Description: What do you get when you add one Desert Soldier and one Weaponized Fallen Priestess in a locked cage and shake vigorously with lightning by one zealous Silent Assassin? Why.. The main event for tonight's Seventh Circle match, of course! Watch two equally fast, vicious fighters duel within the newest Circle event, The Iron Aviary! Ayame quickly puts Nassir on the ropes, but will the girl notice where she's standing a little. Too. Late? <3 Another photo-finish that will keep you on the edge of your seats..
"Ladies and Gentlemen!"
The Seventh Circle's usual Mistress of Ceremonies appears upon the massive multi-faceted monitor hanging over the reinforced concrete arena pit. Marise Satsuko's beautiful features flicker to life as her smile is as wide as ever, "It is time for our MAIN EVENT! And we have quite the decadent little twist for you tonight, folks.. Kyahaha! Behold!"
The spotlights flash into the darkness, letting the opulent audience hidden behind one-way armored glass take a good look at the debut of the latest Seventh Circle playground of pain. A massive octagonal, baroque, black metal cage hovers in the middle of the massive arena. Easily the size of a basketball half-court and half as tall.. The twisted bars crafted in the manner of middle age gothic iron work and decorated with an avian motif. Dangling from the ceiling high above by dozens thick chains. While the cage is secure from falling, the metal isn't entirely balanced.. and vigorous motion from within can sway the multi-ton object if the fighters within are not careful.
Speaking of such..
"A work of art, a cast-iron altar to the Bird God of Pain! The Aviary!"
The first spotlight falls upon the newest contender to the Circle, a youthful warrior in a very militant uniform standing at one end within the cage, "And our challenger! A lethal combination of speed, discipline and execution. A boy who whom some call a one man army! The soldier, Nassir!"
The spotlight then flashes to the other corner, revealing a very familiar face to the Circle, "Aaaand because YOU demanded it! The rising star amongst our illustrious house fighters, the beautiful young thing with the face of an angel and the blades of a goddess of death! The deadly Ayame!"
"AND. And.." The voice cuts through the cheers broadcasted from the protected, cloaked audience, "And that is NOT all. Oooh no my friends, no. Lets make this a little more interesting shall we?"
The spotlight then flashes high above. At the fixture of the mighty central chain anchoring the bulk of the weight of the cage. Beside it a platform, upon which stands yet another familiar face, "That's right, my pretties! The house champion.. Aislinn! Periodically throughout this battle of killers.. Juuuuuuuuuust to give them a little.. kyaheh.. Motivation.. She will -electrify- the entire cage!"
The lights of the arena brighten as Marise's grin returns to the monitors, "Two killers, one cage and electrify to taste? Can I cook, Or can I cook? KyaHAHA!"
"FIGHTERS! BEGIN!"
COMBATSYS: Ayame has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Ayame 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Nassir has joined the fight here.
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Ayame 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Nassir
Introductions. Ceremony. Pumping up an audience. Ayame is glad that's Marise's job and not hers. Hers is apparently to put the hurt on the young man in the cage with her. Dressed in an outfit of odds and ends she seems partial to, the girl has no weapons in hand at the moment. But everyone who's seen her fight knows to expect them. Maybe she'll have something new for tonight even.
A toss of her head flicks the long strawberry-blonde pony tail back over her shoulder, her hand coming up to rest against the side of her head as she studies the teen fighter. "A little soldier, hm?" comes her consideration of the boy after a moment. Though he does have her beat on height it doesn't seem to sway the girl from calling him little all the same.
An idle glance is made toward Aislinn. Having her charge the cage periodically presents an interesting problem. This fight will have to be swift and brutal. Just like the Seventh Circle audience likes it. The girl's hands slide to a belt around her waist, two leather sheaths sewn horizontally there. From both she slips out twin butterfly knives, flicking them open in the process. As the devil lady that runs this show continues building up the fight for the audience, Ayame idly flips the knives open and closed, twirling them through her fingers, back and forth, without so much as taking her eyes off of Nassir.
"Hope you know what you're getting into. Don't be afraid to surrender early," the girl smirks in the final moments. And then it begins.
"Look out," she chirps! The left knife is flipped up into the air in a slow, lazy arc toward Nassir... Something easy to watch and distract. But Ayame is dashing along the cage beneath the projectile. A hop forward is made as the girl spins once through the air, slashing out with the blade in her right hand with a non-targetted attack toward the young man's chest.
In the midst of the spin she grabs the left knife back out of the air and completes the turn by swinging it in with a very targetted strike toward the boy's side, not far above the waist - a bladed kidney shot to start with.
COMBATSYS: Ayame successfully hits Nassir with Medium Strike.
- Power hit! -
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Ayame 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Nassir
...It's been a long, twisted labrinthe of a journey, but as all trips do, it came to an end. The whispered innuendos, the 'friend of a friend of an associate' accounts of bizarre and lethal fighting going on in the figurative and literal underside of Metro City...
Sorting out truth from fiction was a hassle for the less-than-street-savvy foreigner, especially when the young soldier was balancing out his primary duties, but now he was here...
...precariously perched inside of a giant metal torture device.
The premise was simple: Nassir needed more seasoning in order to advance within the USPL. He'd managed to plateau, both mentally and physically...and was disgusted with it. Moreover, it disappointed Rolento, which was intolerable. The offerings of Howard Entertainment and Masters' arena had too much glitz and glamour for his sensibilities...and, well, Metro City was much easier on travel expenses than Southtown or Seattle. Entering into the Seventh Circle--quickly developing a reputation for brutality and true 'no holds barred' combat--was only natural.
But fighting inside what seemed to resemble a trap from the Saw movies?
Nassir stood in stoic silence while the woman on the monitors served as carnival barker, hyping up both fighters and the ordeal before them. As the spotlights shone upon his opponent, a deep frown cut into his stoicism.
<Not again,> Nassir intoned, though the wispy tenor is likely lost beneath the introductions. <Not.../aga--/>
Repeating himself isn't quite in the cards, as Ayame proves to be considerably less chatty than her compatriot in the announcing booth.
"HRK!"
The girl was fast--surprisingly fast--with her blades, catching the USPL soldier uncharacteristically offguard. Between his indiscretion and her accuracy, Ayame was rewarded with first blood: A damningly deep incision. Nassir's midsection bloomed with crimson, staining his uniform and lubricating the knife currently caught in him. "...nrgh..." was about all Nassir could manage before starting to slump forward. Was he done already?
Unless Ayame does something to stop him, the soldier's hand drifts down to her midsection, fingers looking for purchase to stop from falling down completely. Eyes wide with pain, his other hand busied itself with the job of trying to return the favor and stab his assailant in a similar location. It isn't nearly as pretty as Ayame's, but it's efficient, and might do the job well enough.
COMBATSYS: Ayame counters Random Weapon from Nassir with Bright Renewal.
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Ayame 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Nassir
The girl never stops moving. Some might pause to relish in the deadly stab that was delivered by the razor sharp butterfly knife in her left hand or smirk at the crimson gash across his torso. But Ayame's already moving on to something else as the young man tries to return the favor with a stab toward her side.
Her left hand releases the butterfly knife, willing to sacrifice it to fall from its wound and through the cage floor. It served her well, but she has other tools to show...
A metallic ringing noise indicates the surface that Nassir's knife strikes against - a six inch long titanium tube in Ayame's left hand now, produced from a pouch on her belt. Blocking the blade from penetrating her side and adding her blood to the mix, the girl's brown eyes never leave the boy for an instant even as she continues to move, though she spares a split second for a faint smirk tugging at the edge of her mouth.
Then that left hand comes up, sliding along the inside of his stabbing arm as she jams the tube up under his shoulder, aiming to injure his arm early and make the fight easy for her going forward. The girl has never been accused of being a fair fighter by any means. "Gotcha," she whispers, her voice amplified by the arena mics for the audience to enjoy their favorite little weapons maven.
A step backward is taken, the right knife flicked closed and returned to its sheath on her belt. A hydraulic hiss punctuates a sudden change in that tube in her hand as it expands outward from being a small bar to a full six foot long titanium pole. A pole that gets jabbed outward against the young man's chest to drive him back a bit before Ayame finally slows for a bit, standing up straighter, holding the long weapon at an angle in front of her in a defensive position. "In spite what that woman had to say, I'm no angel, boy."
*crak!*
The recording equipment might've lost the sound of metal on bone, but it's loud enough for the two closest to hear. Judging from the grimace running on Nassir's face, it's a reasonable assertion to judge metal the winner.
The second 'pop' and hiss is almost welcome to the beleaguered youth, even as he finds himself driven away from his quarry. If nothing else, it would give his mind a half-moment to refocus. Don't panic, stay in control...
<And this world will follow suit.>
Almost lazily flipping the knife from his right hand to his left, Nassir shrugged his shoulders. "You would do well to right yourself," comes the retort, now in english. "Before it's too late."
With a lightning fast move of the arm and a deft flick of the wrist, the knife is sent flying in for Ayame's centermass, hurtling end over end.
Well, if nothing else, this is interesting stuff. Aislinn watches her teammate--protege--whathaveyou impassively. Even if she wanted to help Ayame out, she wouldn't; this is the closest things get to 'legit' for no holds barred, -really- extreme fighting... and Blackjack won't be making bank if it's known that they stack the odds for their own.
Fortunately she has no real interest in doing so; though she's still recovering from her own Circle fight, she's certainly well enough to do this. And besides... it ought to be interesting. And Ayame certainly is proving she can hold her own. While the fight is going on, Aislinn is preparing; drawing power silent and deadly.
Silent, that is, until she unleashes it, her hands on the conduit connector, sending a flare of pure red-white electricity through it to charge the cage below for deadly moments.
COMBATSYS: Aislinn has joined the fight here.
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Aislinn 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Nassir
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Ayame 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Nassir has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Aislinn 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Nassir
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Ayame 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Aislinn gathers her will.
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Aislinn 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Nassir
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Ayame 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Ayame endures Aislinn's Lightning Reverse.
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Aislinn 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Nassir
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Ayame 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Ayame interrupts Strong Shot from Nassir with Harvest's Reaper.
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Aislinn 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 0/-------/-======|
"Too late is for people that are dead. For the rest of us that aren't there yet, there's always time," the girl replies with a flippant shrug. Her attitude suggests inattention or casual indifference. Her actions suggest otherwise.
The knife takes to the air and Ayame charges forward, using the polearm to shift its trajectory just enough for it to leave a glancing gash along her arm rather than sinking the hit the soldier sought. It doesn't slow her down at all though as the staff in her hand comes to life with a violent red light - energy controlled by the girl and driven into the long weapon.
A swift but solid upward swing is made as the low end is brought up high into Nassir's stomach. Putting her all into the attack, the girl leaps off the ground as she delivers a second hit against his chest, an explosion of that red energy discharging at the same time.
In the air, the staff is held over her head like an axe ready to drop for a moment... before the final blow comes crashing down against the soldier's shoulder with a second explosion of chi. Landing in a crouch, her head bowed, Ayame holds the staff out at her side, her pony tail resting against her shoulder, and exhales quietly. The energy on the staff begins to diminish as she no longer focuses on controlling it and the red glare that briefly lit the steel cage is gone.
COMBATSYS: Nassir dodges Aislinn's Lightning Reverse.
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Aislinn 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 0/-------/-======|
There was barely the space between heartbeats to react to the telltale cues: the sudden charge of chi, the smell of ozone to come, the complaining groan of the metal prison that the fighters worked within. Nassir sent himself into a low somersaulting leap--demonstrating the kind of acrobatic grace that might've wowed a crowd in Masters or Howard arena. His uninjured arm busied itself with the task of freeing a knife...
...a task that proves futile once Ayame, for lack of a better term, proceeds to beat the ever living daylights out of him. Quickly losing sight of up from down, the knife escapes his grasp, clattering through the bars and down to the floor below.
Taking an overlong moment on the hot metal grill that formed the floor, Nassir's mind raced. He was going to have to do something...extreme...to turn this around, it seemed...or buy himself the time to think.
What, though?
COMBATSYS: Nassir focuses on his next action.
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Aislinn 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 0/-------/-======|
Remaining in her crouch for a moment, the mic will easily pick up the breathing from the girl as she needs to catch her breath. She kept a brutal amount of pressure on the young man, but now she's paying the price as her body aches from stress of high speed combat and the jolt from Aislinn. The gash on her arm was a bit deeper than she realized at first glance as well. Hn.
Rather than rising to a standing position, the girl backflips out of her crouch to land a little ways back, the cage teetering beneath its supports as the weight within it shifts a little. Nassir seems to be lying still, but Ayame has played possum more than once in her fights to not be easily suckered by the sight of an opponent that seems down and out for a moment.
"If you're ready to give up, better say something," the girl remarks. "Because either you're unconcious, or the attacks keep coming." No remorse in her voice, no regret for the assault she intends to keep directed his way. Shifting her staff to her left hand, she reaches over her shoulder with her right hand, pulling out four long blades joined by a ring in the middle that was sheathed on her back.
A flick of her wrist and the four blades seperate to right angles of each other, forming a heavy, bladed throwing star. Ayame gives Nassir all of a heartbeat to react, and then she hurls it, sending the weapon spining through the air in his direction, intending to sink a savage wound should it connect.
COMBATSYS: Nassir dodges Ayame's Power Fling.
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Aislinn 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 0/-------/-======|
*th-*
There's no real verbal response to Ayame's warning: Much like Ayame has played possum in fights before, Nassir's more than a little familiar with the tactic. Still, he's breathing, and the observant individual might notice the slightest buildup of purplish-blue chi around his body, tendrils reaching out for empty air before dissipating into nothingness less than an inch away.
*-th-*
And then, motion. Nassir couldn't see the giant throwing star coming into assembly, but knew to expect /something./ Using his hands to push himself over onto his back, the soldier kipped up just in time to see the star clang to a halt inches away from him.
*-ump.*
"You have a killer's attitude," Nassir notes, though the words are little more than (ineffectual) distraction from the hand moving to his bandolier oncemore. The sliver of metal fits easily between his slender fingers, twirled in his hand as his shadowy chi coats the metal. "How did you acquire it?"
The knife is flung with an overhand pitch, the chi infusion leaving afterimages hanging in the air, chronicling the path of the blade for its target.
COMBATSYS: Ayame dodges Nassir's Horrors of War.
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Aislinn 0/-------/--=====|=======\===----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 0/-------/-======|
So far, the show has been all Ayame--she's taken damage, but only at her own choice, which is the most ideal way to go about things. Yet, the show must go on. If Nassir doesn't start making a good showing, bettors might be wondering if something's up... after all, this is underground, which means...
... wait for it... NOT legal. So if a fix were in, this would be prime place to do it. Aislinn, however, values integrity and honor--at least when battles have rules, like these. Put her into a 'real' fight and it's different... but anyways. Her passive role in this battle lets her pull energy as needed--at an almost constant rate, in fact--thus ensuring that these two will be dealing with her power as she goes...
... and its time again, as she grips the conduit and sends another surge of shocking power straight into the cage.
COMBATSYS: Aislinn gathers her will.
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Aislinn 1/-----==/=======|=======\===----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Aislinn successfully hits Ayame with Lightning Blade.
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Aislinn 1/----===/=======|=======\===----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 1/-----==/=======|
Ah, there he goes, Ayame muses as Nassir avoids the spinning bladed projectile of death. The weapon slams into the far side of the cage, metal ringing against metal, before dropping to the floor, too big to fall through the openings to drop to the arena below.
"I figured you weren't done," she remarks now that he's on the move again. Her now empty right hand lowers to her hip, her left hand keeping a grip on the staff. Brown eyes, sometimes cold and calculating, seem amused now as she sees the blade hurled her way. A very swift but minimalist side-step allows her to avoid the weapon. A glance to the side to study it as it wedges itself into the bars and then she glances toward Nassir. "Hmn, close." A bit of a pout as she leans her head to the side. "A killer's attitude? There's got to be better pickup lines than that..."
Chi to augment the power of the flying projectile, hm? It's something to consider, the girl ponders. Something to explore herself, perhaps. But that's for later. She laughs lightly then shakes her head. "Besides, you don't really know my attitude... you don't even know anything about me other than the persona I've chosen for you to see. But that's enough for me."
Then comes the charge. Her right hand slips to her belt, flicking out the butterfly knife from before. A swing of her staff is made with her left hand as the girl gets just outside of range, another feint to draw his attention... for as she comes out of the spin she lunges forward with the single knife to attempt to stab him in his throwing arm's bicep.
COMBATSYS: Nassir dodges Ayame's Quick Strike.
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Aislinn 1/----===/=======|=======\===----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 1/-----==/=======|
COMBATSYS: Nassir dodges Aislinn's Lightning Blade.
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Aislinn 1/----===/=======|=======\===----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 1/-----==/=======|
A fix?
Sure, it was possible. Probable even. To the majority of the world, Nassir was a mercenary, a terrorist, a psychopath, a ruthless killer. He had no morals, no scruples, no remorse...and likely wasn't above even the small gain that a fix would score him. This fit a little too well.
The reality was...different, yes. Different enough, though? And how many people realistically knew Rolento's herald-aspirant well enough to gauge?
How many down here would even /care?/
Aislinn's work was keeping things from going completely out of control, providing his opponent with her second jolt in as many attempts. Meanwhile, Nassir seemed to be able to adapt to the rhythm of the blasts, taking to the air oncemore. The spiraling, spinning dervish proves to be difficult to pin down--Ayame's effort is rewarded with the tearing of uniform fabric, but no flesh.
Landing in a crouch, with his wounded arm supporting his weight in front of him, Nassir pulls another of his throwing blades free. "You deflect the question, but I am persistent." Sidearm tossing the blade out for Ayame's upper body, Nassir begins to shuffle himself backwards in the process. "Actresses are incapable to portraying something do not comprehend." Broken english? Maybe a little. Nothing that couldn't be fixed with a socket wrench.
COMBATSYS: Ayame overcomes Quick Shot from Nassir with Sudden Fling.
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Aislinn 1/----===/=======|=======\===----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 1/-----==/=======|
"I can tell," she remarks with regards to his persistence, having observed how he went about avoiding her strike. Steps backward are taken as she re-sheaths the butterfly knife with a blur of shiny metal and the sound of metallic clattering. "Touche," she remarks with regards to her acting ability and the source of her 'accuracy'.
No time to answer further that the blade is enroute, aiming to catch her with another knife. The window of opportunity to react is almost nigh non-existant, but Ayame pulls it off all the same, right now, now empty, slipping beneath the wristguard on her left arm in order to draw out a small kunai. Tiny but sharp.
The ring of metal objects colliding in mid-air is the only indication that Nassir's attack has been deflected. And now that glinting bit of metal is driving toward him.
COMBATSYS: Nassir overcomes Sudden Fling from Ayame with Quick Shot.
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Aislinn 1/----===/=======|=======\===----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 1/-----==/=======|
Ayame was quick...surprisingly quick, in fact, despite her earlier showing. She seemed to have an answer for most things that he did, which was...perhaps less surprising, as he hadn't gone deep into his bag of tricks for the relatively short match.$r
Speed, however, was Nassir's baliwick. He was nothing if not fast.
Nassir's hand slithered back along the bandolier, not stopping to see whether or not his first thrown blade hit. He was in rapid fire mode, furiously mashing the 'A' button with the hopes of landing a few peppering shots.
The death of 1000 cuts, in essence.
Another sidearm throwing motion sends a blade out, spinning like a frisbee towards Ayame (and, in transit, the returning kunai).
Again... it's time for more assisted pain. Aislinn is watching impassively as things get evened out... it's a battle between two very fast people, and as such... it's up to Aislinn to keep things interesting. At least they're moving around a lot.
One more time, thinks Aislinn, as she prepares to release another charge into the cage... this is possibly the easiest duty she's had at Blackjack. A lot easier than fighting Tran, Elle, and Marise, that's for sure.
So it is that yet again energy surges through the cage... in ever-increasing amounts.
COMBATSYS: Aislinn gathers her will.
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Aislinn 1/=======/=======|=======\===----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 1/-----==/=======|
COMBATSYS: Aislinn successfully hits Ayame with Heaven's Drive.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Aislinn 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\===----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 1/=======/=======|
COMBATSYS: Ayame dodges Nassir's Quick Shot.
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Aislinn 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\===----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 1/=======/=======|
Damn he's fast. Ayame was already seeking an opening to jump in and clobber the young man as a follow up to her swift kunai, but he defends himself and turns it right back around on her in the same motion so well that there's no chance to.
A weave to the side and Nassir's blade skims just past her neck, severing the fine ribbon that held her pony tail in place in passing. It allows her long, strawberry-blonde hair to hang more freely against her back, but at the same time it makes more obvious the jagged chunks of hair missing ever since Aranha decided to take his pound of flesh from the obnoxious girl as part of his victory.
"Che," the girl grunts, leveling the staff as she prepares to go at the young man again. But Aislinn proves to change that plan as she floods the cage with her energy once again. Ayame may have been a little oblivious to the dispersed energy before, but there's no mistaking it this time as she's violently shocked, not having been quick enough to take to the air to avoid it.
The reaction is debilitating as the girl slumps to her knees, the staff held horizontally in front of her, smoke rising off her shoulders as she shakes her head. Stunning, but she isn't out, and rather than frantically leap back into action, she's waiting for a moment herself, eyes narrowed with concentration.
COMBATSYS: Ayame focuses on her next action.
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Aislinn 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\===----\1 Nassir
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Ayame 1/=======/=======|
COMBATSYS: Aislinn successfully hits Nassir with Heaven's Drive.
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Aislinn 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=======\1 Nassir
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Ayame 1/=======/=======|
"NRROOOOORRRAUUUUGH!"
It was inevitable, really. He was bound to get caught eventually. Aislinn knew what she was doing, and ultimately it showed. It hadn't escaped his attention that she was responsible for the vast majority of the damage dealt overall, and in similar fashion it hadn't escaped his attention that he had a shot at winning simply by taking fewer jolts to his system.
It seemed pretty viable there, too...right until he found himself moving just a little too slowly in time with the shocks.
The arabian youth's body convulsed beneath the force of the current, muscles locked and incapable of responding to his commands. When the electricity surge ended--certainly, it /felt/ like an eternity--Nassir slowly dragged himself back to a crouching stance.%
"This is it," Nassir noted, a grim resolve in his voice. "Show me your deadliest technique."
COMBATSYS: Nassir focuses on his next action.
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Aislinn 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=======\1 Nassir
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Ayame 1/=======/=======|
It seems neither fared too well in Aislinn's most recent charge, shocked and jolted into slowing down after the frantic pace of the fight up until now. And then it's the standoff, the two glaring at each other, each knowing the final moments are at hand.
Ayame inhales and exhales, her breaths coming in pained gasps. But she's not down, and either is he, so the fight goes on. She knows the drill. "So be it," she remarks, right hand gripping the titanium staff. And then she begins to spin it. Chi courses along the length of it again as the girl spins it faster and faster. Vibrant, angry shade of red, it illuminates the dark metal cage, almost making the girl impossible to see behind the growing focal point of all she's got.
And then it comes - Ayame swinging the staff out to the side as if slicing the air, discharging all that pent up energy into the attack that comes tearing across the distance toward Nassir now. Blazing fast, the bright red blast is on a direct collision course.
COMBATSYS: Nassir stops Final Sunset from Ayame with Mercy for Monstrosities.
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Aislinn 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0 Nassir
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Ayame 0/-------/--=====|
Throughout the entire wind-up process, Nassir maintained his position, staring intently at the woman's technique, the spinning of the staff, the building of chi. The perceptive observer might notice that Nassir's own brand of chi was beginning to swell in the young soldier, wispy tendrils reaching off of his body again...but to seemingly no effect. Whatever was happening, Nassir was patiently waiting for it.
That patience seems to go nowhere once the cutting strike is made.
Once the ball of blazing energy is loosed.
As it cruises through the air.
And once it impacts against the seemingly over-patient dervish.
To say that the effect was 'devastating' would be an understatement. It's enough to knock the boy off of his feet, bowled end over end until the cage does him the favor of stopping his backward momentum with a dull thud.
A sprawling ball of awkwardly positioned soldier boy against the grate, with a smoking, smouldering face and upper chest. There was no return movement, no dazzling counter, not even so much as an acknowledgement of defeat beyond the shallow rise and fall of his chest.
And then, there isn't even that. Could he be dead?
And then, it began to blink. Not a blink of the eyes, or anything similar; it was a full body blink out and into existence. It would've been easy to miss had witnesses so much as blinked themselves, but then luckily the body continues to blink for those who might've missed it. After about six seconds, the blinking stops, leaving an empty space where Nassir was.
"Was that...it?"
And there Nassir was, seemingly unharmed from taking Ayame's blast to the face...off against another 'wall' to the cage, a slow smile playing across his features. "Your deadliest technique? Was that all?"
At this stage of 'the game'... Aislinn very deliberately does not put forth any energy. After all, this is a battle between Ayame and Nassir. Ais is just a helper--she's not here to take them down. So, silently, she rises... and leaves the conduit. If the pair are expecting another shock.. they'll be 'shocked' (ha ha) to not have one coming at all.
COMBATSYS: Aislinn has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Ayame 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Nassir
The chi wave dished out, Ayame stays rooted, breathing in and out slowly, sweat rolling down her cheeks, her hairline damp with perspiration. It took a lot out of her - that fine, control of chi that she used to take him down. But it looks like a fight ending blow all the same. "Heh," the girl mutters between gasps as the last traces of chi flow down off the bottom end of her staff in almost a viscious, fluid like manner.
Well, that was a hell of a fight. He's fast, and as quick on the draw as she is. The girl can't remember fighting anyone quite like that before. She can't help but wonder what the files say about him...
But then there's the blink - the flicker, the illusion, having served its purpose before vanishing. And the voice from the side. "W-what?!" Taking a step to turn to the side, eyes widened with abject surprise, Ayame stares at Nassir.
The jab at her technique earns him gritted teeth as the girl looks rather irked. That was supposed to finish this. She hasn't much of anything left in her now. No matter. Gripping her weapon tight even as it begins to cool off, Ayame charges toward Nassir, stabbing out with her staff almost like a lance to deliver a final bash against his noggin and put him out of the fight for good.
COMBATSYS: Ayame successfully hits Nassir with Weapon Jab.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Ayame 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Nassir
Ayame's driving staff-butt catches Nassir across the chin, scoring what appears to be a very solid blow--but then, after what the Circle watchers witnessed, it might be difficult to tell what was and was not illusion. While not the most impressive blow by itself, the attrition built up to this point seems sufficient enough to cause Nassir's knees to buckle beneath his weight, dropping down to all fours.
"...I...should've taken this apparatus more seriously," he admits, the words barely passing between lungfuls of air and clenched teeth. "And for that, I have caused myself to fail."
The words, much like most of his midfight banter, serves as little more than distraction from the real point...in this instance, trying to pull /something/ out of this. The light 'snap' at his side might suggest that something was awry, his hand going through the practiced motions of drawing something from his side.
And what was that something?
In some other life, it might've been a simple handgun. Now, it resembled some mad engineer's wet dream, a hybridization of a Handcannon and Steroids. It's hard to hide, especially in Nassir's small hands, though at that point hiding it is completely out of the picture.
The trigger is pulled, the barrel aimed low, at the calf.
The report? Thunderous, especially given the acoustics of the chamber.
The final result? That would be seen quickly enough.
COMBATSYS: Nassir can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Ayame 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Ayame catches Day of Judgement from Nassir with Weapon Jab.
[ \\\\\\\\\ <
Ayame 0/-------/----===|
The butt of the staff used against Nassir's head, Ayame retracts the weapon, stepping in further. She isn't finished with him yet... And apparently he isn't finished with /her/ yet either. His hand goes to his side to pull something out but the girl is in a commanding position now. She's on her feet, and feeling a little bit of strength coming back at her. The young man is tenacious or... as he said, persistent.
"Time to put the toys away," the girl smirks, eyes fixing on the deceptively small weapon. What does he hope to accomplish with that? Quite a lot, apparently. The trigger is pulled and the girl slams her staff down directly in line with the barrel, thinking she'd have nothing more than a small caliber round to deflect.
As it turns out, but for the titanium pole in the way, Ayame would have stood a good chance of wondering if Elle had a NESTS contact that could cough up a cybernetic foot replacement, because what actually comes out is a hell of a lot more than just a simple bullet.
The projectile ricochets off the staff with enough force to rip the weapon right out of Ayame's hands and send it careening across the cage in a violent spin before crashing against the far wall and dropping to the floor of the suspended 'stage'. Ayame staggers back a couple of steps, her hands stinging from the force that struck the pole before ripping it out of her grip. Does that thing have a second round? She sure as heck /hopes/ not. Gasping to get her breath back
"Environment is key," Ayame remarks after a moment, her stance not relaxed though as seconds pass she's convinced he won't be pulling any more last minute stunts. "Or did they not teach you that at boot camp?" She begins to relax a little more, right hand brushing her hair back over her shoulder before coming to rest at her hip. She smiles faintly. That remark was for the crowd. According to Elle the audience likes her sass. As far as Ayame is concerned, her work here is already done though.
"Not bad though. I like your style," she adds. "You don't fool around and you're not afraid of some blood. If you don't get caught up by the fact that I'm better than you," she continues, pointing at herself with her left thumb, clenched hand out in front of her, "I bet you could really make a name for yourself here." With that, she takes steps away though she never stops facing him, never turns her back as she finally retrieves her staff from the floor.
Pressure applied to a point that only she knows causes the weapon to collapse back down to the shorter tube it was when she produced it before it gets tucked into the pouch attached to her belt.
"Shocking!"
Marise's visage returns as the image of the fights finale fades from the monitors, "Yet another electrifying performance by those who brave the Circle! Our fresh meat received early instruction by our house darling as she took an early lead in the fight! The soldier boy showed he was made of sterner stuff as he held in there, managing to negotiate a fair to likely chance of Aislinn. Which, poor dear Ayame learned, lightning CAN strike twice.."
The Devil snickers with all the sympathy of Marquis De Sade, "In the end, Nassir showed his dazzling skill and array of weapons and he ALMOST put away our little house starlet! However, in an incredible display of martial puissance, Ayame showed us all it is perfectly acceptable to bring a staff to a gun fight! KYA HA! The winner! AYAME!"
More than a small amount of money changed hands tonight for certain. In other circuits and illicit venues Nassir had built up a nasty reputation, and he most certainly delivered. Ayame has been under the wheel so often in fights, those who keep an eye purely on statistics have written her off as a bad venture. However, those who actually bet with an eye for true skill knew she would see her day sooner or later and have made considerable profit on their wagers.
Will Nassir also make those who have faith in his merciless style rich in the very near future?
Only one place to find out..
"Will Ayame ride high on this pain-wrought victory, or will she soon fall prey to those even more vicious than she? I promise you all, our little Desert Warrior may have stumbled here but he will show his true colors soon enough.." The camera closes in upon that impeccable smile filled with glinting, questionably human fangs, "..Until next time.."
COMBATSYS: Ayame has ended the fight here.
Log created on 16:51:52 12/01/2007 by Marise, and last modified on 00:10:14 12/02/2007.