Description: The Neo League plays host to a rematch of epic proportions as Kyo Kusanagi and League founder Ken Masters face off for the first time since the World Warrior tournament, on Ken's home ground! Though Ken takes control of the match early on, and seems to have the whole thing won, Kyo reminds everyone that there's a REASON he's so damn arrogant! (Winner: Kyo)
The crowd is going wild and why shouldn't it. Like dogs ready to receive fresh meat, they are drooling over such a promising fight. This is how to start the new year of the Neo League. The beginning fights are decent, pulling a five on five to keep peoples interest up. But sheer numbers isn't what brought people here… But rather the quality of those that are in the main event. The announcer rides the momentum as he gives a long lead up for the hometown champ. After a lot of title throwing, the important part final comes.
"And here he is, the founder of the Neo League… KEN! MAAAAASSSSTTTERS!"
Making his way out from his entrance, Ken moves to be on the beach, the usual starting point of the fights. Dressed in his usual garb, he seems causal and friendly enough, having been able to take a break for awhile to be with his wife and son during the holiday season. Was that the reason he lost his own league or something else? Only time will tell. Either way, he waits for announcer to call in Kyo, a confident smug look upon Ken's face.
"...And his opponent, the reigning World Warrior... KYO! KUUUUUUUUUUUSANAGI!!"
Well... It's not as many titles as Ken, is it? But it's one that /really counts for something/, in Kyo's mind. The American's smug confidence is mirrored on the face of his approaching challenger, dark brown hair ruffling lightly in the faint breeze that blows through the arena; Kusanagi is dressed in what looks more like street clothes than real fighting garb, but honestly when has he ever bothered to conform to most people's expectations of a martial artist? As he draws closer, his shoes kicking up sand as he moves onto the beach opposite Ken, Kyo tilts his head slightly to one side, one brow cocking. "Nice place," he says to the karate champ, actually... Giving a compliment?! "Pretty nice surroundings for me to kick your ass in, huh?" Oh, that's why.
Holding his right hand aloft, he sets that appendage on fire, letting those distinctive Kusanagi flames rage for a few seconds in full view of the crowd, before snuffing them out and bringing his hand back down, assuming his casual fighting stance. "Tell you what, though... Since you're the host here, I'll let you get the first shot in. Make it a good one, okay? 'cause I'm gonna take you out in one shot," Kyo boasts. But what's a fight without trash talk?
Especially a Kyo Kusanagi fight; his first words were probably him talking smack.
COMBATSYS: Kyo has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Kyo 0/-------/-------|
"Gee, that's real swell of you. But no one one-shots Ken Masters, especially a guy like you."
Ken knows of Kyo's power though, which is why the usual smirk drops just a hint. The last time they fought, he was able to hold his own until the end when Kyo unleashed all of his power. It totally overwhelmed him. But this time will be different. If Ken wants to defeat Geese and Vega in battle, he's gunna have to step it up. Defeating Kyo is just a step in the road.
Ken races for Kyo once he gets into his fighting stance, trying to get two hands on Kyo's shirt. Should he get a good grip, he'll toss Kyo to the side. As the fighter is in the air, the American fighter will give a powerful roundhouse toward Kyo's flying body.
COMBATSYS: Ken has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Ken
COMBATSYS: Kyo blocks Ken's Tsukami Nage.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Kyo 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Ken
Caught by Ken's hands on his shirt, Kyo just... Goes with the flow, as he's thrown at least. Twisting in midair, the younger fighter takes the roundhouse on an arm, riding the momentum as he continues to twist, hitting the sand in a skidding roll. "Ohh... /Almost/," he chides, before he starts closing the distance between himself and Ken once more, at a dead run. "Has your defense gotten any better?!" he wonders as he closes on the blond, and then Kyo throws himself into a low hooking punch with his right fist, flames trailing from his hand as he swings it.
If that first punch lands, of course, it's hardly the end of things; twisting on his heel, Kyo swings his other fist up in a vicious fiery uppercut aimed at the underside of Ken's jaw, hopefully with enough force to knock the Ansatsuken fighter right off of his feet. "HAAA-!!"
COMBATSYS: Ken auto-guards Kyo's Aragami!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Kyo 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Ken
The first fist is caught by Ken's open palm. Oddly enough the energy doesn't burn Ken, but rather travels along his arm, the flames seemingly going into his body and becoming part of his own strength. The second fist gets nothing by air as Ken is able to avoid its swift path, less than an inch between Ken's jaw and the flames of the Kusanagi. Kyo is aggressive as usual, but he has the power and speed to carry his style well. However, Ken is not the same fight he was a few months ago. Ken only has one word for Kyo's question.
"Heh."
That said, Ken tries to pull his foot straight up into Kyo's face with a powerful axe kick. Should he get a solid blow, he'll take the heel and drop it right on Kyo's shoulder. It doesn't have a lot of flash other than displaying Ken's flexibility, but sometimes the easiest moves have the best results.
COMBATSYS: Kyo fails to counter Inazuma Kakato Wari from Ken with Nue Tsumi.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Kyo 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Ken
If Ken's defense of that fiery punch combination puts any dent in Kyo's own confidence, his certainty in his own awesomeness and ability to win the match, the younger man gives no sign of it at all. Indeed, the Kusanagi heir looks as focused and confident as ever, taking a half-step back as Ken avoids his second strike. This is enough room for him to see the next attack coming... But, perhaps, not enough room for him to deal with it.
He reaches to try and catch Ken by the kicking ankle, but in stepping into the attack Kyo can't quite manage to get a grip on the other fighter's limb, nor can he compensate and get out of the way. Instead, he gets kicked in the face, and then on the shoulder, the blows staggering him and knocking him back. For a moment, surprise registers on the arrogant young fighter's face... But only for a moment.
"Ohh, been taking your vitamins, I see," Kyo says tauntingly, before he heaves a dramatic, put-upon sigh. "Guess I'm gonna have to actually /try/, now..."
The Ansatsuken fighter takes a step back as he doesn't know the counter failed. Close up counters are usually only known when they work, after all. Despite this fact, Ken is still ready for Kyo's tricks. After all, he is ready for one of those Trump cards from the young fighter. Ken gets himself into a more firm stance, digging his feet slightly in the sand as he bends his knees. Clearly he's getting ready to pounce. "Good, I was wondering when I could start raising the stakes," Ken retorts back.
COMBATSYS: Ken focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Kyo 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Ken
"Hmph," mutters Kyo in a more amused tone than anything else, getting his footing steady as he watches Ken. "Let's see what you've got then, before you get any older. I can hear your creaky joints from here!" Of course, Ken's not THAT much older than Kyo himself, but... Well, Kusanagi is kind of a jerk. Once again, flames spring to life in the palm of his right hand, raging as a feeling of... Pressure... Emanates from Kyo's form; energy gathering, redoubling on itself, building ever higher. "Haaaaaaa..."
COMBATSYS: Kyo gathers his will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Kyo 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Ken
The increase of power means that Kyo isn't kidding about taking off the kid gloves. Time to show him that Mr. Masters isn't bluffing either. While most would flee, Ken races in, trying again to grab onto Kyo's shirt. "Old?" Should he get it this time, he'll roll backward a few times, taking Kyo along with the right before trying to throw him right into a tree. "As if!"
COMBATSYS: Kyo blocks Ken's Jigoku Fuusha.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Kyo 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0 Ken
Caught by Ken once more, Kyo goes along for the rolling ride, and once he's finally thrown, the younger fighter twists once more in midair to catch himself feet-first against the tree. "Oop... You sure about that?" he wonders, kicking off of that poor tree to flip forward onto the ground, smirking with all the confidence he can muster - and that's an awful lot of confidence, don't you know.
Dashing forwards, Kyo doesn't bother getting right up in Ken's face again, instead leaping off of the ground once he's reasonably close, kicking one leg up in a straight kick at the Ansatsuken fighter's jaw... Before twisting at the waist to swing his /other/ leg up in quick succession for a second kick, possibly trying to knock poor Ken's block right off.
COMBATSYS: Ken interrupts Nana Juu Go Shiki Kai from Kyo with Shoryuken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Kyo 1/-======/=======|=======\=------\1 Ken
In times past, Ken would have tried to dodge when a powerful attack came. He would have tried to block. He would have been on the defensive. But he learned that sometimes, it's better to take the pain in order to give more out. Balrog worries about his pretty face, but Ken understand that a bruised cheek is worth a fight if it's against a worthy foe.
Kyo will find that his first attack grazes over Ken's head, brusing a few of the hairs as it passes. The second will find Ken's head, but not because he made a mistake. His fist roars with his own fires, the red trailing up from the ground until it smashes into Kyo's chin. Kyo knows what this attack is, but Ken says it mostly for himself and the many people watching.
"SHORYUKEN!!!"
Okay, Kyo walked right into that one.
Actually, truth be told, the Kusanagi heir isn't doing all that great here, is he? Ken is making quite a showing, as he powers through the younger man's kicks and rises up with that powerful uppercut, forceful enough to send Kyo flying away, spiralling as he sails through the air, and finally crashing into the ground.
A bare second later, Kyo pushes himself back up to his feet, rubbing his chin with the back of one gloved fist. For the moment, at least, his seemingly indomitable arrogance isn't being thrown around heedlessly... For the moment, at least, Kyo looks more serious than he usually does, his attention focused directly on Ken himself. For once, he doesn't even seem to have anything to say, as he watches Ken and slowly steps to one side, describing a careful quarter-circle around the Ansatsuken fighter, looking for an opening...
COMBATSYS: Kyo focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
Kyo 1/-======/=======|=======\=------\1 Ken
Pain is coming. Ken knows it. Kyo is hurt and on the ropes, but Ken understands that the fight isn't over yet. It's over when Kyo is down and doesn't get up. Until then, Ken fights to win and is ready for anything. "What's wrong, the fact that you actually made me train shut you up? I hope you weren't expecting an easy fight this time around!" Ken cries out as he races for Kyo leaping into the air to try and give a swift jump kick to Kyo's chest, trying to knock him down and keep his stance shakey.
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Kyo with Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Kyo 1/=======/=======|=======\=------\1 Ken
Even Kyo, as lazy as he is, doesn't like /easy/ fights... And Ken is certainly proving to be anything but that, right about now. He's definitely got Kyo on the ropes, and the younger fighter knows it well; which is of course why, as Ken leaps to kick him in the chest, Kyo actually stands there and takes it. It doesn't work quite how he was planning, as he miscalculates enough to get thrown off of his concentration, staggering back...
But oh, he's not quite done yet.
Suddenly, the sacred Kusanagi flames spring to life in Kyo's hand once again, the fires building and raging, and rather than fall, Kyo throws himself heedlessly forward at Ken, lifting his hand over his shoulder before sweeping it out in a wide arc, unleashing a hellstorm of pure fire that seeks to engulf Ken completely, and hopefully turn things around a little bit. "EAT... THIS!!"
COMBATSYS: Kyo successfully hits Ken with Orochinagi'.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Kyo 0/-------/---====|=======\======-\1 Ken
The blast of fire roars toward Ken. He knows it's coming. It's what beat him the last time. He refused to let him be defeated by it a second time. Ken throws up his defense, trying to get his forearms to meet it, but it easily gets past him and throws him clear across the waters into the deeper side of the waters. He lands in the water, and for a few seconds, people think that the fight is done. The Kyo fans cheer after a second's respect, while the fans of Ken boo loudly. Of course, as a blond flash of hair whips out of the surface of the water, the masses are silent once more.
Ken gets up on a stone, looking rather burned despite being soaking wet. He breaths in and out a few times, going from perfect and dandy to hurting a lot. This is why he went all out and didn't take a second to bask in the victory. Now with Kyo's great move spent and with both warriors battered and tired, the REAL fight can begin.
"NOW THIS IS WHEN THE PARTY STARTS!" Ken roars on the top of his lungs as he races across the wet stones. His agility is astounding, making it seem like he was running across dry carpeting. He never slips and is advancing on Kyo like a freight train. However, Ken lacks the mass it merely ram Kyo. Of course, that's where the fists of Ken Masters come in. As soon as Ken gets close enough, which is only a couple of seconds, he lets his fist explode into flames. What follows is a small Shoryuken, but that's not what the move is... That's just the start. A second uppercut comes, and then another final uppercut which takes Ken into the skies, trying to drive into Kyo until there is nothing left. He won't lose again. Not this time.
COMBATSYS: Kyo counters Shouryuu Reppa from Ken with Nue Tsumi.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Kyo 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Ken
Now that, that is what Kyo is talking about. "Not yet," the younger fighter mutters when the fans start cheering or booing as they prefer at the apparent defeat of Ken Masters; arrogant though he might be, Kyo is well aware that the Ansatsuken fighter isn't done yet, so he doesn't look particularly surprised as the blond gets up out of the water... Instead keeping his attention focused on the older man. What's he going to do next? Probably something pretty painful.
Lightly shifting his stance, Kyo skids his right foot back a bit, creating a wider balance... And then Ken comes at him with a considerable amount of speed, leaving the Kusanagi heir with not too many options. With no time to really come up with a complex strategy, and no time to just get the hell out of the way, Kyo instead improvises, stepping /into/ Ken's attack, and grabbing his punchin' arm by the wrist.
Uh oh.
"YOU THINK I'LL LET YOU?!" Kyo bellows in return, swinging his other hand at Ken's face, balled into a hard fist and alight with those sacred Kusanagi flames, striking hard enough to probably knock the blond right off of his feet, and putting a decisive end to Ken's own attack!
The blow smashes into Ken and he falls to the ground a second time. He went from owning this match to seemingly on getting the wrong side of the stick. What changed the momentum? That one all or nothing move from Kyo... If it hit, this would have been a different fight. Sadly, luck is not always around when Ken wants it so he'll just have to hope his skill can make up for it in the meantime. Ken leaps up quickly, just trying to give a swift punch to Kyo's face. It's not much, but he has to get a little more energy, try and keep his guard up as best he can... He doesn't expect Kyo to let him win, but Ken expects to win just the same. His daddy didn't raise failures, after all.
COMBATSYS: Kyo just-defends Ken's Jab Punch!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Kyo 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Ken
But this is why professional fighting is such a popular sport; the excitement, the unpredictability. The way things can change in a heartbeat... It's a big part of the appeal, not just for fans but for the fighters themselves, right? Even Kyo, deep down, loves the thrill of the fight. Almost as much as he enjoys winning. When Ken comes after him with that punch, the younger fighter is already moving backwards, intercepting the fist with the palm of his hand, rendering the hit largely harmless; but it's certainly enough to give Kyo the feeling he's got a handle on the pace of the fight again.
Suddenly, Kyo drops towards the ground, swinging his leg at Ken's ankles in the hopes of knocking him off-balance... Before twisting and kicking back the /other/ way with his other leg, to exploit that lack of balance and once more knock the Ansatsuken fighter to the ground. "Hua--!!"
COMBATSYS: Ken blocks Kyo's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Kyo 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Ken
The blow meets with Ken's forearm, a pained look on his face as he absorbs most of the blow. He needs to keep fighting. This fight isn't over and he doesn't plan to just give it to Kyo either. Pushing away the foot, Ken decides to try a blow of his own. He leans back slightly as he throws out a powerful kick toward Kyo's chest. He's almost there... Just a bit more to go.
COMBATSYS: Kyo blocks Ken's Ushiro Mawashi-geri.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Kyo 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Ken
Still in the process of getting up after his own kick is pushed away, Kyo barely manages to get his arms in the way of Ken's forceful one, his crossed forearms intercepting the kick and bearing the brunt of the hit, though it still staggers him a little as he gets to his feet, a bit of numbness creeping down his arms. "You look tired, sure you don't want to take a nap?" he wonders of the blond, but of course he knows what the answer is likely to be.
Which is why Kyo throws himself forward with another fiery punch, this one aimed right at the side of Ken's head! "I think..." he says as he strikes, following the first punch with a rising backfist from his other hand, more flames following in the wake of his hand's motion. "...you're just about..." And then he lunges forward and up off the ground, seeking to catch Ken with his shoulder - and, of course, more Kusanagi flames - and carry him into the air as well. "...DONE!!"
COMBATSYS: Ken dodges Kyo's Dokugami.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Kyo 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Ken
The first attack wizzes right by Ken's head, almost touching his right cheek. A wisp of flames even burns some hair near his temple. Ken leaps back to avoid the follow-up, taking a breath or two. Kyo might be good at punching what he wants to, but Ken's good at avoiding people that want to punch him. "No, not yet," Ken offers proudly. "This fight isn't over until it has a nice clean finish. Give the people what they PAID FOR!"
He races for Kyo trying to pull him forward to chuck him to the ground. It's the third throw this fight and his weakest, but he's getting tired and so he's just trying to go with what he thinks will work. There will be a showstopper soon enough, have to buy some time in the meanwhile.
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Kyo with Jigoku-guruma.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Kyo 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Ken
But you know, sometimes things don't have to be powerful to be effective.
Kyo, surely just as tired as Ken is here, breathes a little raggedly in the aftermath of his avoided strikes, stumbling a bit as Ken leaps away... And in fact, stumbling right into the other fighter's grasp. Whoops. He gets thrown, and he tries to roll with the impact, but manages to land on a rock (ow) before he can continue rolling to get clear of the Ansatsuken fighter's easy grasp, getting to his feet. He winces a bit as he touches his side tenderly... But then he grins.
"All right," says Kyo, rolling his shoulders in a shrug. "Let's give 'em what they want, then. A nice, spectacular finish." He snaps his fingers, and his right hand is once more engulfed in his trademark flames, and Kyo takes a single step forward. "Now I'll show you..." he starts to say, swinging his hand towards the ground and causing a MASSIVE column of crimson flame to erupt from the ground, ideally focused right on Ken himself, before Kyo then lunges into the flames himself, aiming to punch Ken a whole lot while being himself ON FIRE. "...THE FIST OF THE KUSANAGI!!"
COMBATSYS: Kyo successfully hits Ken with Mu Shiki.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > / ]
Kyo 0/-------/-------|=======\====---\1 Ken
The massive column of fire comes right for Ken an engulfs him. The arm guards did little to stop the onslaught and Ken drops to one knee. "Good, we got the finish... Now for the cherry on top," he says before he raises for Kyo, his fist exploding into flames as he raises for the man, trying to give one final and powerful uppercut right into his jaw. After the move, Ken drops down his one knee and both of his hands, unable to even stand at this point. At least the crowds will have gotten the fight they paid for regardless of the result.
COMBATSYS: Ken can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Kyo 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kyo dodges Ken's Shinryuu Ken'.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Kyo 0/-------/-------|
After all that, Kyo's breathing is even heavier than it already was, and he staggers back a step or two after he finishes punching Ken, trying to get his guard back up in case the blond has anything left in him... Which, of course, he totally does. The only thing that saves Kyo here? The fact that the Ansatsuken fighter is pretty much out of gas; the Kusanagi heir sees that powerful uppercut coming, telegraphed by Ken in his current state, and barely manages to avoid it, feeling the chi energy graze his chin as he leans backwards, straining to get back far enough...
But in the end, Kyo's the one left standing, raising his right hand in the air victoriously, alight in flames. "Looks like I win," he declares confidently, snuffing out the flames as he clenches his hand into a fist... And then he turns to start walking away. "Keep training, huh?" Kyo says back over his shoulder, towards Ken. "Not a lot of people worth fighting, and I'd hate to see you slack off." That was almost a compliment. Ken should feel proud of himself!
"Heh... Next time, Kyo," Ken replies as he gets helped up by two Masters Arena Medics. It used to be hot college girls that helped Ken off the field in the days when Ryu and Ken were new to the scene. Sadly, the married life put an end to that one real quick. "If there was someone that I wouldn't mind giving me my first loss in my own league... It would be you. Keep it up," Ken offers with a smirk.
Log created on 17:34:47 02/02/2008 by Kyo, and last modified on 23:28:39 02/02/2008.