Description: Kyo and Makoto v. Kain and Oswald in a spectacular match including a dark sphere explosion, overkill card throwing, a headbutt to the face, and even Kyo flipping Kain off for the low cost of three easy payments of 34.99! Planning outmatches Passion as Kain and Oswald put their strategy workout to a 'T'. (Winners: Kain and Oswald)
In the fighting circuit these days, there is no grander stage than the main event of Saturday Night Fight.
Oh, sure, you've got your irregular big-name tournaments, like the King of Fighters or World Warrior, but how often does something like that come around? On the other hand, SNF's main event regularly showcases some of the best and brightest in the world, delivering big matches for the consumption of the general populace on a weekly basis.
Which is part of why, in all likelihood, Geese sleeps every night on top of a giant pile of dollar bills.
This week, though, there's a special treat in store for all the fans: Not just two big names in the form of Kyo Kusanagi and Kain R. Heinlein, but also the current #1 ranked fighter in the Neo League, the mysterious Oswald. And plus there's some girl with big hands.
The first of the fighters to appear is, as it happens, Kyo Kusanagi; the reigning World Warrior champion strides out from the entryway with one fist raised over his head in acknowledgement of the cheers as the Howard Arena announcer calls out the flamewielder's name and lists off his various accomplishments, all quite impressive for a man of his young age. As he steps up onto the repaired fighting stage, Kyo grunts, and looks around at the crowd before his attention settles on the other entryway. Kain Heinlein? This might actually be /interesting/ for once!
Even Oswald couldn't stop from feeling the excitement. While he's not one to showboat to the crowd, he could feel the aura of the arena as the sold-out, standing room only stadium was ablaze with cheers and lit up like a starry night with flashes going off. The atmosphere was positively /electric/.
There had been some preparations before hand, Oswald's not sporting his gloves this time, nor his fancy jacket. No, he has his dressy shirt - a nice deep red and a black tie that matches his equally black pants. Knuckles taped, Oswald limbers up in his own subtle way as the venue's lights turn on and the show begins, eyes closed, hidden behind those crimson specs. Shoudlers rolling slowly one after the other, head tilting from side to side, followed by a slow flex of his fingers.
He was as ready as he'd ever be.
For now he stays still, nothing to be said, just focusing. He'd need his 'A' game for this one.
Kain receives cheers of his own as he strides into the arena. And the fact that he chooses not to acknowledge those cheers? Well, that just makes some of the people cheer all the louder. Fans. Go figure. Left hand hooked loosely in his pocket, Kain walks out onto the arena floor, standing casually once he reaches his starting position. He gives Oswald a brief nod, then turns his attention on Kyo. The look he gives the Kusanagi heir is... cool. No, Kyo is not one of Kain's favorite people. Not that Kyo has done anything /to/ Kain to bring that about. Kain just considers him to be wasting his power.
After a few moments of the silent treatment for Kyo, Kain looks around the arena. He doesn't expect anything has changed since he last checked it out, but better safe than sorry. It wouldn't be the first time somebody's rigged some surprises for a SNF match. In particular he glances up toward the ceiling, to make sure there's nobody lurking up there. Waste or not, Kyo's power is still impressive... and Kain would prefer not to have any unexpected interruptions in this fight.
The last time Makoto was in an SNF where there was a surprise, Oswald was involved.
Damn you, Oswald. Damn you and your budget.
Makoto gets a little less cheering than the others. She's a little younger, a little less well-known - but neither totally unknown nor a kid like Bao, so she gets some recognition. There are just a lot of better-known (or at least cooler, thanks to Oswald) fighters here.
She bows to the crowd as she enters, then turns and walks the rest of the way in, bowing to her opponents as well. Kain she's fought before, and Oswald...well, he's been a pain for weeks, maybe it's time to be a pain back in the way that she knows best. Perhaps surprisingly, Kyo is the one she knows the worst, even though he's the most famous. Go figure.
COMBATSYS: Makoto has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Makoto 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kyo has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Makoto 0/-------/-------|
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kain has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Makoto 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Oswald has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Makoto 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
"Jeez, aren't you an ominous bunch," Kyo says, once Kain and Oswald are both in the ring, all silent and so forth. He doesn't miss the cool look he gets from the direction of Heinlein, but in true Kusanagi fashion his only response to it is a faint 'heh' and a smirk, playing it off entirely. Not that he really knows /what/ Kain's issue with him might be... But Kyo is pretty used to being on the receiving end of the enmity of others.
They're jealous, you see.
Makoto's appearance is met from a faint nod from her partner for this match, Kyo being about as familiar with the Steamroller Girl as she is with him. With elaborate casualness, the Kusanagi flamewielder adjusts his gloves under the sleeves of his leather jacket, before setting his right hand alight with the orange-crimson flames of his bloodline, extinguishing them moments later with a sweeping downward motion of his arm and a clench of his fist.
Over the arena's loudspeaker, the voice of the announcer calls out once more: "READY? FIGHT!!"
And a bare heartbeat after that, Kyo smirks again, looking directly at Kain. "Let's go," the younger fighter says, rushing forward at Heinlein and swinging his right arm in a hooking punch for the blond man's face, flames wreathing his fist and trailing behind his attack. If he lands the first punch, then Kyo just steps in and twists at the waist, swinging his other fist up at the underside of Kain's jaw in a second strike, an impressive fiery uppercut! "GRAA-!!"
Kain's nod is returned now that Oswald's eyes are open and his body squares up, shoulders back as he shuffles his ankles a bit, letting his stance open. His head rolls about a bit to loosen what's left of any tension, testing his balance on left, then on right... and then becoming absolutely, positively still after a flare of action with his arms, settling into his fight stance.
"Let's have a good fight." He intones low and loud, snow-white eyebrows furrowing in as he gives a slight smirk, "The crowd demands it."
That display of flames - he had heard about it, seen it in videos and fight tabulations so many times - but to see it in person was something else. The rush of light reflects on the lenses, giving them a sunset glint as his lips tighten just a tad. He did not want to be on the receiving end of one of those strikes.
The announcement to fight is given, but Oswald bides his time, concentrating on those flames and the haze they leave even as Kyo has extinguished them. He had no such ability to manifest such power at his beck and call. This is something he definately will have to look into.
For now, he gives Kyo a nod, and then Makoto. Respect for both - respect for all his opponents - as he stays still and awaits like a still tree in a hurricane as Kyo rushes toward Kain.
COMBATSYS: Oswald focuses on his next action.
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Makoto 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Kyo successfully hits Kain with Aragami.
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Makoto 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Kain
It's pretty hard for Kain to miss Kyo's approach, but seeing it coming isn't the same as being able to do something about it. He brings his arm up, but Kyo is fast enough to weave around Kain's guard, socking him in the cheek before slamming a blow into his jaw, knocking him back a pace. In the process Kain's left hand is knocked out of his pocket. Fairly impressive, as most opponents take considerably longer before they force Kain to actually use both hands.
Of course, Kain might have been knocked back a step, but he doesn't stay there for long. Heinlein moves forward with a twisting step, planting his left foot and swinging around to bring his right foot swinging sharply upward. Black flame trails behind his leg as he looks to drive an explosive kick into Kyo's chest that will launch him off the ground. Should that succeed Kain joins his victim in the air, but only to unleash a downward angled blast of flame meant to send Kyo crashing right back to earth.
Makoto gets left alone for a few seconds. That's fine by her; it means she can act, and that she doesn't look quite so unprepared when the announcer calls for the fight to start.
Only a few instants after the others burst into action, while Oswald is speaking, she starts to move that way. At first it is Makoto's typical and slightly awkward-looking forward walk, keeping one hand forward at all times, but soon it turns into a run with her feet pounding across the slate flooring - and then, a few moments after that, as she actually gets closer, a running grab.
Makoto slows down after making her grab, having intended to pick Oswald up by the throat with one of those hands (which, although not quite as enormous as people claim they are, are rather large and strong). Rather than choking him, though, she swings up her other arm to reach for his shoulder, grips tightly -
- and then tries to drag him forward to smash her forehead against his! There's only one thing more worth noting: Makoto has a very, very hard head.
COMBATSYS: Kyo fails to counter Schwarze Lanze from Kain with Nue Tsumi.
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Makoto 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Kain
Of course, were he asked Kyo would point out that he's always impressive, and that he's not, as a general rule, 'most opponents'. But he's a little bit on the arrogant side sometimes, you know? Twisting to recover from his punching combination delivered to Kain, Kyo unfortunately takes a moment too long to get his center of balance back where he'd rather it was... As Kain swings his leg up, Kyo aims to catch it, but stepping into the attack like that just results in his getting pretty solidly blasted by the fiery kick, and then from there blasted into the hard rock of the fighting stage.
That hurt a little bit.
Rolling to get his feet back under him, Kyo grunts and glances from Oswald to Kain. "Freakin' copycats," he mutters, straightening up cautiously. "It's like fighting Yagami crossed with the Swedish Bikini Team." Does that even make sense? Kyo doesn't care, which should come as no surprise to anyone who's met his father.
COMBATSYS: Makoto successfully hits Oswald with Tacchuu.
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Makoto 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Kain
Everything else around him became a blur as Makoto begins her assault, the bright and dark flames interrupting his sight now and then as Kyo and Kain put on a light show to accompany their vicious strikes. As much as Oswald would want to get first hand study on those strikes and how they seem to come to be, he's got enough on his hands.
He knew Makoto was excellent at grappling, two fights which he interfered with as Chaos Agent gave him a good view of her skills. Any view isn't enough when you're facing the real thing, as Makoto drives her head straight into his face despite Oswald's best attempts at getting out of her grasp.
"Tch... it's a lot faster when it's coming at you." He grunts, and out come the cards Makoto experienced so many times, but the strike, despite leaving him with a bleeding lip, doesn't stop him from going in for his own as he draws his arms inward close to his body, then gives a double-drive forward, aiming to impale the cards into Makoto.
While Kain has a number of skills, looking good in a bikini isn't one of them. And he's German, not Swedish! Kain lands lightly after propelling Kyo into the ground, then begins walking toward Kyo while he's pulling himself up off the ground. With a flick of his wrist Kain has his right hand held out, black fire engulfing it, trailing behind as he moves. "There's an important difference between myself and Yagami. I fight with control."
With that, Kain sweeps his arm toward Kyo. The black flame expands to engulf his entire arm, leaping out in a wave that extends out several feet and follows the path of his arm. Should Kyo still be standing too close, he'll find himself engulfed in the blaze.
COMBATSYS: Makoto blocks Oswald's Fierce Strike.
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Makoto 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Kain
Makoto is actually not a terribly /skilled/ grappler. Mostly she just uses her strength to advantage, such as when she held Oswald up to ram her forehead into his face. She does let go afterwards, though, although really she barely had to; she's not terribly good at restraining people for long periods of time and Oswald is quite capable of getting out on his own.
He swings himself, and Makoto brings her arms up, crossing them in an X in front of her and letting the cards hit at bad angles. They don't impale so much as leave slashes down the outside of both arms, slashes that she can ignore for now; they sting like hell but they really aren't a terribly serious injury.
Makoto brings her foot up, attempts to plant it on Oswald's stomach, and shove. This both - ideally - clears some room (what is Kain doing? She can't see with Oswald in the way) and is an awful lot like getting a kick to the stomach. "Haa!"
COMBATSYS: Kyo blocks Kain's Schwarz Cutter.
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Makoto 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Kain
It looks like Kain has a serious advantage here over the Kusanagi heir, pressing the attack even as Kyo tries to recover from his failed reprisal. Still, the younger fighter's expression shows no fear or trepidation at all, as Kain advances on him. Instead, Kyo looks as confident as ever, grinning as Kain sweeps that explosion of black flames at him. "Oh yeah?" he wonders, moments before being engulfed by the blast.
...Well, kind of anyway. Kyo springs back out of it almost as soon as it happens, looking singed but not overly worse for it, flipping once and landing on his feet, skidding back another step or two. "Seems to me the first thing you should get under control is that sucking problem of yours!"
Rushing forward at Kain again, Kyo smirks and starts to swing his fist again, flames springing to life... Before he abruptly drops low to the ground with a taunt of: "Psyche!" and swings one leg across both of the German's, before twisting and swinging his other leg back the other way, hoping to drive Kain right off of his feet with a sweep.
COMBATSYS: Makoto successfully hits Oswald with Medium Kick.
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Makoto 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Kain
This wasn't going all too much in Oswald's favor. The cards slide in but don't do much in the way of injury, making him the victim of his own attack as her foot comes up and plants good and solid into his belly. With the thrust, he clears into the world of the horizontal-airborne, throwing his weight back to try and absorb the impact as best he can...
It's during that role, however that a glint of light flashes as his arm uncoils during the fall, launching one of the two cards that had driven into her arms at the properly titled, 'Steamroller Girl'.
COMBATSYS: Kain dodges Kyo's Light Kick.
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Makoto 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Kain
Kyo's feint is well executed, but winds up being of limited effectiveness. When Kyo drops down low, Kain immediately steps back. It's a close call, but Kyo's feet miss Kain's legs on the first swing and so of course he's well out of the way of the followup. His response to Kyo's taunting? A quiet smirk. Perhaps with a few blows to Kyo's ego he'll be able to make the younger fighter lose his temper.
Stepping back in, Kain rears back in order to lash out with a right hook toward Kyo's jaw. Blue energy surrounds his hand as he swings, and upon impact there's a blue flash as the energy pulses, then blasts outward in an explosive addition to the force of the punch.
COMBATSYS: Oswald successfully hits Makoto with Queen.
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Makoto 0/-------/=======|=======\===----\1 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Kain
Makoto has her distance. She sort of wishes she /didn't/, now that he's decided to start throwing things at her; even as he flies backwards, a card hits her in the torso before she even knows it's there. And, because it's a metal-edged card, it hurts like a bitch.
Makoto picks it out as she usually does whenever Oswald embeds one in her, throwing it carelessly to the side; it goes sort of at Kain but not really close enough to be considered an attack. Keeping her distance, she engages in a slow, steady breathing exercise, feet planted just so and hands moving in precise movements. In, and out. In, and out.
COMBATSYS: Makoto gathers her will.
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Makoto 1/----===/=======|=======\===----\1 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Kyo fails to counter Medium Punch from Kain with Nue Tsumi.
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Makoto 1/----===/=======|=======\===----\1 Oswald
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Kyo 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Kain
But was that the real purpose of Kyo's feint?! Therein lies the real question. The younger flame-wielding fighter looks pretty confident despite the fact that Kain ducks out of the way of those kicks, pulling his legs in quickly and moving to set himself, and when Kain's kick comes for his jaw, the Kusanagi heir's hand comes up in an attempt to catch it...
But he wasn't really counting on the energy.
The explosive force blasts Kyo backwards, sending him tumbling across the fighting stage until he finally ends up flat on his back somewhere on the other side of it, staring up at the sky. For a moment, the noise of the crowd fills his head: The cheers of supporters, of the people who just want to see as competitive and close of a fight as possible, urging him on. The jeers of those who embrace negativity, generally attempting to crap on the reigning World Warrior. And you know what?
Screw both of 'em.
Getting up gingerly, Kyo smirks confidently despite the damage he's taken, looking directly at Kain as though the blond man were the only other fighter in the ring. He takes a moment, adjusting his leather jacket and his jeans, dusting his shoulders off and then brushing his hair back out of his face.
And then, wordlessly, he flips Kain off on live television.
The distance gave him a moment to recover and catch his breath if but for a moment, his attention looking to Kain to see how his partner-of-the-hour was doing and as it turns out, Kain is in far better shape than he is, even if getting flipped off by Kusanagi. He's had better fights, but then again, Makoto was a formidable opponent.
And he knew that look, he catches it just as his eyes return to Makoto. That intense stare, that stance, the sight of tension building up in her body. He had seen it quite a few times before. There's a heavy breath that comes out of him as he takes his time to choose his action, giving himself a bit of a reassuring nod and narrowing of the eyes... before taking the moment given by Makoto's focus to charge forward and give a brief leap, drawing both arms up to drive downward in an 'x' slash.
Well, at least one thing Kain and Kyo can both agree on at the moment is the relevence of the audience. Beyond that? Not a whole lot. Kain doesn't appear particularly perturbed by getting flipped off by Kyo. Just as well for Kyo that he got knocked back before doing it, though. If Kyo was within reach, Kain would try to take advantage of that opening to see just how far Kyo's finger can bend in the wrong direction.
But, alas, there is significant distance between the two fighters, giving Kyo some opportunity to prepare before Kain could get that close. So he'll just have to rely on more conventional tactics. Kain charges across the arena toward Kyo, sparing just a moment to flick his gaze over the combat between Oswald and Makoto. When he draws closer to Kusanagi he leaps forward, twisting about in a spin kick in an attempt to crack Kyo in the temple with a flaming kick.
COMBATSYS: Oswald successfully hits Makoto with Diamond.
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Makoto 1/--=====/=======|=======\====---\1 Oswald
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Kyo 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Kain
Makoto is not in a position to move at first because she's still busy focusing. The leaping slash impacts her and she staggers back, partially breaking her focus and stopping her from continuing.
It does not, however, totally disrupt what she was doing - it just means she actually has the option as to whether she wants to do it to Oswald or Kain. Perhaps surprisingly, she starts running right past Oswald, going at a dead run toward the flaming Kain.
Her feet slide the last few feet as she delivers a mighty punch right at his stomach, following it up with a flurry of faster ones. Despite the speed, they don't lack for power; is this the real reason she's called the Steamroller Girl?
The last punch is a bit more steamrollery, though. After the flurry, Makoto hesitates, tensing her whole body and drawing back her first for one mighty strike right at Kain's chin. "SEICHUUSEN GODANZUKI!" she yells, the impact - if she manages it - enough to make her scarf billow out behind her in the breeze.
COMBATSYS: Kyo just-defends Kain's Medium Kick!
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Makoto 0/-------/------=|=======\====---\1 Oswald
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Kyo 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Kain
But really, sometimes a little opportunity goes a long way.
Kyo is waiting for Kain all right, and once the older fighter gets in close enough, the Kusanagi heir actually slides one foot forward a little bit. It seems like it might be a repeat of what's happened so far, as Kain's offense has proven to be pretty overwhelming against the younger man's defense, but this time... Things happen a bit differently. As the kick comes towards his head, Kyo is moving just ahead of it, by a hairsbreadth, feeling the searing graze of the Ankoku flames before he manages to get completely out of the way of the rest of the kick... And then, of course, he laughs. "Aww... So /close/," Kyo adds, entirely impressed with himself, this small success putting the bounce back in his step. Which might just bode ill for Kain R. Heinlein.
As Makoto comes in to strike at Kain with her own powerful flurry of attacks, Kyo can see where she's probably going with that first mighty punch, and shrugging his shoulders, Kyo tosses a 'seed' of flame forward, which blossoms into a massive column of Kusanagi fire stretching into the air, conveniently where Makoto might be punching or otherwise herding the German into. "Hey, Copycat! Here comes the /real thing/. I'll show you..." Kyo lunges into the flames, setting /his own damn self/ on fire as he seeks to batter Kain with a a furry of his own punches, ending the combination with a rising shoulder block to drive the blond man out of the column, continuing to shout as he strikes, his voice oddly distorted by the flames around him. "...THE FIST OF THE KUSANAGI!!"
Has he been completely ignored? Oswald was braced and ready for some rather extreme punishment, but the girl just completely bypasses him and goes straight for Kain. For a second, he lets a bit of that caught breath escape before his battle-paranoia sinks in and he spins around...
A ruse?
Oswald half expected Kyo to be in mid stride to make of him a very red, very bloody, very Flame-chi laiden crater only to find that both the fighers backs were to him. Not that he was complaining, of course. Kain showed he could handle Kyo, thus, individually could handle Makoto. Both, however? Well that was left to be seen.
With a side-hop, he strafes just a bit before taking a single-long step in and turning his body into a full twist, bringing a card up from low to high, aiming to drive a cut into Kyo's back... This was turning in to pure madness...
COMBATSYS: Makoto successfully hits Kain with Seichuusen Godanzuki.
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Makoto 0/-------/------=|=======\====---\1 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Kain dodges Kyo's Mu Shiki.
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Makoto 0/-------/------=|=======\====---\1 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0 Kain
Kain takes the blow from Makoto right on the chin, with a result that anybody not familiar with the girl's fights might find surprising. He goes sailing back (and slightly upwards, at first) at high speed, flying right toward Kyo's trap. As he flies, though, Kain gets close enough to the ground to touch it with his foot, allowing him a little bit of control over his direction, letting him sail right between Kyo and the pillar of flame in a surprise move... and then continuing on to crash to a halt on the floor.
But what's this? It looks like Kain left a little present for Kyo in the brief moment he was flying by. A small black orb floats at about face level, sparks of black energy arcing across it. Then it pulses, once, before erupting in a massive explosion that will probably hurt the ears of even the people all the way in the back of the audience. To say nothing of Kyo, in whose face it's aimed to go off.
COMBATSYS: Oswald successfully hits Kyo with Medium Strike.
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Makoto 0/-------/------=|=======\====---\1 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Kain
It certainly hurts Makoto's ears. She might not have been the target, but she wasn't exactly standing very far away from Kyo and Kain. She winces, but decides to prove that her ears are still working by increasing her own volume. It should penetrate even ringing ears now!
"I'LL SHOW YOU THE POWER OF RINDOUKAN!" Makoto yells, leaping into the air at Kain's back as he turns to blow up Kyo. She jumps high, somersaulting forward through the air and extending one foot as she reaches the apex of her spin; it comes down with the full force and weight of her body focused firmly on her heel, which is being driven at Kain's shoulder so she can spring off and land on her feet.
COMBATSYS: Kyo blocks Kain's Himmlischer Atem.
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Makoto 0/-------/------=|=======\====---\1 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Kain
Sometimes, even the best laid plans of Kyo Kusanagi go awry, it seems, as Kain manages to avoid his attack despite ending up full-on victmised by Makoto's power combination. While the Steamroller girl herself presses the attack against the blond phenom, however, Kyo himself is left in a bit of a bad situation, as he has to deal with both Kain's explosion of chi... And also with Oswald coming at him from behind.
The card-slinging Irishman manages to slash across Kyo's back, cutting open some of that leather jacket, making a line right across the sunburst pattern there... But Kyo's not out of the woods yet. The explosion Kyo manages to get his guard up against, getting his arms in front of him and crouching a little to blunt the initial impact, riding the force in a brief roll to take care of most of the rest... Which leaves him facing off with Oswald himself, a look of faint irritation on the flamewielder's own visage as he regards the mysterious old man. Instead of going after Oswald directly though, Kyo instead takes a moment to try and figure out just what went wrong. "What is this, a freakin' square-dance?"
COMBATSYS: Kyo gains composure.
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Makoto 0/-------/------=|=======\====---\1 Oswald
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Kyo 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Kain
Even as he was in mid-slash, that sudden blast triggers his reaction as if it was destined for his head, legs suddenly tensing and springing him backwards into a defensive roll, coming to a stop in a full crouch just a short distance away. He's lost his specs somewhere along the way, giving a rather obvious look if 'what the hell was that' to the ... rather occupied Kain.
Swimming head and ringing ears set aside, the crowd's growing cheers sound like his head is submerged in a pool. If his senses are disjointed, that means so are his opponents. His eyes close for a second as he draws his concentration in, and moving in to a stand, discards the two cards held in his hands straight to the ground, where they embed in with distinct metallic 'chinks'.
Kain and Kyo weren't the only ones capable of doing some displays of Chi-driven madness, as he brings his arms up before him to bring a brief pulse of darkness about his body, like a dark haze of blank ink. It's not much compared to the power of the Kusanagi and the natural expertise of Kain, but this was his moment...
Enveloped in darkness, now... his blurred form moves...
COMBATSYS: Kain dodges Makoto's Tsurugi.
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Makoto 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Oswald
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Kyo 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Kain
Kain's head whips around when he hears Makoto behind him. With the steamroller girl coming down from above, it would be a good idea not to be in her landing zone. She'll have to be dealt with eventually, but if you're not going to press your advantage after setting off an explosion in someone's face, when will you? Kain springs forward and away from Makoto's kick, hitting the ground in a running approach toward Kyo, while Oswald prepares... something... from the other side.
Leaping again, Kain strikes out with his right leg, flame surrounding his leg as he shifts into a flying kick aimed for the center of Kyo's torso. The flames trail behind him as he attempts to blast Kyo right into whatever Oswald has planned. If Kyo and Makoto can try to arrange some teamwork, certainly the two men who are supposed to be the careful planners of this fight can do so!
On one hand, not being attacked means she can show off for longer, but on the other hand... this is really starting to get a little annoying. Is she a nonentity?
Makoto walks forward slowly in her odd stepping pattern, legs making an X in front of her briefly as she advances almost sideways at Kain. It is tempting to keep hammering on him, but that seems to be a guaranteed route to failure, while Oswald...
Makoto dashes suddenly, breaking her crabwalk to come in low at Oswald, striking in with a spinning kick toward his back and, if all goes well, knocking him forward and off-balance. It's dark, though, and getting darker; she's not entirely sure where he /is/ and that's the other reason for the wide attack; she's tensed the whole way in case she hits him early, or late.
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Kyo with Schwarzer Stob.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Makoto 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Oswald
[ \\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Kyo 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Kyo fails to counter Joker' from Oswald with Nue Tsumi.
- Power fail! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Makoto 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Oswald
> /////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Kyo can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Makoto 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Oswald
> /////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Kain
The kick is true... and as Kyo falls the veil around Oswald's body comes to a still as he becomes airborne. At the apex, perhaps even purposefully, he draws one hand out and high, letting the light catch the corner of the card and glint before his descent begins...
Steel rain befalls as a predecessor to the Gambler's wake as his arms begin to move at inhuman speeds, flicking card after card out in a tremendous barrage... first the spades as he comes from the top to pin his arm to the mat... then the clubs to pin the ankles... Feet land on the ground over Kyo's anchored form before he gives him a smile with a brief pause.
"You can pay me back for this in Neo League, Kusanagi-san." And then the torrent resumes like Kyo comes out of the eye of the hurricane now at point blank range, finishing off with something unexpected as the last card comes up a joker, which he simply holds and lets float to the ground before leaping away...
Today, it seems, the team of Old Age and Treachery have the upper hand against Youth and Speed. Kyo tries to get an arm in the way of Kain's kick, but the German simply powers through it, driving Kyo off of his feet and off-balance, and right into... Something awesome.
When Oswald first starts to strike at Kyo, the Kusanagi heir snarls quietly and actually tries to /grab/ the Karnoffel fighter, but this leaves him even more wide open for the combination that follows, the barrage of bladed cards.
By the end of it, Kyo simply can't keep fighting any more, the damage enough to drive him off of the fighting stage and into unconsciousness, landing with a grunt on the lower floor. Oh, the indignity.
COMBATSYS: Oswald blocks Makoto's Strong Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Makoto 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Oswald
> /////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Kain
Right into the leap, comes the kick of the expecting Makoto. He barely has enough time to turn his torso into it and duck down, arms defensiely raised for a half-successful deflection - the impact itself enough to make him groan with exertion. Damn that girl stung.
"I was right." He brings his arms down with a hard wince as he shifts his weight, "You're one hell of a fighter, Makoto, you do your family proud, I AM CERTAIN!" His arms felt like jelly, a hard throb making them numb, so he favors his legs instead, throwing the pain-numbed arms over Makoto's shoudlers to clinch her, aiming to deliver a knee...
Kain lands smoothly after kicking Kyo right into Oswald's attack, then pauses for a moment to admire the manner in which the card player takes down the fiery youth. Of course, even once Kyo is disposed of, that still leaves Makoto to be dealt with. Oswald gets in rather close to Makoto, however, so Kain takes his time in walking over toward the two of them. Oswald is doing pretty well now, and it would be a shame to just kick right through him to get at Makoto... although the possibility isn't /completely/ discarded.
For now, though, Kain waits for an opening, then slips past the two of them to get behind Makoto. He then spins about, lifting up his right foot to drive a sweeping kick into the small of Makoto's back. A painful spot to be hit, to be sure, but even more so when the kick is accompanied by a blast of searing black flame.
COMBATSYS: Oswald successfully hits Makoto with Strong Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Makoto 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Oswald
> //////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Makoto blocks Kain's Medium Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Makoto 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Oswald
> //////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Kain
Oswald's knee catches Makoto right in the stomach, causing her to double over for a moment and making her do a short hop backwards to avoid falling over. It's close even /with/ the hop. She wasn't expecting it to sting that much.
The launch backwards is actually a good thing for her (except for the part where it REALLY FREAKING HURT, anyway) because it puts her too close to Kain for the strike to be easy. She twists, catching part of the impact on her hand, which immediately goes from 'fine' to 'numb except for the stinging'. She does /not/ yelp. She's too tough for that.
"I do my best!" she says to Oswald, before summoning what's left of her strength and leaping into the air, flying a good thirty feet. If there was a wall there she'd jump off it. As is she uses the corner of the ring to catch herself by her feet and throw herself /back/ - but this time with a lot more momentum - at Oswald.
Foot-first.
Makoto kicks, then kicks, then kicks again, a series of spinning kicks designed to keep Oswald off the ground and juggled at about chest height - and then she uses her sore hand to smash forward, propelling him up and away, if she's managed to hit at all. Even if he dodges /some/ of it, there's no guarantee he'll get away entirely.
COMBATSYS: Oswald counters Abare Tosanami Kudaki from Makoto with King.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Makoto 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Oswald
> //////////////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Kain
That sail upwards brings him to raise eyebrows and smile just a tad. It's always good to see someone give it their all - to not putter out just because the odds are against them. Maybe it will pay off, maybe it won't but the effort is there. More people needed that energy... that gusto.
"Give me everything you have..." He speaks as she flies that thirty-foot parabola, maybe she could hear him even over the raging cheers of the crowd, but it's when she lands on the ring corner that he shouts, "SHOW ME YOUR SPIRIT, MAKOTO!" As she sails toward him.
And into nothing...
At that final moment, just as the base of her foot presses into the fine fabric of his rather tousled shirt, the pressure being built gives way and she simply passes through and to the mat, as she's kicked clean through a king-of-hearts... With Oswald standing now in Kain's Shadow...
Oswald continues to impress. Seems he has quite a few tricks up his sleeve. But as this particular trick has not put Makoto down, it seems it falls to Kain to attempt to rectify the situation. Kain closes the distance between himself and Makoto, and as he draws close he once again goes for a sweeping kick. But this time he aims high, attempting to slam his leg into her neck and hook her with his foot. Should that succeed, it should then just be a simple matter of continuing the motion to introduce Makoto's head to the stone floor at the same time Kain's foot erupts in a blast of dark fire.
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Makoto with Strong Kick.
[ < > //////////// ]
Makoto 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Oswald
> //////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Kain
Makoto hits the ground. She hates fighting ninjas! They're almost as bad as the people who stand very far away and continually throw chi at her. That's not fighting, that's being an annoying jerk.
Kain kicks her in the side of the head with a blast of chi. She does have one thing to say about him, though, and that's that he does it from up close. A plus! She visits the floor soon enough too, staying down and staring at the slate for some time.
That actually isn't staring; that's unconciousness.
COMBATSYS: Makoto takes no action.
> //////////// ]
|=======\-------\1 Oswald
> //////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Makoto can no longer fight.
> //////////// ]
|=======\-------\1 Oswald
> //////////////////// ]
|===----\-------\0 Kain
Oswald wasn't looking when Kain's leg came up and delivered that punishing blow to her body. The dull thump of her unconcoius body striking the mat paired with the roar of the crowd was telltale enough for him to know that a victory was achieved.
Hands clenched into fists and arms at his sides, his eyes close and his head looks up for a moment, letting a tense breath flow out of him nice and slow, cleansing the adrenaline out of his body, letting the pain from the throbing arms and busted lip rush in and take over. It was a victory, it was a good fight on both sides.
"I hope I met your expectations." He speaks as he brings one arm to cradle the other, rubbing at the forearms where he took that crushing hit from Makoto's kick, rolling that shoudler to try and ease the burning fires in his shoulder, "It will come as no surprise that you completely and utterly surpassed mine. But seems the plan was well enough - only Kyo was the pressure point."
COMBATSYS: Kain has left the fight here.
COMBATSYS: Oswald has ended the fight here.
Log created on 18:35:55 03/21/2008 by Oswald, and last modified on 17:29:44 03/26/2008.