Description: Three men known for summoning WAY WAY WAY too much chi face off in a place with WAY WAY WAY too much direct sunlight. The result? Pretty lights and explosions and one photo finish nailbiter. Nuff said. (Winners: Adelheid and Sergio)
Solar power? Bah! While it has its uses, it's not very attractive to Kain Heinlein. He does have investments in a variety of power sources, though, including green ones. Money and power are the key... and if it helps the environment? Well, that is a bonus. But his lack of interest in solar power means this is the first time Kain has actually seen the tower in person. It's certainly an impressive sight... It crosses his mind, however, that solar panels are rather delicate. Certainly when it comes to what the people in an SNF match can throw around, at any rate.
Standing in the midst of the field is also somewhat of a distraction. While the power suffusing the area is not exactly 'chi' as far as most fighters are concerned with it, Kain has developed his energy usage beyond the level of simply being able to throw around power blasts. Chi is the power flowing through /all/ things. And solar power is no exception to that rule. It's not an unexpected situation, and Kain has learned to dampen the background 'noise' of high power areas so that his ability to sense the flow of energy isn't overwhelmed... but it's still somewhat more difficult in such a place.
Not that one could see any signs of worry just from looking at Kain. He stands at the area designated for the start of the fight, looking completely calm and collected. He appears to be glancing over the solar panels, but not displaying any great amount of interest in them. It's just something to do until everything is ready for the fight to begin.
What is it with people and artificial constructs of great power? Alright, so in this case, it probably powers the better part of this rather famous and impressive city. Even so, the tower and its mirrored array is a very different, if not entirely welcome reminder of his time on the Suiryuu... and the imprisonment afterwards, to the Bernstein heir. Kain Heinlein is enough of a draw to overcome such misgivings, however, to the similarly chi-sensitive Adelheid. His own strength is anything but a parallel to the dark energies wielded by the mysterious flame-wielder, but that certainly does little to dissolve curiousity.
The platinum blonde doesn't keep Heinlein waiting long. A meal or five in him, a change of clothes, and he's ready to get back into the thick of the fight... anything to keep him off the Black Noah just now, really. Clad simply in black jeans and a skintight, matte silver t-shirt, Adel's answer to the glaring mirrors is simple and at least partially functional: Dark, dark glasses. Dangeresque. He aligns the stylish, modernly sleek shades on the bridge of his nose, and strides out into the field, towards Kain. How long will they last? Well, that remains to be seen. But every little bit helps.
The lithe youth inclines his head slowly towards the enigmatic, and undeniably dangerous Heinlein. There was a time when Adel's interest in Kain was a bit less hesitant, concerned....
.... but that time was before Kain started talking business with his father, and 'R'. The simple, unspoken greeting and respect is all that's offered.
Europe! Spain! It's a country Sergio has been many times in his travels, and there's a certain sense of homecoming being back on his native continent. He's never been to a power plant like this one before, but to him it's just a big prairie with a bunch of reflective blue things shoved on it. Solar power means little to him. What does mean something is the fact that the sun is out and shining down, and while it's not exactly hot out it's way warmer than it would be in Southtown right about now.
All this adds up to make Sergio a happy camper. For someone like Kain who might rely on delicate sensing of an opponents power this location might be problematic, but Sergio... well, he's just not that type. All he needs to know is the general location of his opponent and he can get things done.
He's never met either of the other fighters, but he knows both of them by reputation. Kain can't help but be recognized by the man who's watched the Saturday Night Fight show since it began, what with his undoubtedly impressive win to loss ratio. And Adelheid is up and coming so fast that he might be a threat to the older fighters seeming domination of the sport. It's pretty clear that Sergio himself is a lightweight compared to the two, but he's got it in his head to show them what he's made of, regardless. If there's any time to impress, it's when you're put up against the best.
So there he is wearing a silk shirt and slacks as always, seemingly completely uncaring about the brightness and power that surrounds them. As for introductions he gives a knowing grin to Kain, and a slight nod to his partner in this endeavor, Adelheid. If they're not inclined to talk, why should he be?
Well, it seems both of Kain's opponents are here... And the SNF staff knows better than to keep Heinlein waiting. Not that he's ever /done/ anything to any of them, or even gotten particularly angry. There's just that... aura about him that suggests you don't want to risk possibly being the one who /does/ manage to make him angry. Kain suddenly thrusts his arm out to one side, causing his coat to flutter as he engulfs his hand in a soft blue glow. Heinlein then closes his eyes for a moment as he checks something. There's a gradually increasing feeling of power in the air, and after a moment the solar panels in a wide radius around Kain begin to vibrate, ever so slightly. It's a small noise, but repeated many times.
And then the energy surround Kain's hand suddenly snuffs out. It's good to be sure of your environment before you begin a fight, and Kain is quite capable of causing some fairly extensive damage to the area. He'd prefer not to, however... But it doesn't mean he'll hold back if it seems it's going to wind up costing him. Kain opens his eyes as he lets his hand fall back to his side, grinning at Sergio and Adelheid. "Well now... Shall we begin?"
COMBATSYS: Adelheid has started a fight here on the left meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kain has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Adelheid 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Sergio has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Sergio 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-------|
Kain Heinlein: Architect of massive blackouts. Even so, it's a thought that's crossed Adelheid's mind as well. Property damage on an infrastructure scale isn't really Adelheid's style, but similarly... this is a fight, and it's Howard Enterprises' problem in the end, now isn't it? Of course, they do have a habit of making these things into other people's problems... and then there's all the complications that can arise from denying a good-sized city its proper allocation of electricity. Ah, well. Cross that bridge when the first panel topples down, won't we?
One black gloved hand raises to brush a lock of platinum hair back from the young Bernstein's brow (and shield his shaded eyes from the still-impressive glare long enough to gain a clearer surveying of the details of his surroundings. His own senses aren't as acutely honed as those of the older blonde, but the Bernstein heir is still a veteran of far too many battles: he knows the value of keeping tabs on his surroundings, intimately.
Kain doesn't have to tell him twice, however. After that momentary consideration, Adel is in motion, his booted feet all but blurring into a sudden, rushing sprint. His momentum shifts only as he suddenly nears Heinlein, whipping his right bootheel up to carry him in on Kain, that reinforced heel leading in a forward axe aligned squarely with Kain's jaw.
A kick that's intended to follow fluidly through as Adel's left foot touches the ground once more, whipping him about to align a culminating roundhouse with Heinlein's temple. There's no room for nonsense with a fighter like the deadly flame-wielder, now is there?
Sergio has to appreciate the show of power, even if that's not what it's intended as. The fact that he's got so much in him that just by testing the waters he can affect everything around him is saying something on a pretty big scale. Most of the time Sergio considers himself a total powerhouse. He can fling energy around in ways few can, but putting him next to Kain Heinlein is like comparing a fishing boat with a battleship.
Of course that's just a part of the fun, isn't it? Sure Kain's got a massive edge, but that doesn't mean he's going to win. Sergio's the backup rather than the main assault force; that title goes to Adelheid. Maybe he'd be better off if he hung back just a moment and let take all the risks, but that's about as far from Sergio's style as there is.
At the grin and invitation to fight that's given, Sergio returns the grin with one of his own. "My kind of guy!" He too will rush for Kain, but Adelheid is sure to get there first as the Italian is by no means a fast runner. Whatever becomes of Adelheid's attack, Sergio is going to attempt to get behind Kain and wrap an arm around the man's neck and put him into a chokehold. If it works he'll strangle him good for a few moments, and then put his hand against Kain's lower back and fire off a burst of chi in the form of water right into him with the intent to blast him away.
COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Adelheid's Double Tomahawk.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kain dodges Sergio's Riptide.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-------|
Rather than Kain's jaw, Adelheid's upward kick bounces off of Kain's forearm, and the following roundhouse impacts solidly with the same arm, stopping the attack dead. Although Kain somewhat lacks the physically imposing nature of people like his partner, he doesn't need to rely on chi for everything. And of course, the /best/ way to deal with an attack is to simply not be hit by it at all. When Sergio comes up from behind him, Kain ducks down and moves forward, smoothly avoiding the grasping arm.
And with Adelheid right in front of him, well, it would be silly for Kain to pause to make an attack, and so he simply makes use of the motion he's already started. Kain springs up from his crouching position, putting a bit of a spin to his sudden leap up toward Adelheid. His right arm lashes out, black fire engulfing his hand as attempts to slam the spinning punch into Adelheid's side. One might suggest that this move is stolen from Iori, but it's totally different. Kain is /punching/, not /slashing/. See?
COMBATSYS: Adelheid blocks Kain's Fierce Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|
As his kicks meet only the resilient guard Kain offers, Adelheid is driven backwards slightly, sliding back to a ready stance as Kain darts low, underneath Sergio's flanking assault. A glance is all that is spared for his partner, as Adelheid quickly follows suit, his legs bending and frame bracing as Kain twists about, bringing that fiery fist in for Adelheid's midsection. The hammering blow meets only a vertically aligned forearm, and with a grunt from the sudden sting, the young Bernstein shoves against the strike, largely deflecting its impressive force.
Some would call it folly, or perhaps masochism, to stay so close to Ior... er, Kain, but Adelheid doesn't hesitate. He's still in point-blank range, despite the sliding of his boots over the ground as that backhand was driven home, and Adel seeks to make Heinlein pay for his offensive momentum. His left hand darts forward, seeking Kain's snazzy collar, in an effort to quite literally jack the older powerhouse up off his feet. At least, for the passing instants it takes Adelheid to shift his weight around, and drive his right fist forward into Kain's ribs, the intent being to launch him free of that grip, and to the dirt. It's one of the moves straight out of his heritage, which may make it familiar, but still formidable.
You can't get mad because someone can easily evade you while dealing with someone else at the same time. Ok, that's not true, you can get mad but it's not going to help anything. That Kain is able to duck under his grab just means that Sergio's going to have to try harder. The hammering blow that Kain is able to lay on Adelheid gets Sergio's attention- it just goes to prove that Kain is better, faster, stronger, knows it, and is more than willing to use it to his advantage.
While the Italian hasn't worked with him before, Sergio has no problem with trying to work together to make things go a bit more smoothly for Adelheid. Maybe if he can serve as nothing more than a simple distraction for Kain he'll offer up enough opportunity for his partner to lay into him. With that in mind Sergio twists to the side and retracts his right leg before leaning forward and kicking straight out in a direct motion towards Kain's back, attempting to deliver him right into Adelheid's waiting arms, a trail of water flowing from his foot as it crashes forward.
COMBATSYS: Kain dodges Adelheid's Scorpion Blow.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Kain dodges Sergio's Strong Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/------=|
It seems Kain is of a mind to foil the plans of both Sergio and Adelheid. There's a moment of tension in his legs and then when his two opponents come in to attack, he's simply no longer there. That sudden leap won't protect Kain for long, but it is enough to send him sailing up and over Adelheid's head, flipping upside down as he does so. At the peak of his flight Kain is only a short distance above the young Bernstein's head.
Simply escaping isn't enough for Kain, of course. As he's passing over Adelheid Kain reaches down with both hands, black fire springing into being and then launching forth in the blink of an eye, sending two tightly packed fireballs racing down toward the youth. Kain, meanwhile, continues on the path of his jump's arc, coming around to land smoothly on his feet behind Adelheid.
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Adelheid with Schwarze Flame.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-======|
In a flash, Kain is out of arm's reach, and Sergio is whipping through the air where he previously was. Adelheid tries to right his stance, eyes tracking upwards as Kain sails overhead, and... oh damn.
The swirling plumes of flame widen Adel's eyes a moment, the sensation of raw power more than tangible, and he shifts his momentum to hurl himself wide... a moment too late. The searing blast crashes down on him, taking his legs right out from under him and sending the Bernstein heir tumbling to the ground, rolling across the grassy landscape in a rather haphazard fashion, smoke rising from his suddenly tattered shirt. A hacking cough, perhaps indicative of other injury or strain, comes before he starts to push himself back to his feet, briskly shaking his head and closing his eyes tightly a moment, trying to regain his bearings.
Did anyone get the number of that bus?
COMBATSYS: Adelheid focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-======|
Sergio's kick misses as Kain jumps skyward, and then but a moment later he's witness to his partner flying away in a gout of black fire. An eyebrow quirks, and then he grins. Adelheid seems to be taking his time to get his feet back under himself, so Sergio takes a step towards Kain. "Looks like it's just you and me for a moment." So far Kain's proven that he can avoid Sergio's attacks with casual ease, so what could he possibly think he's can to do?
Adelheid and Kain seem to have some reservations about keeping the field of solar panels relatively unharmed. If Howard Enterprises were worried about having to shell out large sums of money due to property damage, they wouldn't have invited Sergio here. The tall man stretches for a moment, and then drops into a low stance, legs held wide apart. His right hand retracts and then slams forward in a powerful motion, "HAAH!" For a moment nothing happens other than an odd rumble in the ground, but the moment after that it becomes clear that Sergio has no qualms about tearing the place up, the ground in front of him rending asunder as a massive onrush of water tears up from underneath, almost as if an underground river had been diverted to the surface. Water along with massive chunks of the ground itself, and possibly even some expensive hunks of solar array, all go rumbling towards Kain.
COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Sergio's Whitewater.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-======|
It would be rather difficult not to see the attack from Sergio coming. Between the rumbling that preceeds it and the size of the wave with its chunks of debris, it's fairly easy to notice. Of course, /doing/ something about it once you've noticed it might be difficult for many people. As for Kain, he crosses his right arm over his chest, black flame engulfing his hand as he waits for the assault to reach him. And then he sweeps his arm back out, leaving a briefly lingering wall of dark fire. It seems insubstantial, but it proves to be quite effective when the wave crashes into it, causing an eruption of water, steam, flame and chunks of dirt and solar panel. Steam? Yes, Sergio's water may not be 'real'... but then, neither is Kain's fire. Heinlein doesn't quite manage to stop /all/ of the attack however, and a fair sized chunk of solar panel does strike him in the arm, but it seems to do more damage to the sleeve of his suit than to Kain himself.
One quick leaps brings Kain over where most of the rubble has fallen, and then several strides quickly eat up the distance between himself and Sergio. Then Heinlein leaps forward, twisting himself so that he's leading with a vicious kick aimed for Sergio's face. That's not enough by itself, of course, and it is accompanied by those black flames of Kain's, swirling around his leg and trailing behind him like a comet's tail.
Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. It's a maelstrom of solar energy and chi that Adelheid senses around him as he attempts to right his bearings, re-center his own inner power. A process that he's likely lucky to have some respite to attend to. His eyes open, a final shove sees Adelheid defiantly regaining his feet in one swift motion....
And then he's in motion again. With renewed vigor, the Bernstein heir all but launches himself off the ground, hurtling forward at Kain's leaping form. He doesn't envy Sergio being at the landing point, but whatever the result, his intent is the same: nearly collide with Heinlein as he lands, both hands snapping outward, fingers seeking to clench tightly in a deathlocking grip at chest and face level, and swing Kain around, up off his feet. Should that grip be found, well.... it's unlikely the trip will end there.
COMBATSYS: Sergio blocks Kain's Schwarzer Stob.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|
It's exactly the sort of thing Sergio expects, fighting someone as powerful as his opponent. Kyo grabbed a hunk of wood and surfed this attack upstream. Kain doesn't seem to require that sense of grandeur, and simply nullifies the energy before it can get to him with a simple sweep of his arm. "Hah! Not bad." Drawing that much power is draining, so Kain has him at a bit of a disadvantage when he leaps forward, the dark flames surrounding his leg as he attacks.
But kicks like this one are all the same, whether or not they have powerful energy along with them. Able to respond in time, Sergio lifts his arms to protect his face, the leg and flames crashing into them, the mans body twisting away to allow the majority of the force to simply deflect away from him. A blur of motion tells him that Adelheid has rejoined the fray, so he continues the twisting further, allowing himself to spin around completely to give Adelheid an open shot at Kain while lifting his left arm and swinging it in a powerful hook towards Kain's temple, the fist accompanied by a stream of water, as all his attacks are.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Kain with Gigantic Pressure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Kain dodges Sergio's Fierce Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|
As Kain descends into Sergio's guard, Adelheid finds him right where he wants him. Lofting Heinlein up off the ground, ample centripical force is applied for a half-second before both of the Bernstein heir's booted feet leave the ground, blasting forth with a pulsating shockwave of intangible chi as he hurtles forward in blatant defiance of gravity, Kain in tow, suspended before him. The breakneck pace is aligned perfectly with the very base of the mighty tower. CRASH. One power panel is graced by a tearing Kain bullet, and begins to topple...
But Adelheid and Heinlein are already beyond it, through a second, and into the brilliant tower's very foundation. Wedging the flame-wielding fighter's back violently against the sturdier opposition, Adelheid's fingers tighten painfully around Heinlein's face, as his inner power surges, and expells itself point-blank into the elder fighter's also-pretty mug. A swirling, hurricane-intensity storm suddenly surrounds them both, cascading waves of luminescent, shearing silver brilliantly billowing outwards. The momentary typhoon seems to have a mind of its own, brutally battering Kain in its flaring depths, while Adelheid's hair whips about - the lithe Bernstein otherwise unharmed by the roughly spherical blast, one which ebbs only when a sudden flex of his arms launches him back, and further cements the position of Kain's back against the mighty solar tower.
.... there was probably a moment of panic when they thought that might be coming down, too.
Sergio's attack might have hurt Kain, it might not have. There's no chance to find out, as Kain is busy being driven through expensive power generation equipment and finally slammed into a sturdy wall, both by force of muscle and an explosion of chi. And when it fades away, Kain looks... battered, but in surprisingly good shape for someone who just went through that kind of assault. His clothing is somewhat torn up, but the worst of it is on his back and not visible at the moment.
The fact that Adelheid's hand is still grasping him by the face, or is perhaps just in the process of being removed, doesn't seem to bother Kain much. He knows exactly where Adelheid is, after all, and that's what really matters. While the Bernstein heir went for the face, Kain goes for the throat, attempting to snare Adelheid with one burning hand, choking, burning, and lifting him slightly off the ground all at the same time. There's not much else that needs to be done... simply keeping someone in that position for a few moments is quite effective by itself.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid dodges Kain's Schwarze Schleife.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|
If Kain had been truly knelt by even such a technique, well... Kain wouldn't be Kain. Adelheid understands this, even before Heinlein's rapid recovery from the haranging hurricane he's subjected to, and his reversed momentum couldn't have come at a better time. An instant later, and he'd be choked, flambe'd, and sent on his merry way back from whence he came. As it is, however, Adel's deftly directed momentum sees him weaving that step away from the fire-wielding fighter, as Kain's hand snaps in above his head, grazing the ends of his hair as he ducks clear of the strike.
The last time they were in this close, it didn't end well for the Bernstein heir, but if there's one thing his upbringing has taught him, it's tenacity. Or is that stubborn crazyness?
Regardless, Adelheid's right hand shoots around, looking to grip Kain's reaching wrist before he can withdraw it, using his lower positioning as a fulcrum and shooting his right foot in and around, a sweep intent on taking Kain's ankles right out from under him, even as he leverages that arm to, ideally, flip Heinlein up over his head, and flail him into the ground on the other side with a gratifying WHAM.
Adelheids demonstration of power leaves Sergio on the dust, himself and Kain so far away that the Italian spends the entire time after his fist met nothing but air running in order to catch up. He could probably lay on a burst of speed if he wanted, but that'd get him way too close to the massive release of chi that followed the incredible burst of speed. No, he's content to take his time getting there, and for the moment it seems that this will have no negative consequences.
But now that he's finally caught up it's time to get back into the action. A grab and sweep leaves Sergio in an awkward position, since if he aims for where Kain is now he might end up pulled away and slammed to the ground, and if he aims for that spot on the ground Kain might not end up there at all. The tactical decision is then to wait for a single moment to see what happens and attack afterward. If Kain stays where he is he'll attack there, and if he ends up somewhere else, that's fine too. He'll even be kind enough to wait for Kain to start getting up if he does manage to end up smashed into the dirt.
And once all this is figured out Sergio will finally do something, jumping forward towards Kain to try and plant a foot in the center of his chest to knock him back, following it up with three hard punches across his body and a final palm strike towards his chest, only that would stop just short, a spray of water emerging instead.
COMBATSYS: Kain dodges Sergio's Breaker.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Kain fails to interrupt Medium Throw from Adelheid with Schwarze Lanze.
- Power fail! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/----===|
When Kain's wrist is grabbed, his foot is already starting to launch upwards, aiming to slam into Adelheid's jaw and knock him away. Unfortunately for Kain, Adelheid's foot has a somewhat shorter distance to travel before it reaches Heinlein's ankle. With only one foot on the ground, Kain isn't in any position to resist that kind of attack. This leaves Kain to be dragged up into the air in a rather awkward position, unable to properly move his legs before he's slammed back into the ground. This results in an even more painful landing, as one of his legs is pushed a bit further than it's meant to be.
That doesn't keep Kain down for long, though. He rolls away from Sergio's approach, and since the Italian is hanging back, Kain has the opportunity to spring back to his feet. Of course, then Sergio rushes in, but even with the pain in his leg Kain is still able to quickly backpedal a few steps, then swing around to the side. He still hasn't completely gotten his balance together, but at least it's enough to keep moving.
Kain's own shifting momentum is noticed by Adelheid, but there's no turning back. This time, it's Kain who goes end over end, and winds up rolling away. A bit better off than the Bernstein heir's last trip, but he's definitely not going to argue. Still on his game, the platinum blonde notes, his crimson eyes narrowing, flaring with inner fire as he tracks Heinlein's deft evasion, despite his obviously off-kilter trip, "Impressive." Adel murmurs in a near-whisper, more to himself than anything. It's not enough to daunt the son of Rugal, however, and the Bernstein heir pushes off from his crouch and leads right back into the fray, right fist forward.
It's a simple prelude, a feinting lunge to the left, and then a snapping, straight right meant to clock Kain squarely in the mouth, a subtle shift to the lithe youth's frame bringing a measure of body weight behind the focused work of his potent muscles, a focusing breath sounding audibly as he darts in, trying to confuse, or simply overwhelm Heinlein's guard while the flame-wielder is still being pressed on all sides.
If Kain has proved nothing else in this fight it's that he's quick on his feet. Aside from the rushing water he staved off with flames he's been able to completely avoid anything Sergio's managed to send his way. Sergio's not going to get discouraged, though. Despite his early showing of power Kain has been fighting to a stalemate thus far, and things like that do tend to be in his own favor. Or at least they are when he's got Adelheid by his side.
To boil the facts down to the nitty gritty, anything Sergio's done with his hands and feet have been completely avoided, while flinging energy and matter has resulted in some damage breaking through, however minor. What does this mean? Time to throw more energy and matter! But he can't go tearing up the ground since Adelheid is trying to rush Kain down, so he goes with another trick, reaching into his shirt and pulling out about two meters of rope and flinging it at Kain in one smooth motion. This would be fairly ridiculous on it's own, but after it leaves his hands water begins to swirl around it, creating a spinning vortex that accelerates the rope towards Kain while holding it at neck height so it can have a chance at strangling him, not to mention that the water itself can be troubling.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Kain with Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Sergio's Whirlpool.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/----===|
By sliding his left foot back, Kain finally manages to stabilize himself, just in time for Adelheid to come charging in. Kain attempts to sweep out an arm to deflect the younger fighter's punch, but isn't quite fast enough. Kain's head is knocked to the side, though this time he manages to retain his balance. That's for the best, since he still has to deal with Sergio. The vortex comes sailing in, but this time Kain is quick enough to get his arm in the way of the attack. And then Kain finds himself with a swirling vortex of water centered on his arm as the rope wraps around him.
Despite that, it doesn't seem to be hindering Kain much. He points the afflicted arm toward Adelheid, a glint of blue light appearing in the palm of his hand. The vortext suddenly slows, then stops, the ends of the water covered rope hanging in midair for a moment... before they suddenly begin spinning back the other way. The water chi starts rapidly dissolving, and then the rope itself is suddenly blasted to fragments as a beam of pure chi lances out from Kain's hand, racing toward Adelheid's chest.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid stops Himmlische Seele from Kain with Dark Barrier.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/----===|
Being in close to the impact of one of Sergio's attacks is sort of like that under-the-falls overlook at Niagara. Lots of spray, and thankfully unless you're in the direct path of it, it doesn't seem all that agonizing. He can sense the power within his older teammate, but it's dwarfed compared to the rising fury within Kain himself. The longhaired blonde might notice Adelheid's expression harden in the moments before he unleashes his own blast, sensing the coming onslaught he abandons his own intended followup and drops back a step, two. The fiery, flaring blast Heinlein unleashes doesn't have to cross much distance, and Adelheid shows no great inspiration in terms of getting out of the way. Instead, he shifts to face the blast shoulder-first, the opposite palm thrusting out just past it. A coalescence of dark wind chi is conjured in an instant, the disclike barrier crackling with grey arcs as it swirls about itself in gale-force fury. Kain's blast rocks home, the shield ripples along its entirety, and for a moment it looks like it will crack.
Adelheid's booted feet dig two small ditches in the ground under the sheer force Heinlein unleashes, his muscles tensing as he gives his all to holding the wall of oppositional chi in place. Shockwaves of Ankoku fire blast outwards, ripping apart bits of the barrier until the entire tumultuous conflaguration seems to lose its power at once, the air before Adelheid filling with the dark fireworks of dissipating winds and flames, a gasping breath coming to his lips, and just as quickly released as he half-stumbles back another step, then rights himself. The storm weathered, his gaze aligns right back on Kain, determined.
What Adelheid does is something Sergio simply couldn't. It doesn't matter what he could try, it's just beyond his ability, flat out. It's nothing short of astounding to see those two colossal powers colliding and snuffing each other out. Suffice to say he figured Adelheid was at least going to be hurting by the time the beam of blue chi had faded, if not completely knocked out of the fight. That he still has a partner that's more or less unscathed isn't lost on him.
But nor is the fact that Kain is still going strong. The man's got some incredible power in him, and at the moment Sergio is of the mind that now is a great time not to put himself in harms way. If he were Kain he'd be looking to lay an unholy beatdown on whoever dared to try and lay hands on him after such a large show of force was negated. He can almost see himself rushing forward to attack and getting blasted away by a pair of swirling fireballs, or perhaps a flaming kick to his face. So rather than putting himself in that position... he wimps out and hangs back. A low whistle comes out of him as he surveys the aftermath, "Nice one, Kid."
COMBATSYS: Sergio gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/----===|
Kain is getting a bit worn down, and it's starting to show, but he's not out of this fight just yet. And it would seem Sergio's analysis is correct; Adelheid is definitely higher on Kain's priority list. The young man is a bigger threat, and in his current condition Kain really needs to deal with that threat before he can focus on Sergio. That was what he was attempting to do. Heinlein frowns as he sees Adelheid driven back but unharmed... And it's going to be a few moments before Kain can summon up quite that level of power again. So, back to more mundane methods.
Kain rushes toward Adelheid, coming in low with a leg sweep, aimed to push Adelheid's legs far to the side, hopefully causing him to fall sideways. Hopefully, because Kain continues to spin around after making that sweep, bringing his leg up as he does so. Once he comes back around to face Adelheid again, he brings his foot down to drive the younger man's torso into the dirt with a kick packed with an explosion of black flame.
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Adelheid with Strong Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 1/------=/=======|
The exertion it took to maintain the Dark Barrier under the ample force Kain applied takes its toll on Adelheid, as well. A breath or two just isn't enough span to regain his fighting form fully, and he has what seems like less than that before Heinlein barrels in on him again. It should be a simple thing, a powerful sweep, he'll just leap upwards, and...
Kain's velocity is too much, his form perfect, the strike comes in sooner than Adel had anticipated, and he's dumped unceremoniously to the ground, legs searing before the second rotation of the foot blasts him across the dirt as if he'd been launched from a cannon, skidding rather painfully over his own limbs. It's the explosion of fire that really hurts, though, reddening flesh and scorching the silvery cloth of his shirt. He comes up nonetheless, all but obliterated by the hits... but unwilling to stay down, not this late in the game.
Instead, his own power boils to the fore, both hands sweeping forward, the motion seeming to carry him back to his feet. The source of the momentum quickly becomes clear enough: the ground before Adelheid explodes, churning dirt and grass aside as a man-high wave of convalescent power surges to the fore, brought forth in one focused, passionately intense moment. Silvery lances glare brightly in contrast to the golden hues refracted all about the fighters, the cascading wave churning over itself as the mass of cruel edges and sheer, pure chi blast forth, seeking to envelope Kain. It may not be efficient, it may not even be prudent in a fight such as this: but the message is clear.
This is Adelheid's own strength, the manifestation of raw power that rapidly approaches the infamous Kaiser Wave. The demonstration that proves he is the heir apparent, if not to Rugal's criminal empire, to the sort of force wielded by his father, and the man the technique was first stolen from. Muscles tense, corded arms pull tighter, white teeth grit in a silent, predatory snarl.... and between Adelheid and Kain, all is consumed in a trench cleaved by the reaving chi.
Like -hell- Sergio is going to get anywhere near Kain when Adelheid is preparing blasting something like that at him. All it'd take is a single quick toss and Kain could use him as a human shield to take the brunt of the power for him. Like before Sergio is going to wait, but not quite as long as he did the last time. As mentioned he's not getting close to Kain before the wave of energy has been fired, but after it's on it's way, the coast is clear. He could stand back and just shoot some water at Kain, but somehow that seems like a really silly thing to do when Adelheid is sending so much power his way already. It'd be likely to just get blasted into nothingness either by the explosion that's sure to occur or whatever defense Kain might manage to produce.
Luckily, large massive blasts of energy like that is going to be the main draw of attention, and Sergio intends to use that to his advantage. He cracks his knuckles a bit, and charges. Rather than taking a course directly to Kain, he instead moves quickly to get behind the released blast of energy and follow it in. No, he's nowhere near as fast it is, but it's so blindingly bright that it should hide him pretty well and besides that he has a trick up his sleeve. Rising up behind him is a wave of water, which rushes forward. It catches him almost immediately, but rather than bowling him over or washing over him and continuing it drags him along for the ride. To magnify this effect even more Sergio actually dives forward, bodysurfing on top of the water to try and get to gain in an incredibly extended flying tackle, hopefully while he's so distracted by the Kaizer Wave to do anything about it.
COMBATSYS: Adelheid successfully hits Kain with Crown Prince.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Sergio successfully hits Kain with Strong Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /// ]
Sergio 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Kain
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|
Kain frowns when he sees the energy blast racing towards him, ripping apart the ground as it travels. But it's not in irritation, it's in concentration. At the last moment Kain thrusts both hands out to meet the incoming blast and for a moment, it stops. Black fire engulfs Kain as he stops the Crown Prince... but then beams of Adelheid's chi begin piercing through Kain's flames, flaring out behind him. A moment later there's a tremendous explosion, the shockwave from which sends solar planes flying in a wide radius. When it clears, Kain is getting up from the middle of a crater, trying to return to a standing position.
And that's when Sergio hits him. Kain goes back to the ground beneath the crashing water and the weight of Sergio's body. But even then it doesn't seem like he's ready to give up. He's overextending himself, he knows it, but maybe, just maybe... Both of Kain's arms were sprawled out at his side, but they swing up in an attempt to grab Sergio by the face. Actual contact isn't required, however, as the sphere of golden chi which emerges from Kain's hand is nearly the height of a man. Even if Sergio isn't caught in the initial eruption, that doesn't mean he'll escape when that orb launches out from Kain's hands, engulfing everything in its path. Unfortunately, it seems that /was/ a bit more than Kain is capable of handling. Once the energy is released Kain's arms fall back to the dirt, and it doesn't look like he'll be getting up in the immediate future.
COMBATSYS: Kain can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Sergio
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Sergio with Himmlische Macht.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|=======\====---\1 Sergio
That all-out unleashed volley of purest wind energy is more or less the last hurrah Adelheid had to draw upon for this battle, as well... so it's relatively lucky for him that the blast strikes true, penetrating the impressive guard Heinlein offers. While Kain may be able to withstand the force better than many, it apparently leaves it open for Sergio to conclude the fight. .... not that Adelheid is going to envy him the result of that. The thrumming, golden orb of condensed firepower brings a light wince to Adelheid's face as Kain tumbles away. Sometimes it's good not to be at ground zero.
For his part, the Bernstein heir shuffles back a step, then two, nearly dropping to his knees, himself. He hurts, from exertion here and the results of his previous battles and malnutrition... but he pulled it off. A glance is spared to Sergio, and it brings a mild furrow to the platinum blonde's brow... they pulled it off. He offers little in the way of comment as the announcers take back over the post-fight hype, instead lifting a hand to his chest, as if almost expecting some third degree burns. Ouch.
By the time Sergio lands... well, he'll get a respectful nod. He's not about to think he could have taken on Kain himself. Not yet.....
Success! Sergio manages to follow the attack in and then plow into Kain before he can manage to recover! Oh hey, what's that glowing... Oh. Crap. Well, there's not much Sergio can do here. Block it? Like hell, that thing would probably crush his arms of he held them in front of himself. Dodge it? When he's almost literally /laying/ on top of Kain? No. There's only one thing to do in this situation, and that's to just take it. Take it like a /man/.
But in the end Sergio ends up taking it u- well, you can see where that's going. As tough as he is, the power that's unleashed upon him is just too damn much to 'shrug off'. And considering the angle that the blast was fired at, Sergio actually gets a rather nice view of the countryside, the golden power slowly raising him up into the air, releasing it's power into him until it's almost fully diminished and unable to support his weight any longer, the man passing through the still glowing remnants and limply falling back to the ground below, a dull thudding sound greeting the ears of those around. He'll be getting up, but since Kain has expended himself there's no reason to just yet. Looks like he ended up face down in the dirt after all.
COMBATSYS: Sergio has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Adelheid 0/-------/-----==|
Log created on 15:55:18 11/17/2007 by Adelheid, and last modified on 10:05:15 11/18/2007.