Neo League 601 - #601: Riko vs Luc

Description: Thrilling adventure! Amazing intensity! Splendorous ... MEAT BUNS?! Riko and Luc are pit against each other in mortal combat during a Meat Bun Festival in Chinatown... TO THE DEATH?! Watch in horror, as Luc wages war against all meat buns worldwide!! Can Riko stop his rampage?? (Winner: Luc)



The festive cheer is in the air!

Well, kinda. Actually not. Chinese New Year was over more than a week ago, and the decorations by all rights should have come down by now. They're still up, though. Well, some of them, at least. Lots of random red paper lanterns and other shiny bits, strings of electric lights crisscrossing the streets and alleys of Southtown's Chinese district...keeping the place awash in crimson and gold even deep into the night.

And the reason why? Well, the Chinatown Cooked Food Merchants Association has decided to make the /best/ of this month, going straight from the New Year into a glorious celebration of the finest produce from traditional street stalls. Yes, a glorification of that awesome exemplar of cuisine...

...the steamed meat bun.

Yes, this is the MEAT BUN FESTIVAL 2008.

The streets are lined with special stalls set up for the occasion, hawking buns stuffed with the finest hoi sin pork, minced chicken, egg and mushroom - gourmet beef buns, even highly experimental fusion roast turkey buns. Buns, buns, BUNS. A free marketplace where delicately filled savoury creations can frolic free in the hands and stomachs of worthy pilgrims.

And what better compliment to meat buns than a public demonstration of random violence, sponsored by the Neo League itself?

Well, beer. But there's plenty of that too.

For some strange reason, though, Kensou's nowhere in sight. That's because his agent said he wasn't available for bookings this week. Terrible shame, that, but we'll make do with the usual random draw of League fighters, won't we?

Like, you know, that weird German kid with the flames. And some girl who thinks she's a ninja or something. Surely they will be just as dedicated to the celebration of the glorious bun.

Riko stands at one end of the brightly-lit marketplace, one hand resting in the outer pocket of her long yellow raincoat. She bounces on her heels, the wheels of her in-line skates rapping against the flagstones. With her other hand, she delicately raises a pork bun to her mouth, bites, and chews.

After a moment, her voice carries over the boisterous crowd.

"Not bad...but kinda fattening..."

Many miles across the world, a dark shadow crosses the face of Sie Kensou. The young man shivers. There is a great disturbance in the universe, the feeling of something gone terribly, terribly wrong...

Festive cheer is in the air!
"No, I DON'T want any MEATBUNS, you FAT -ASS-!"
Sort of.
When Luc Schroedinger heard that his Neo League match was going to be held during a 'Meat Bun Festival,' he at first wondered -- quite loudly -- what a 'meat bun' was supposed to be and if they were throwing him into some sort of 'gay parade' and if they were he would 'shove those meat whatevers right up their ass.' The overall sentence and word choice was poor at best, but eventually the German found out what exactly a meat bun was -- after he was told quite plainly about two or three times to his face. His response, then, was just as simple:
"I'm going to fight at a FAT PARADE?!"
Fastforward to present. Luc Schroedinger is currently stabbing a very accusing finger at a man who is not, in fact, all that fat, yelling angrily in his face as a meatbun is offered unto the belligerant high schooler. "Do I -LOOK- like I want to eat your stupid meat bun crap and get fat like YOU?!" "But I'm not--"
An angry shove/punch and stern reprimand by Neo League officials later, Luc finds himself in the center of his would be 'arena,' biting angrily into the very meatbun he had been previously offered.
"... tastes like crap."
It's only then that green eyes look up to squint pointedly at the little Japanese ninja that rocks in place just beyond him. He is silent for a long moment. And then: "... what are you, ten? I'm fighting a preteen midget?? Maaaan..." Luc takes a decided bite of his meat bun, and frowns most gravely even as his cheeks puff from the food jammed in his mouth. "... thish ish gunna be borin'."

"Why, you a pedophile?"

Riko retorts smartly, arching one slender eyebrow as she stares across the market square.

She gestures with one half-bitten bun, being careful to not let any of the filling drip out onto her fingers. She's 14, of course, but it isn't -her- fault that she's short.

She taps the front wheel of her left skate against the ground, giving the older teenager a calculating look. Schrodinger's a volatile type. Just how far can he be pushed?

A thin smile crosses her face, her lips curving into a deliberate line.

"I'm sad you don't recognise me, Schrodinger-/san/."

She puts sickly-sweet emphasis on the honourific.

COMBATSYS: Riko has started a fight here.

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Riko             0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Luc has joined the fight here.

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Riko             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0              Luc


"A pedo--wha--" Luc sputters for a moment. His eyes narrow, and his response is just as eloquent:
He gives Riko the middle finger.
"GO TO HELL, SHORTY!"
Hands clench into fists as Luc gives a most Not Very Happy look in Riko's direction. Black chi sparks and crackles around his fists in an almost subconscious exertion he is barely aware of. And then--
"... Schroedinger-/san/?" The German blinks, and pauses. He doesn't even parse the cryptic comments of remembering her, because he really doesn't. Besides, he has more important matters: "... The hell is a 'san'? Is that Japanese for pedo?! I AM NOT ATTRACTED TO LITTLE GIRLS, YOU... YOU... LITTLE -GIRL-! GRAAAAAAAAGH!!"
And, meatbun in hand, Luc launches forward with explosive fury; chi bursts forth from his body to propel him into a sudden rush that moves him like a sudden blur of black and white. His right leg swings high, sheathed in black-blue fire... before it simply swings -downward- in a stomping kick, as if he were just trying to stomp Riko into non-existence with one explosive strike. "-Stupid- GIRLS!"

COMBATSYS: Riko dodges Luc's Medium Kick.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Riko             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0              Luc


"Gee," Riko asks, her expression completely guileless, "sure you aren't homosexual then?"

The ground beneath erupts in a blast of angry black flame, cratering the flagstones and sending chips flying into the air. But so is Riko, having leapt away from the descending strike. She arcs through the sky, twisting above Luc, the long tail of her yellow raincoat fluttering gracefully behind her. Almost casually, she takes another bite of the bun. At the apex of her spin, she uncoils - aiming her own reciprocrial attack in the German's direction. One skate drops at his skull. Not to bust his head in. She simply attempts to stomp neatly on his head, putting her full weight on one foot...and send him crashing face-first to the ground.

Meanwhile, she takes another dainty bite of her own bun.

COMBATSYS: Luc blocks Riko's Light Kick.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Riko             0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0              Luc


CRASH goes Luc's foot into the ground, the discharge of chi sending chips of rubble into the air from the explosive flames. Green eyes narrow to slits.
"... heh. I-- what?" 'sure you aren't homosexual then?'
The question comes, as does dropping foot seeking to plant itself into Luc's exceptionally thick head. But what she meets... is one solid forearm, skates cracking against solid muscle and bone.
"I don't have to take this from some WEAK MIDGET. SHUT UP AND FIGHT!"
A second. That's all it takes before Luc's left arm pushes Riko's leg off him, and his right swings forward. His hand still holds the meatbun, even as it envelops with flames. His intention?
To smash Riko right in the face with the flaming meatbun in an explosion of bun and, well, meat. "HRAAAAAGH!"

COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Riko with Medium Punch.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Riko             0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0              Luc


Badly charred animal flesh and overcooked sauce splatters in all directions, along with rapidly browning flecks of previously tasty bun. Riko flails backwards, swatted out of the air by the force of Luc's punch. She tumbles head over heels, crashing into a large paper-mache display...smashing through the side of an overgrown faux chicken bun.

(You can tell it's chicken by the dot of yellow food colouring at the apex. Bun identification is a very important technique.)

Not that Riko has much time to realise that, before she crashes through the paper shell and into the wooden frame behind.

Remnants of bun drip off her face as she cracks one eye open, staring out of the impact crater at Luc.

"Ooh," she muses, pouting her lips, "you like it -rough-."

She nods sagely - before lifting her hand and flinging her own half-eaten bun at Luc. The bun she was eating at the start of this fight, now a bit squashed from being in Riko's clutches while she was punched across the arena. As the abused foodstuff flips through the air, though, there's a faint hint of -something- embedded in the filling, disguised by the thick sauce and moist meat.

Then the bun explodes.

Spicy.

COMBATSYS: Riko successfully hits Luc with Medium Fling.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Riko             0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0              Luc


Sauce and meat decorate Luc's hand as he idly snaps his hand through the air, filling flinging out all around him in a fine spray. He looks down towards Riko, eyes half-lidded.
"... Dumbass."
Cracking his knuckles, the German begins to advance on Riko once more -- just before Riko -flings- that bun at him. Green eyes widen as the German berserker attempts a sudden leap to the side -- this attempt is preemptively stopped as the bun strikes him straight in the head, and then--
--BOOM.
The bun explodes. In a rain of meat and sauce that covers Luc and knocks his head straight backwards from the impact. Face covered with chunks of meat and lingering traces of sauce, the Pacific student staggers once, twice--
"What the hell... what kind of MEATBUN EXPLODES?!" The question is roared out almost GENUINELY, but Luc doesn't really intend to give Riko enough time to answer. Exploding FORWARD in a muscle-straining rush, Luc compensates for the distance gained and the distraction posed simply by upping his speed -just that much-. As he closes in on Riko, his arms swing outwards in a sudden cross, snapping to the sides as the very air around him IGNITES into an 'X' of black and blue fire. The roar of chi blazes forward, seeking to blast the sneaky ninja at close range with yet another, bellowing roar.

COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Riko with Aufruhr Kreuz.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Riko             0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0              Luc


Around Riko, the giant paper mache display bun just blows apart in a storm of shredded non-tasty fragments. Flaming bits of promotional advertising rain from the sky, causing the closer members of the audience to draw back in alarm. The girl herself seems more than a little singed, wisps of soot staining her clothes and the previously slick fabric of her raincoat.

She levers herself up on one knee, wiping a sleeve across her face.

"Dunno," Riko replies, coughing slightly, "a gourmet 'un? Don't have very refined tastes, do ya?"

She moves, then, springing back to her feet. Wheels hit the ground, digging into the market's flagstones. She races forward, closing the distance with Luc - weaving to and fro, sketching a zigzag path, before attempting to blaze by his side - and trip him up on the way past.

COMBATSYS: Luc endures Riko's Quick Throw.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Riko             0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0              Luc


"Stop throwing exploding BUNS at me, you jackass! Next time I'll --what?!" In a sudden burst of speed, Riko is already upon him. Like some sort of -- some sort of NINJA she's on the move, attempting to trip him up. Green eyes widen as she rushes past.
And then they narrow.
"Refined tastes?! WHO CARES?!"
The exact second Luc speaks these words, the ninja-girl is already tripping him up, Luc is thrust downward... but in the same moment, he -propels- himself downward, twisting with unusual limberness. Hands -smash- into the ground, pulsating with chi. "Stop talking about STUPID CRAP AND START HITTING HARDER!! GRAAGH!"
As Luc roars these words, he's already springboarding -off- the ground the instant he touches it. Body blasting off like a rocket, he leads off with his right leg -- encased in a spiral of black and blue fire, he seeks to do little more than lance the sole of his polished shoe into the back of Riko's head with -crushing- force... followed by all that chi gathered up in a corkscrew RELEASING itself like an explosive tidal wave of fury to knock Riko backwards.

COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Riko with Tyrant Strike.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Riko             0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0              Luc


Smoke drifts across the market square, as the sounds of impact and furious flame echo their way into silence. For a long moment, there's no sign of Riko...until there's movement over on the other side of the makeshift battlefield, almost at the boundary to the audience. The shattered and burnt debris of what was once a bun stall shifts fitfully...before a yellow-clad arm thrusts itself out from under the broken parts of the big menu board and shop sign. Riko pulls herself out from the wreckage, wincing with each movement.

She manages to stick her tongue out at Luc, all the same.

There's standards to be maintained.

Riko blurs forward again, this time mercifully silent. Her skates scrape against the stones underfoot. But she doesn't reach Luc - she stops short, all of a sudden, slamming her feet into a braking position. One of her arms whirls around, fingers splayed, her palm pointing at the German. Though there's no release of energy, no blast of chi, nothing except...

...well, except the faint gleam of thin wires looped round Riko's fingers, stretching behind her, growing taut - and the elastic twang as their tension releases, hauling in something large and heavy from the junk heap that once was a market stall. It seems like she put her time buried in the wreckage to good use. Because it's not a bun that Riko sends flying towards Luc now.

It's the whole bun machine. A heavy-duty commercial food steamer.

COMBATSYS: Luc endures Riko's Improvised Tactics.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Riko             0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1              Luc


And NOW Luc is getting into the fight. It's all too apparent by the look in his eye, the perpetual crackle of chi between his fingers. He's immersed himself now past the point of common sense. Still flinging through the air after sending Riko on an airborne trip, he lands only a second before Riko's arm thrusts out from the wreckage. Striking ground in a crouch, the berserker pants audibly, green eyes snapping upward-- just in time to see that tongue sticking out at him.
"... fuck -that-," he decides.
The decision comes just in time, too, as Riko is suddenly throwing something at him. He doesn't notice the wires -- he's not observant enough, but more importantly, Luc sticks to the more pertinent facts. That being... Riko is tossing something at him. Something big. Something metal.
A bun machine.
"... hahahaHAHAHAHAHA, THAT'S -GREAT-! BRING IT ON!!"
Roaring out in manic laughter, the angry German EXPLODES forward. Not away from the big metal steamer... but -towards- it. He actually -greets- the thing in mid-air, body EXPLODING with burning black-blue fire. He impacts the bun machine, head first...
... and that's when steam and bun and sauce EXPLODES. -Everywhere-.
Metal bends and rips from the force of impact as steam and pure heat scorch Luc's skin. He doesn't notice. He tackles THROUGH the machine, literally -headbutting- the thing further into the air and away from him. In the same gesture, energy crackles and sparks around his hand, forming into a small lance. "GET BENT, MIDGET!" And with that mighty battlecry, the exact moment the bun machine is knocked away, Luc -flings- that small lance of chi towards the ground at Riko's feet. It strikes. It disappears, seemingly absorbed into the hard earth...
... and a second later it EXPLODES from that very same ground in a huge gout of black-blue power, seeking to just consume Riko in the unrelenting fury before -spitting- her out in one, hellacious explosion. "GRAAAAAAAAAGH!!"

COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Riko with Uberlastung Lanze.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Riko             1/---====/=======|-------\-------\0              Luc


Her body is barely visible. Almost a speck in the air, suspended high above the streets of Chinatown. Her long yellow raincoat, by now scorched and ragged, twists around her as she spins head over heels...blasted aloft by the sheer apocalyptic fury of Luc's assault. A small figure framed against the night sky.

Up above, as the wind whistles over her face, Riko closes her eyes, and takes a shuddering breath.

She begins plummeting earthward, as gravity reasserts itself. Faster, faster, dropping down. As she passes roof level, her right hand snakes out, catching the line of decorative lanterns strung across the market square...the cable digs into her hand, almost drawing blood through sheer pressure and friction. But it arrests her fall. She swings round, the line of paper-and-plastic lamps swaying dangerously under this new weight. But it holds long enough for Riko to come to a halt, resting in a crouch atop the string of lanterns running over the street.

"Sure," she nods to Luc, her eyes still closed, "but...you first."

Her free hand flickers rapidly, fingers forming into a deliberate series of shapes. A focus, as she gathers her chi.

Then:

Release.

Energy pulses down Riko's other arm, into the line of lanterns, into the streetlamps and poles they're tied to. And with a massive surge of energy, bulbs all around the festival market burst in a spray of glass and angry sparks...

...as azure bolts of spirit-forged lightning leap through space, tearing ionization paths towards the German fighter.

COMBATSYS: Luc blocks Riko's Level 360 EX.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Riko             0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0              Luc


Energy. Chi. Something that Luc is well-familiar with. Something that still -pulses- across his arms as he lands anew. Black and blue tongues of flame lick along his forearms in chaotic patterns as he looks upwards towards Riko's prone form, aloft along the strings of lanterns. His lips twist into an angry scowl.
"C'MON!! Show me something GOOD. I'm tired of this crap! Get down here and FIGHT--"
And so she does accomplish at least one part of his demands as lantern bulbs explode all around him... and bolts of energy sting outwards in an angry rain. "What the hell is this..."
Schroedinger reacts in a split moment. Chiflames roar across his arms much more solidly than before as he swings them upwards, intercepting each bolt of chi-lightning as if he were intercepting arrows upon a shield. The chi does much of the work that the physical body cannot; much of the force of the attack is simply -dispersed- from the conflict of Riko's chi against Luc's roaring flames. Whatever remains impacts against his forearms solidly with enough force to send him back in a single, shuddering stagger. Smoke rises from his arms from the sites of impact... but he still stands.
"I said--"
Luc twists. Ducking down, he picks up a chunk of rubble from the destruction wrought on the street from their battle. He doesn't even hesitate. One forward -thrust-, and he -flings- that debris at Riko, to bean her with just enough force to knock her from her perch.
"GET THE HELL DOWN!"

COMBATSYS: Riko dodges Luc's Thrown Object.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Riko             0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0              Luc


The piece of concrete races past Riko's head, missing her skull by only a hair's breadth...as the girl swings on the cable, flipping upside-down. She hangs from the tattered line of smouldering lanterns like some sort of demented teenage bat. Finally, she opens her eyes, meeting Luc's gaze. In contrast to his enraged demeanour, Riko's expression is one of bemusement.

Her lips curve into a smile. Well, it does look like they've progressed beyond silly tricks with meat buns and sundry items - though arguably the German never really got into the whole spirit of the thing in the first place.

Riko tilts her head.

Ah well.

"Down? Well, I suppose. But only because," she says, conversationally, "you asked so nicely."

With a musical twang, the line suspending Riko in mid-air...snaps in twain. She falls, swinging on the cable, carving a crescent arc across the street. As she moves, it becomes apparent that she never let the energy fade from her last attack. The chi she was channeling still flows through her body. And as she swings, Riko's lithe form and the line she's wrapped round leave a crackling blue after-image and the barely perceptable scent of fresh ozone.

Plus, of course, eyeball-scorching brightness as she closes in on Luc.

COMBATSYS: Luc endures Riko's Light Fantastic.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Riko             0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0              Luc


Luc, unfortunately, is not one to 'get' most things beyond 'fight' and 'eat' and 'breath' and 'fight' and 'I hate girls.' The spirit of the event is lost on Luc. All he knows is he is covered in sauce and meat and his opponent is tiny and annoying and he'd -really- like to punch her solidly in the face.
He goes for the second-best option he can get.
Riko descends, swinging on the lantern line. Chi crackles around her body, glowing intensely bright. Luc shields his eyes for a moment. It's only after... that those eyes snap wide, and he lets out a gutteral roar of:
"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT! GWAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!"
Roaring out so very incoherently, Luc EXPLODES towards Riko. He knocks through the crackling blue afterimage, the chi blinding and scorching in tandem. He ignores it. Instead, he lashes out on instinct, his right hand seeking to make a solid grip upon Riko's face, his fingers curling in and exerting -painful- pressure. If the grip succeeds, he swings in midair, thrusting Riko upwards to disorienting effect before SLAMMING his left palm into Riko's gut.
It's at this exact moment that he releases a singularly powerful pulse of explosive black-blue chi, to just knock Riko into the sky once more with blind fury.

COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Riko with Bursting Slam.

[                        \\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Riko             0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0              Luc


As she soars high over the battlefield, Riko's expression goes oddly...contemplative.

She must hurt. Her body's wreathed in chi-flame, in fact...Luc's fury burning through the protective buffering of her own aura, scorching deep into her skin and flesh. And indeed, her nerves are screaming bloody murder. Her bones and muscles are heavily stressed by the /kinetic/ impact as well. Being flung into the air like that isn't exactly a gentle experience.

Her small form spins chaotically, limbs akimbo - flying high as the rooftops, framed between the dark sky overhead and the brightly lit streets down below.

Riko's expression, however, is calm. Almost detatched.

"My," she says, dreamily, "haven't we done this before?"

Deja Vu. Not too long ago, the German sent her flying. And she retaliated with lightning on the way down.

So.

Of course, there's nothing to break her fall this time. No lanterns beneath her. No lines to channel her chi. But that's alright.

Riko plays the last card she brought to this fight. She twists in space, her battered raincoat flaring around her, her arms wide. The yellow fabric shines almost luminous above the festive marketplace.

No. Literally luminous.

Because the intricate patterns worked into the coat's lining, for an instant, /glow/...as the carefully crafted seals take in Riko's chi, channeling it, expanding it, directing it.

Turning her, for just a moment, into an airborne human Tesla Coil.

Touche.

COMBATSYS: Luc blocks Riko's Metamysticparallectrolysis EX.

[                        \\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Riko             0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0              Luc


To Riko's serene thoughtfulness, Luc provides a stark contrast; features twisted in annoyance, and FLARING with life and thoughtless fury. Schroedinger isn't a smart person, by any stretch, but he knows some things. And the one thing he knows best... is how to fight.
That doesn't mean he really knows how to keep up witty banter in a fight, though. "What the hell are you talking about, 'done this before'?! You talk TOO DAMN much!!" Spitting to the side, Luc twists his gaze back towards Riko -- just in time to see Riko -glowing-.
"Maaaaaan... what the shit?"
Luc doesn't try to figure it out. He just focuses on the here and now; specifically, the fact that Riko has turned into a lightshow spraying electricity -everywhere-. Electrical chi spikes outward as Luc simultaneously thrusts out his palms, intercepting the arching bolts with crackles of black-blue power. "Not... good... ENOUGH!!" Roaring out in an inhuman growl, Luc PUSHES off, dispersing the electrical chi in the same instant he rushes towards Riko with one single-minded purpose. His arms sting, the remnants of Riko's chi burning across his body... but he still rushes forward. He attempts to make a grasp at her arm. Should he secure a hold, he'll simply -whip- the smaller fighter up, before SLAMMING her into the ground -harshly-, infusing a sudden charge of black-blue chi into the ninja's very being. "GRAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!"

COMBATSYS: Luc successfully hits Riko with Quick Throw.
Glancing Blow

[                         \\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Riko             1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0              Luc


She doesn't make a sound.

Her slim form is barely visible, curled upon itself, twitching in the impact crater left by that last brutal attack.

But she's still moving.

By all rights, she shouldn't be.

Her eyes are open. Her mouth is set into a thin line, her lips trembling faintly, in time with the spasms rocking her body. Still aware, though. Still conscious.

Luc's got a grip on her arm, as she lies prone on the ground. That doesn't stop her from suddenly /twisting/ in his grip - twisting with an agility she shouldn't possess, after all the damage she's taken. An agility she has anyway.

She lashes out with one knee - bringing her leg up in a single explosive burst of muscle power. Driving it home.

COMBATSYS: Luc interrupts Light Kick from Riko with Aufruhr Kreuz.

[                            \\  < >  ////                          ]
Riko             0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0              Luc


She's still moving. She shouldn't be, but she is. What does Luc have to say about that?
"FUCK THIS SHIT!"
Eloquent as ever, the German roars out as Riko twists in his grasp. She reacts instantly, and Luc... reacts just as fast. A single knee snaps upwards, driving towards his gut. Within a second, Luc releases.
"I hate little girls, I hate midgets, I hate MEAT BUNS! GET LOST!!" The declaration is made with the downward swoop of arms, that same burn of chi igniting across the air in a cross. Broiling blue-black flames cuts off Riko's attack preemptively; the knee grazes his side the exact instant those flames SLAM into Riko at point-blank, explosively seeking to knock her further away across the ground as Luc staggers back.
"Hah... hah... stupid... little... girls."

"But -we- love -you-, Schroedinger-san," Riko spits, forcing the words through a hoarse throat.

She lies in a foetal position across the scarred marketplace, sprawled on her side. Her ribs heave, air coming in fits and starts through damaged lungs. It's clear she barely has enough strength to speak, much less to stand. She's reached her limit.

Around the festive marketplace, the roar of the audience climbs to a crescendo. This is the end.

Well. Almost.

"And so," Riko adds, "do the buns."

With a supreme effort, she lifts one trembling hand. And points.

It's not, admittedly, much of a bun. A sad and partially burnt lump, sitting near Luc's feet...along with the remnants of a bamboo steaming dish. The white fluffy outer layer is split apart, and the red meat contents are spilling out. A sad specimen indeed.

But that makes the wad of plastic explosive and compact detonator wedged inside all the more visible.

Beep.

Boom.

And -then- Riko lets her arm drop, finally lying still.

Ow.

COMBATSYS: Riko can no longer fight.

[                          \\\\  <
Luc              0/-------/-======|


COMBATSYS: Luc blocks Riko's Sudden Fling.

[                           \\\  <
Luc              0/-------/=======|


"Wha--?" 'But -we- love -you-, Schroedinger-san.' "What the hell is that -san supposed to mean, you crazy, stupid Ja--"
Riko's addition causes Luc to cut off his words and look down to where she points. He squints.
"What the hell is that supposed to be--"
And then he notices the plastic explosive and detonator.
And fortunately, Luc is not stupid enough to NOT know what that is. "... AhahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
Within a split second, the German reacts; laughing still, he leaps -backwards-, hands crossing up over his arms in a defensive stance. The meat bun bomb EXPLODES in a rain of white fluff and sauce, the kinetic force knocking into solid forearms and a braces body. Chi flames crackle once more, briefly, across Luc's arms as his body is rocked... but not knocked down. Against all odds, despite the abuses he has willingly and unwillingly endured this fight... Luc stands.
"... hah... hah... che. Stupid. I... win. ... ... Man... I'm hungry." And, with this declaration, Luc twists -pointedly-, starting to stagger off. His right hand snaps out, gripping a meatbun out of the hands of a nearby spectator. "HEY! That's my meatb--"
-CRACK-.
NL medics are left to attend to both Riko and the broken nose of a poor, prone spectator as Luc walks off, chomping down irritably on his newly-acquired food.
"I -hate- meatbuns." Munch, munch, munch.

COMBATSYS: Luc has ended the fight here.

Log created on 18:05:22 02/27/2008 by Luc, and last modified on 00:55:58 02/28/2008.