME ON!"
At first, there is a punch. In the face, to be precise. A pretty slow one, actualy -- but, somehow, extremly fast at the same time. Calculated, slow, yet hurried.
That was just the trigger. What follows is a blinding combo of blows. Punches, kicks, elbow, knee strikes, aimed all at different targets, at once and separated.
It evantualy comes to an end, the vicious combo ending up with a brutal flying uppercut.
COMBATSYS: Ryo successfully hits Kurow with Ryuuko Ranbu.
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Ryo 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Kurow
And then as Master Ryo unleashes the Pain Train, Marco goes wide eyed and WOW's. This cause for something totally extreme!
Marco leaps off the top of the scaffolding, behind the giant silken image of the Legend of the Kyokugen. There is a noise now, and grunting. More noise...like stone grating against asphalt. Finally, the silken curtain parts and Marco pushes a monolithic rock out before all to see. Marco runs to the front.
"Do you see?" Marco cries out as Kurow is undoubtedly flying from punch-zilla. "This. Is."
Marco zanretsuken's the monolith, punching in the kanji for...
EXTREME.
KYOKUGEN.
MIGHT!
"OSHA!"
Sakazaki's full fighting force slams into Kurow. Once again, it's faster than he can react to -- every masterful punch and kick connects, every hard elbow to keep Kirishima pressed makes its mark, and that uppercut finally sends him sailing into the air and then down to the ground. Ryo was on the ropes before -- now he's taken control of the fight, really truly made it his. Everything's back to where they were at the start, everything's clearly even between the two fighters...
... except that glint in Kurow's eye as he rolls back to his feet, pressing his glasses up with the heel of his hand and cracking a smile. "Extreme fighting spirit indeed, Sakazaki. My hat would be off to you, if I were wearing one... but unfortunately, you'll have to settle for this!" The young man in the costume rolls his neck, dashing in toward Ryo. If he can't make this count, he'll be too spent to continue, but there's always that chance.
Leaping high into the air one last time, going for the final coup de grace of his battle with Sakazaki, Captain Kurow rears a hand back, closing his eyes -- and then /slams/ it hard into the ground right in front of Ryo, sending a massive golden tornado of blades up all around the pair. The only way to describe the technique adequately is 'vicious' -- no other word quite encapsulates the merciless force behind the typhoon of blades.
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Ryo with Kirishima Shinkuu Yamiarashi.
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Ryo 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Kurow
The viciousness of this fight has climbed up a rank. Earlier, it was because of a maelstorm of blades -- now, a tornado of golden energy blades!
Truly, Kurow is unimaginative. All he knows to do is cutting people! Can't he, like, headbutt or just poke things? Claws can deal piercing damage too, you know! Oh well.
Far from having thoses thoughts, Sakazaki is caught dead on by the onslaught, sending him flying flat on his back. Bloodied, beaten, his gi ruined(again!), he none-the-less remains well alive. He proves it by standing up to his feets quickly! Never mind that he's stumbling backwards unconciously. Stupid slashed up knee.
There is no words of hot blood this time. Just his burning eyes and a bright aura of chi around him. "HAOOOOOH!" he shouts, the aura bursting into a torrent of destructive energies that is immediatedly hurled away!
...downward, are the stage. "SHOOOO KO KEN!"
That comes out is pretty small as far Haoh Sho Ko Kens are concerned, Marco should know this. Rightly about half the regular size, to be precise. The reason for this is clear: as the first fireball explodes and sends Ryo flying upward(and nearly hit the celling), he intones again in mid-air: "HAOH SHO KO KEN!"
There, Kurow. Here comes the OTHER half.
COMBATSYS: Kurow dodges Ryo's Haoh Sho Ko Ken.
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Ryo 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Kurow
Piercing damage is reserved for nerve strikes -- which is something Kurow doesn't really have time for here, because they're more for sapping someone's strength or capitalizing on the weaknesses in their otherwise-massive defenses -- which Ryo doesn't have, so much. Everything about Ryo is about the same, for better or for worse. On the one hand, it means there are no distinct weaknesses.
On the other, it lets Kurow concentrate entirely on his strengths. Another quick, silent motion takes him out of the way of the Haoh Sho Ko Ken, but shreds the arm of the suit he's wearing -- that was truly the closest of calls, but in the end, it /was/ the right call. He's had a lot of close calls this fight -- though not as many as Ryo, obviously.
The youth grins, flaring his claws out to either side as he considers what few options he has -- and in the end decides on one that has been serving him somewhat poorly lately. Still, if he tries something different with it, maybe...
Kirishima takes a deep breath, trying to calculate the perfect line of attack -- it breaks character a tiny amount for Captain Kuro, but then, he isn't /really/ Captain Kurow -- he's just cosplaying for a bit of fan reaction. Rushing in toward Ryo, Kirishima goes in for that familiar rush toward his legs that Ryo found so painful in Thailand... but he's standing just a little taller. He's got something slightly different planned -- which becomes apparent as he reaches a hand up toward Ryo's chest, trying to pierce it (ha!) with those claws mid-dash.
COMBATSYS: Kurow successfully hits Ryo with Kirishima Kyoujuu Reppa.
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Ryo 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Kurow
The waves of chi don't appear /behind/ Kurow as he performs his tried-and-true technique with this new little twist, still rushing forward to the end of the stage. Oh, no -- this time, they appear /ahead/ of him and a little to the side, each little wave of whirling claws slamming directly into Ryo's back. It culminates in a truly awe-inspiring show of force, though, something that may be hard to deal with in Ryo's present state.
When they reach the end of the line of claw-waves that Kurow's created to ram Ryo's body into, Kirishima keeps going all the way to the end of the stage, where he slams the man's body into the wall with enough force to send spider-web-like cracks all the way up to the ceiling. "Tell me, Sakazaki -- what good is your 'Kyokugen might' doing you here?! No more than it did those weeks ago?" he asks of the man, ripping his claws back out of him as messily as possible.
That didn't go precisely as planned for Ryo. Seems like that he's taken out of the count, again. Pinned against the wall, bloodied and beaten again, Sakazaki is defeated.
He didn't lose just yet, thought.
"I'll tell you what," Spites out Ryo, some dribble of blood spewing out of his mouth as he speaks. "KO'OU KEN!" Pooling in every last ressources of his being, Sakazaki peels himself off the wall he cracked. The burst of chi he summons cracks the ground and digs an even deeper hole behind himself. Broken debris flies up and around and gathers into Ryo's chi-empowered hands before he thrusts them out against Kurow.
A last ditch attempt.
COMBATSYS: Ryo can no longer fight.
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Kurow 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kurow blocks Ryo's Kuuchuu Ko'ou Ken EX.
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Kurow 0/-------/------=|
With a quick flash of claws, Kurow cleaves the Ko'ou Ken in half, trying to neatly and efficiently stop it; however, this only (appropriately) half-works. While half of the forceful fireball slides to the side and dissipates, the other half catches him squarely in the chest, and he staggers back from the moderate force. This would be a problem if Sakazaki were still up... but evidently, the older man is out of the fight -- he's got nothing left in him, whereas 'Captain' Kurow... even if he could take another hit, he wouldn't really want to if it weren't necessary.
The youth bows twice -- once, grinning, to Ryo; the other, a little more showmanly, to his audience. The young man's costume glasses do exactly what they should considering who he's 'playing,' of course -- they fall to the ground, clattering on the Otakon stage. After a second of laughter from the audience, he picks them up, dusts them off a little, and pushes them back onto his face with the heels of his hands before walking away, giving a nod to the cameramen.
Log created on 22:13:59 07/20/2007 by Kurow, and last modified on 20:09:45 07/22/2007.