Description: A Lightweight Main Event in Howard Arena! Four fighters enter, but who leaves with the Contenders' Gold? (Draw Match!)
So, the main event of Saturday Night Fight: Usually a showcase for the biggest names in professional fighting, your Heinleins and Kusanagis, your Masterses and Yagamis and whatever the hell Ryu's last name is-s. Sure, you get lesser known fighters in the big match on occasion, but usually they only end up on the top of the card by dint of facing off against a more famous opponent. But tonight... Tonight is a night for the up and comers.
Some of them have become familiar faces, gained their share of popularity; others are unknowns, new names given a chance to prove themselves on the grandest stage you're likely to see most weeks: The raised stone platform of Howard Arena.
Still, even if they aren't big names, the crowd is fairly lively and hot for the match: Howard Enterprises has a good advertising department. Standing at one of the four corners of the fighting stage is one of the participants, early for once; Gedo High's own Tenma Kiryuu, standing casually with his left hand at his side, thumb dripping blood in a slow patter on the slate tile underfoot; his right arm is held up, but close to his body, slanting his usual weapon against his shoulder. That bokken, a seemingly simple, slightly curved wooden blade carved in a featureless, crossguard-less representation of a Japanese sword, slants against his shoulder. The blade is wreathed in a blood-red aura, like thick smoke or mist, blood and chi mingled together to the point that they're inseparable.
Even if nobody else is, Tenma is already ready to fight.
Zach is in the corner opposite of Tenma. The two fighters, both up and coming as it were, have something else in common. Both Zach Glen and Tenma Kiryuu were semi-finalists in a rather high-exposure (if not somewhat insane) tournament within the last year.
Zach grins. He knows, somewhat, what he is in for. He's ready for it, actually. He does some light stretching, both mentally and physically. This is his first Main Event. He needs to make it a good showing, for pride if nothing else.
Purple energy seeps out from Zach, spilling to the stone floor like mist out of a bucket of dry ice. Tenma is certain not alone in his readiness...
Flora took a little bit longer to show up - well, actually, she didn't. She was here first. BUt it took her a very long time to actually step onto the arena because of one thing:
Stage fright.
Flora is not in the least comfortable with this. She's in her kyudo uniform - gi, hakama, the whole bit - as she steps onto the hard floor, carrying her enormous bow with her and with a larger quiver than she normally carries, just in case. She is, after all, fighting more people than usual.
"Um," she says, as she steps up onto the platform.
One of the last fighters on the block, Birdie came out the same way he always does. Huge, muscular and looking for someone to POUND! And in this Saturday Night Fight, he was just substituing for someone that didn't show up. You know how problematic that is sometimes? Birdie had nothing to do with it, really. He totally didn't bound and gag the fool to get the spot.
He ain't that devoted to this!
Birdie's going to still get up in here. He knows pretty much everyone about. That crazy Zach kid with the purple shit, that bloody water dude that's always on his period, and now this other girl he's not too sure of. He raises an eyebrow.
"Never saw you before, chick-a-dee. You new here? Hehehe. No worries, I'll go reaaaal easy." Birdie states with a shit eating grin as he looks about, still in his denim, with chain, and with excellent hair piece.
This is where legends are made!
COMBATSYS: Zach has started a fight here.
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Zach 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Birdie has joined the fight here.
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Birdie
COMBATSYS: Flora has joined the fight here.
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Flora 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Birdie
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Zach 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Tenma has joined the fight here.
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Tenma 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Flora
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Birdie 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Zach
Of course, Tenma does recognise Zach, from their brief encounter in another Saturday Night Fight some time ago... Vaguely, anyway. The second arrival, Flora, is a complete unknown to the Guardian King, but the fact that she's got a /bow/ with her certainly gets a raised eyebrow. You don't see that a lot in the professional fighting circuit, but hey, whatever works, right? Birdie's arrival, in the other hand, gets an amused snort from the lean teenager, who hikes his bokken a bit higher on his shoulder.
"Y'know, if you keep followin' me around, I'm gonna think you've got a crush," Tenma says to the chain-wielding thug. He doesn't sound, or look, the least bit intimidated by the larger man, though he's well aware of Birdie's capabilities. That doesn't mean much, though: Tenma would act the same way if Kain Heinlein stepped into the ring instead.
He's not terribly sensible, y'know.
Once all the four fighters are present in the ring, the SNF crew doesn't waste any time: Keep the fans waiting, and they'll lose interest. Instead, Birdie and Flora barely have time to get their footing on the stone platform before a resonant voice calls over the loudspeakers. "Laaaaaadies and gentlemen!! This four way free for all is a CONTENDER'S BELT MATCH, to fill the recently vacated title! So if our participants are ready... FIGHT!!"
No sooner does the announcer call the start of the match than Tenma Kiryuu starts moving. His bokken swings down off of his shoulder, cutting a wide vertical arc in the air in front of him; red trails after the motion of the wooden blade, and from that afterimage is born a roiling crescent of blood, the chi mingled in it keeping it cohesive and sending it tearing through the air... Right towards Birdie, of course.
Zach knows a bit of how each of these fighters fight, having ran into or across them at one point or another. He does not know much about Flora, but Tenma and Birdie are far more known quantities to the smallest of the quartet. Tenma's assault on Birdie gets Zach to thinking.
He only pulled that draw by sheer luck. Victory would be best attained by eliminating the big man first.
Zach thrusts one hand toward the ground, and lets out a loud kiai. Purple mist turns into purple fire around the youth worker, casting a violent hue across the arena as Zach reaches for his birthright...
COMBATSYS: Zach gathers his will.
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Tenma 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Flora
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Birdie 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Zach
Flora is pretty distinctive. The only reason she's not the tallest person in the fight is because Birdie happens to be around; she sticks out head and shoulders over most of the others in it. And, of course, there is that bow.
It looks a little different than a normal bow, though. It's kind of...thick. Solid, even, with reinforced top and bottom, and oddly thick the whole way through.
That does not stop Flora from drawing it, though. She doesn't want to run over to the others immediately and join in the mass melee; she hangs back instead, pulling a blunt arrow out (Flora doesn't like blood), drawing back and firing after a few seconds' aiming at Zach.
COMBATSYS: Birdie blocks Tenma's Dharmapala.
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Tenma 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Flora
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Birdie 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Zach
Birdie most certinly doesn't like that. He just looks towards Tenma as he speaks up again, and Birdie raises the other eyebrow, looking at te man rather confused as he begins to speak. "Yeah, because I bloody join fights to follow some crazy bloke like you. You're giving yourself too much credit." Birdie speaks, only for Tenma to actually cut towards Birdie, well, that was unexpected. Still, Birdie expected something of that as he raises his arms, the chi bloodying them up as they push him back. But Birdie's aren't easily persuaded. Looking towards Tenma, he snorts.
"So you want me to follow you, huh bloke. Well, you got it!" Birdie cries, pulling off the chain on his arm and hurling it towards Tenma, attempting to snare his legs, and then if he's lucky, pull, causing the chain to catch tightly. Which he might then find himself airborn, and whistling towards a wall.
COMBATSYS: Tenma blocks Birdie's Bandit Chain.
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Tenma 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Flora
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Birdie 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Zach
Well, it looks like... Nobody else has the right idea, so far as Tenma can see. There's no melee at first, with his own attack launching across the stage at Birdie, and Zach doing his energy thing... And then Flora's own ranged attack, on top of that. But then when Birdie gets on it, then things get a bit more melee-ish. At least, there's a chain, anyway; Tenma gets caught by said chain, whipped into the air and towards one of the walls, but rather than landing how the big brute would prefer, the Gedo swordsman actually lands feet first, legs bending deep to absorb the brunt of the impact. Oh, it still hurts, yeah. Kind of badly.
But it could've been a lot worse.
"WOULD YOU TWO IDIOTS STOP DICKING AROUND AN' HELP ME WITH THIS GUY?!" Tenma bellows towards Zach and Flora, because come on; take out the big guy first, /then/ everyone else sorts things out. That's how this stuff works!
And then, Tenma pushes off of the wall. Whether he's got Birdie's chain tethering him to the other fighter or not, his inevitable course is towards the Brit, landing in a low crouch on the fighting stage and swinging his sword again, the wooden blade and its aura of bloody chi flashing in a short, sharp slash at Birdie's midsection, all blunt force and searing energy. Of course, Tenma's arrogant enough to think he can handle Birdie on his own, despite previous experience; he'd just rather have something left over to take out the others and /win/, once Birdie's done. He's such a nice guy!
COMBATSYS: Zach blocks Flora's Medium Shot.
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Tenma 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Flora
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Birdie 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Zach
Zach snaps up an arm, stopping the blunted arrow with the back of his forearm. Glen winces a bit as he skids back slightly. That stung. "Keep your shirt on, Kiryuu," Zach snarks as he cups his hands by his side. Purple energy collects there for a moment as Zach considers his first actual move.
With that, Zach dashes forward looking as if he may simply try to run Birdie over... before he leaps into a forward flip, one leg straight and covered in what looks like an armored boot as it arcs over his shoulder and is aimed at Birdie's collarbone. "CRACK SHOOT!" Zach yells out.
Gang up on Birdie? Just - gang up? That doesn't seem right, Flora thinks, but they're all doing it. What can she do about it?
Nothing, apparently, other than 'sit there'. Which she does, drawing another arrow back and holding it there, eyes half-closed as she breathes carefully. Flora takes aim, waiting for an opportunity - she's not sure whether she'll go after whoever moves away first, or fire into the melee, but for a moment, she doesn't need to decide.
COMBATSYS: Flora focuses on her next action.
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Tenma 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Flora
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Birdie 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Zach
COMBATSYS: Birdie endures Zach's Blast Bash.
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Tenma 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Flora
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Birdie 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Zach
COMBATSYS: Birdie fails to interrupt Light Strike from Tenma with Bull Revenger.
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Tenma 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Flora
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Birdie 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Zach
Birdie is in a pickle! A dill pickle of a situation really as Tenma calls for the troops to all come down on him! Birdie just snorts towards Tenma. "Bloke you're scared as hell, go back to fighting your own battles you little chicken." Birdie calls even as Zach comes down towards him. Well, you gotta live some time. And Birdie really does, hurling himself forward towards Zach's strike, the boot that strikes into Birdie himself.
It's enough to propell Birdie forward, aimed directly towards Tenma's oustretched blade, head down in hopes to cut him up terribly. But it doesn't happen. Instead of a massive headbutt, he eats sword, stopped early enough that his attack had no effect, and then, simply, Birdie backs off with a snort.
Bleeding and pained, Birdie must withdraw for now. Boars sometimes get turned into pork after all. He's gotta pace himself. "Lucky bloke." He murmers.
Well... That sort of worked, didn't it? Tenma is pretty sure he dodged a big scary Birdie-shaped bullet on that one, though it's difficult for him to give anyone but himself credit for it. Instead, as Birdie backs up a few steps, Tenma straightens up with a broad smirk. "Yeah, I'm just terrified," he says, giving a little mocking shiver with an exaggerated look of fear on his face. "But hey, if you're just gonna piss an' moan about it, fine."
Tenma rolls his shoulders in a shrug, and then his attention turns...
...To Zach.
"You heard the big baby," Tenma tells the psychic fighter, affecting a resigned tone and expression, before suddenly lunging at Zach bokken-first, aiming to catch the smaller man in the sternum with the point of his wooden blade. If he manages that, then his chi 'latches' onto Zach, and then Tenma twists and uses his entire body as a fulcrum to hurl the other man away.
Besides, it /is/ a free for all, right?
COMBATSYS: Tenma successfully hits Zach with Asura.
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Tenma 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Flora
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Birdie 0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1 Zach
Zach's eyes go wide as the chi slams into his chest. Zach realizes he'd been had as the burning sensation spreads across his chest. A moment later, he's sent flying across the arena to crash to the stone floor in a heap. He rolls once before regaining his feet, looking a bit ragged. That /hurt/. He gasps for air as that purple energy wraps around him as if to brace him up.
A moment later, he is charging in once more, a look of concentration on his face as he closes the gap with Birdie. His left hand is coated in a large arm piece as he throws a stepping thrust punch at Birdie's midsection. The force of the strike creates a brief gust of wind that sweeps away from the large man and the small man, throwing dust across the arena!
Flora keeps her bow drawn back. Her arm is starting to get tired but she doesn't let it move, not even an inch. The arrow does not wobble.
When she can't hold it any longer, Flora fires one shot - at Tenma, immediately after he throws Zach away and she has a clear shot. The single blunt arrow splits in midair, spreading out into three arrows, two of which have the characteristic green aura that Flora's chi provides; those two explode on impact into bright flashes, while the real one just hits like any fast-moving blunt object.
She finally breathes out, then in, instead of holding it for the shot.
COMBATSYS: Birdie fails to interrupt Burst Strike from Zach with Murderer Chain.
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Tenma 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Flora
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Birdie 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Zach
Birdie is driven back some more, but the beast still bites, even if the venom is mostly gone. Obviously Birdie should have put more hair wax on today, since toady, it really seems like he could have used a little more. Birdie moves to intercept the punch of Zach, but is unable to, and instead, is pushed towards the side of the arena.
Sitting there, he really doesn't do anything more right now other than chuckle. All of them ganging on the big man, huh? Ants on a large incent. All of it's pretty hilarious.
Oh well, he'll just have to win the belt the easy way.
Fighting them one to one when he can.
COMBATSYS: Tenma overcomes Split Arrow from Flora with Dharmapala.
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Tenma 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Flora
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Birdie 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Zach
Well, Tenma might not act like it usually, but he's actually a fairly cunning fighter; while he appreciates a good stand-up fight, he also knows that sometimes you have to be clever, and that running around playing whack a mole with the other participants in the fight while someone who hits as hard as Birdie is free to do what he wants isn't a very good idea.
At the moment though, he has bigger problems than Birdie's amusement.
After hurling Zach away, and seeing as the smaller man blessedly chooses to go blow up Birdie, Tenma has a heartbeat or two to try and decide what to do next; his decision is made for him when Flora sends that arrow his way, apparently splitting into three... And Tenma's dark blue eyes narrow.
"I don't think so," the Guardian King says, sweeping his bokken through the air in another slash, too far from Flora to really /do/ anything; except, once again the afterimage of energy behind the slash lets loose a crescent of bloody power, striking the three arrows and devouring them entirely - maybe a bit of charred wood left behind from the true arrow - and then continuing on towards the archer herself.
Zach pulls himself into a standing position as Birdie is blasted back. He exhales sharply as he follows the behemoth's movements. Green eyes focus on the giant, narrowing with determination. Zach tenses up, then blasts in towards Birdie, as if to punctuate the size difference between these two. Almost as if it were a modern retelling of David and Goliath.
Nevermind the fact that Goliath killed a whole lot of Jews before David came along.
Zach leaps, psycho power providing extra lift to send him higher as he pivots in the air. A purple flare lights up behind him, as Zach brings more of that energy to bear. Zach comes down like a comet, a large ball of pure energy in his open hand as he slams the whole thing down on Birdie's head. "IMPULSE FLARE!"
COMBATSYS: Flora blocks Tenma's Dharmapala.
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Tenma 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Flora
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Birdie 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Zach
Oh, crap, Flora thinks, an instant before the shot almost hits her. She manages to bring up her arms and wrap them over herself; it still slides her back a foot or so, and leaves marks on her sleeves, but it neither breaks her bow nor sends her flying. It's about all she can hope for.
She doesn't, possibly uncharacteristically, draw another arrow! Instead, Flora shifts her grip just so, gripping high and low on her bow instead of near the middle, and advances toward Tenma. It looks slow at first until, abruptly, she lunges, spinning her staff in a wide arc as she tries to strike Tenma with it. She covers the distance fast - it must be her long legs.
COMBATSYS: Zach successfully hits Birdie with Impulse Flare.
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Tenma 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Flora
[ < > /////////////////// ]
Birdie 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Zach
Even as Birdie is hit once more, he simply has attempted to jump over it. But he's struck again, psycho energy and all that. You'd think working for Vega and all would give you strength against it, but Birdie himself never really needed it. He was a rock. A rock everyone chipped away with chi or psi, but he was still a rock.
With loss, Birdie simply cannot fight after another strike.
And, with a care, instead of attacking anyone, Birdie simply snorts, pulls himself out, and begins to leave on his own power. There wasn't anything here for him anyways, hell he couldn't even breathe here without being assaulted. "See you all bloody later, you damn gits." Birdie snorts, and he's away, aided by medics out!
COMBATSYS: Birdie takes no action.
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Tenma 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Zach
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Flora 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Birdie can no longer fight.
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Tenma 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Zach
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Flora 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Tenma endures Flora's Spinning Staff.
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Tenma 1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Zach
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Flora 0/-------/-----==|
What's going on between Birdie and Zach is noted by Tenma, in the back of his mind; right now, the brunt of his focus is on Flora, though whether this turns out for the best or not has yet to be seen. The Kiryuu heir watches carefully as his bloody attack washes over Flora - definitely not harmlessly, but it could've hit her harder - and his response is to smirk confidently once again, projecting arrogance like a shield.
Then, of all the damn things, the insanely tall girl runs at him and uses her bow as a /staff/. What's a guy to do in a situation like this? Well, naturally, Tenma does the sanest thing: He stands there and takes it.
The staff smashes him right across the head, rocking him to one side violently, but he doesn't keel over, he doesn't give ground. Instead, the leader of the Guardian Kings twists with the force of the blow, using the hopeful opening created to swing his chi-emanating bokken up in a bloody wooden slash across the tall girl's torso.
Zach slams to the ground in a three point stance, slumping as Birdie... just up and leaves. Oh well. One down. He turns to see Tenma and Flora mixed up in a regular brawl, and grins as he breaths hard. He doesn't have a problem with them softening one another up a bit.
Especially while he uses the chance to catch his breath. It also gives him a chance to see how Kiryuu has changed his style, and learn a bit about Flora's. Win-win? Heck yes.
COMBATSYS: Zach gains composure.
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Tenma 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Zach
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Flora 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Tenma successfully hits Flora with Medium Strike.
- Power hit! -
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Tenma 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Zach
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Flora 0/-------/=======|
Apparently Flora's style involves swinging too widely and leaving yourself open.
Flora does just that, in fact, and can't bring her staff back into line fast enough to even try to divert Tenma's attack. It hits her so hard she falls back, stumbling and landing rather heavily on her back with a grunt.
She stays down for a moment and kicks from the ground, trying to clear some distance between herself and Tenma. Flora is not the most agile of people and it takes her a moment to pick herself up from the ground - especially with an aching stomach. She's not looking forward to the bruise.
COMBATSYS: Flora successfully hits Tenma with Heavy Kick.
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Tenma 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 Zach
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Flora 0/-------/=======|
See, that was totally worth it. Tenma watches Flora hit the stage underfoot, and briefly looks back over his shoulder to see Zach, ready and waiting. Probably not a good idea to keep him at one's back, especially when he's got the chance to rest up and prepare and oh hey foot.
Tenma's reflexes kick in right about now, and he tries to give Flora all the space she wants, but he's not in time to avoid that sweeping leg, getting hit in the chest as he moves to duck back. On the upside, that gives him more momentum to move away /with/, as he stumbles backwards... Moving to keep both Zach and Flora in front of him.
"Heh, all right," the Gedo swordsman mutters to himself, rolling his shoulders in a shrug. Straightening up, he slants his chi-emanating bokken against his shoulder again, the smoky red energy around it not seeming to harm him in the least, his left hand at his side, thumb hooked into his pocket. He projects a lazy sort of arrogance, like a lion on the hill... Just waiting.
COMBATSYS: Tenma gains composure.
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Tenma 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Zach
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Flora 0/-------/=======|
Zach grins widely. That attitude was something he liked about Tenma, truth be told. He wished he could have it, in all honesty. Too many beating since joining the fight circuits has proven that Zach can, and will be beaten way too often for him to carry it though.
Zach glances back and forth between Tenma and Flora for a moment before dashing towards Flora in order to fire a pair of quick jabs, left then right directly at her midsection. Just to soften her up, really. Strangely, there is no flare of energies to go with it. These are just straight punches.
Zach will likely pay for this in pain.
COMBATSYS: Flora counters Medium Punch from Zach with Mirage Step.
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Tenma 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Zach
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Flora 1/-------/=======|
Zach does, in fact, pay for this in pain.
Flora took her sweet time getting up, at least until Zach advanced on her. Then she went so fast she appeared to literally blur, spinning around him to the side with near-teleportation speed and bringing her staff to smack him in the small of his back. It propels him further away from her - toward Tenma, although that was accidental more than intentional. He certainly doesn't go all the way to the sword-wielder.
She lets out a breath of air. Focused, FLora is losing her nervousness. It shows in the way she moves.
So, from his vantage point, Tenma is able to see exactly what happens between Zach and Flora. He watches with his head slightly tilted, an almost lazy expression on his face... But the way the tall girl deals with Zach's strikes is pretty impressive, given that speed. If nothing else, it gives Tenma something to be careful of...
Inasmuch as he's ever careful about anything, anyway.
With Zach sent his way, Tenma suddenly moves to intercept the shorter man, swinging his bokken back and out oft he way, held with his right hand to slant along his back like something out of a wuxia movie, the point poking up over his left shoulder. The dangerous thing, the thing to be careful of, is Tenma's /left/ hand, which comes free from his pocket and lashes out at Zach - helpfully keeping him from falling on his ass from Flora's attack! - in a series of quick, calculated punches, aimed at specific points to disrupt the flow of energy through the psion's body...
COMBATSYS: Tenma successfully hits Zach with Flow Breaker.
- Power hit! -
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Tenma 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Zach
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Flora 1/-------/=======|
Zach's eyes go wide as Flora simply...vanishes. He lets out a short yell as he promptly gets smacked across the back by that bow... staff thing. He staggers forward, recovering just in time to look up at Tenma...
...And promptly get punched up by the Gedo High student. Zach staggers away, spinning to get both of them in his view. Green eyes narrow as he glances back and forth between the pair. Zach tenses up and despite Tenma's strikes, /more/ of that purple energy starts to flare out of the psion. Hard to keep that energy down, it seems...
COMBATSYS: Zach gathers his will.
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Tenma 1/----===/=======|=======\==-----\1 Zach
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Flora 1/-------/=======|
Everyone seems to be all pumped up except Flora. She's not, although she is in the zone where she has internalized her movements and isn't second-guessing herself quite as much.
She carries on toward Tenma again. Zach just got struck by her; she swerves around him, lashing out at extreme range with her staff; she doesn't expect it to hit, but if it does, thanks to the size of the swing it will hurt more than just a little bit.
COMBATSYS: Tenma endures Flora's Random Strike.
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Tenma 1/--=====/=======|=======\==-----\1 Zach
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Flora 1/------=/=======|
Well, that's unexpected; usually people lash out at Tenma after he uses that particular attack. Zach's choice to back off again and start flaring with power isn't what he was planning on... Which means he's got to adapt quickly, because not only is there that, but also there's Flora trying to hit him in the head with her bow... staff... Thing.
Tenma's response to this, naturally, is to start /moving/. Except, where he moves is /into/ the range of Flora's swing, getting clocked good and proper, his head twisting sharply to one side... But once again, he just keeps coming. Blood streams down his face from a cut in his scalp after that hit, but Tenma doesn't slow down for a second.
"You think something like that is gonna stop me?!" the Guardian King wonders loudly, swinging his bokken from behind his back, twisting around to slash across Flora's stomach; if that first slash lands, then his next step is to lunge forward and then slash again in the opposite direction.
Except this time he goes right for the tall girl's neck.
Zach's stall tactic... actually worked. Both fighters left him be to focus on one another. Zach grins as Tenma literally walks into Flora's attack. Kid's /crazy/, gotta give him that. Zach pulls his hands to one side, cupping his palms as if holding a ball that really is not there.
Not unless you count the one made of psionic energies, anyway.
Zach lets out a loud shout as he throws both palms forward, firing a five foot wide beam of violet violence right for Kiryuu's body. It's hard to get precision aim from this, really.
COMBATSYS: Flora blocks Tenma's Fierce Strike.
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Tenma 1/-======/=======|==-----\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 1/----===/=======|
Flora manages to, at the last minute, bring her hands up. The blow doesn't hit her neck; it hammers against her wrists instead, which hurts like hell but does not break through her guard entirely. Even when her hands /do/ bounce off her chin.
Flora doesn't respond, though. If she starts to talk she'll lose it. Instead she staggers back a few feet under the impact, pulling out no less than three arrows from her back quiver and drawing all of them back at once, holding them all steady between her fingers.
She releases. Each of the three arrows splits into two more, leaving nine altogether; the actual split looks awfully familiar to Tenma, given he saw it about five minutes ago.
COMBATSYS: Tenma blocks Zach's Burst Stream.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Tenma 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Tenma dodges Flora's Thousand Flight.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Tenma 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 0/-------/-------|
Though his attack doesn't quite hit home against Flora, Tenma does feel a brief surge of satisfaction... That she can't entirely deal with the amount of force behind his blows is obvious, and it's heartening even if she does manage to get her guard in the way of his attacks. The only problem is, of course, that now Tenma finds himself the focus of /both/ other fighters' assaults, and they're quite powerful ones.
Tenma manages to get his own guard in the way of Zach's blast, swinging his chi-emanating bokken in the way to block it. The splash of energy against energy is hellacious, creating an enormous lightshow as red blood and chi spread to try and shield Tenma from the brunt of Zach's psionic assault, but enough of the short man's Psycho Power bleeds through to send Tenma staggering back...
Which is when he sees those arrows.
"Shit," Tenma breathes out, managing to flip backwards, doing a one-handed cartwheel between the incoming missiles, avoiding them though they do graze at his trailing school uniform shirt, the energy ones leaving a few nicks here and there. That... Was close.
Tenma Kiryuu ends up in a low crouch, driving his bokken point-first into the stage, piercing slate and granite as though it were soft butter. And then, he smirks, looking up at both Flora and Zach. "Not bad, I guess," he allows, quite graciously. And then, cracks begin to spread from the point of impact, spiderwebbing through the slate tile... Widening as gouts of blood begin to spurt out of them. "But both of you should just..." The gouts of blood rush forward, turning into lines of force, draconic-looking bloody forms that tear over the ground towards both the other fighters, seeking to crash into both of them repeatedly, converging in a powerful assault against Tenma's opponents. "...GO TO HELL!!"\
COMBATSYS: Zach blocks Tenma's Hell of Blood.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Tenma 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 0/-------/-------|
Zach still has both palms up, and simply wills more energy into those waiting hands in order to form a small half-dome to meet the assault. Blood red chi slams into the improvised barrier, some of it slamming /through/. Zach yells, his shirts tearing, and an old wound spraying open once more as the energies smash into his chest. But still he stands.
Zach's response is simple. "No."
With that, he blasts forward once more at Tenma, whipping one hand upward as he closes. A gout of psycho power aims to knock Kiryuu into the air as Zach leaps upward in the wake of the blast. Mostly so he can slam a fist right into Tenma's chest. Hopefully that'll take the fight out of him...
COMBATSYS: Flora dodges Tenma's Hell of Blood.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Tenma 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 0/-------/-------|
Distance helps Flora. She backed up to give herself room to shoot and now she has room to maneuver too; she may not be the most agile fighter (her sheer size makes it hard for her to dodge some attacks) but there are some things she can certainly do. HEr eyes widen when she sees the waves coming, and she panics.
She throws herself backwards, letting go of her bow to, momentarily, handstand and spring backwards. When she lands, it's slightly heavily, with a thunk; she picks up her bow a moment later and checks the stringing, drawing an arrow back.
Once again she holds her fire, though, instead focusing. Calm down, she tells herself, don't panic like you just did to get out of the way. Spirit should be even, mind should be calm...
COMBATSYS: Flora gathers her will.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Tenma 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Tenma dodges Zach's Second Stance.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Tenma 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 0/-------/---====|
Honestly, it's not very often that anyone manages to completely avoid that attack; the fact that Flora did is nothing short of impressive. Tenma, however, is not the sort of person who gives compliments like that, so neener.
Zach's own defense of the overwhelming attack is pretty good too, and naturally the shorter man makes himself the focus of Tenma's attention by going right after him again, but when that hand comes up with that blast of Psycho Power... Tenma simply isn't there to get hit, instead dodging to one side, rolling over on his shoulder. Somehow, he managed to pull his bokken free from the granite in the process. Don't ask how.
"You know Stringbean over there is gonna win, right?" Tenma says to Zach, lifting both of his brows as over yonder Flora gains focus. "Whether me or you takes the other one out, she's just gonna come in and sweep up the leftovers. Pretty sweet deal for a no-name nobody, don'tcha think?"
Yes, Tenma is talking a lot. Mostly so it'll gain him time; if it actually turns things around so he's not the focus of attacks again, so much the better!
COMBATSYS: Tenma gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Tenma 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 0/-------/---====|
Zach slams down once more in that three point stance, gasping for air. He smiles weakly at Tenma, "I see what you're doing here." Zach stays down, however, letting Tenma talk.
"Though I didn't have much of a name for myself before that thing on the boat either, and look how that turned out."
COMBATSYS: Zach gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Tenma 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 0/-------/---====|
Nobody actually goes after Flora but they're both talking about it. She shouldn't be surprised. She is, after all, a threat - just standing there and preparing.
And now she's nervous again. Flora never manages to find her focus perfectly; she's tense, and the arrow she looses in Zach's direction is slightly misaimed because of it. It hits hard despite being blunt, but it's a little wild; he may want to get out of the way quickly.
That done, she holds her bow in a defensive posture, ready to use it like a staff again. Yeah, she expects to be targetted by EVERYONE now.
But seriously, 'stringbean'? She's not that skinny!
Girls aren't supposed to be eight hundred feet tall. It's just not right.
Tenma isn't sure Zach entirely gets what he's really trying to do, as the older man keeps low, even while Flora goes after him. That's... Not /quite/ what Tenma was planning on, but it works too. "Heh, works for me," he says, half-shrugging, mostly for his own benefit. So what's he going to do to exploit all of this?
Take a chance, that's what. It's about all he can do at this point.
Pushing himself up, he turns towards Flora and swipes at the air with his bokken once more; for a third time, there's that afterimage of red energy, and for a third time he sends a crescent of blood tearing through the air, directly at the girl with her bow. He's playing dangerously now, but you can't be cautious all the time... Especially when you're a little crazy, like Tenma Kiryuu. "Graaah!!"
COMBATSYS: Zach dodges Flora's Power Shot.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Tenma 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 0/-------/---====|
That three point stance has a lot of advantages. It presents a small target, for one. For two, it allows Zach to move pretty darn quickly when he wants to. The arrow comes sailing in, and he seems ready for it. Diving forward, he rolls /under/ the path of the projectile.
He's grinning as he comes up on his knees. He knows this is risky, but what else is there for it? Zach snaps a kick from his crouching position at one of Flora's knees. He'll play Tenma's game for the moment.
COMBATSYS: Flora dodges Tenma's Dharmapala.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Tenma 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Flora dodges Zach's Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Tenma 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 0/-------/---====|
Flora is, in fact, on a roll. She can probably not keep this up forever; she's already breathing pretty hard, after all. She skitters sideways away from the wave of energy (it looks gross; she'd rather not get touched by it if she can possibly help it) and almost into Zach's low kick. At the last instant, she jumps it.
She comes down hard, as she weighs more than you'd expect, and possibly on Zach's torso. Surprise! Have a Flora. Hit or miss, she backs up some more, bow still up and ready.
All right, who covered Flora in grease? With the giant schoolgirl now apparently untouchable, Tenma's expression becomes one of quizzical, almost humorous disbelief. Did she really just another attack from him? /And/ one from Zach at the same time no less. This might require some more thought, so rather than just charge in headlong at Flora again, the Gedo swordsman backs up a bit. Not to catch his breath this time... No, this time he's looking for a good opportunity, because it's clear that if he wants to win, he needs to shut this nonsense down /fast/.
COMBATSYS: Tenma focuses on his next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Tenma 0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Zach interrupts Strong Kick from Flora with Third Stance.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Tenma 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 1/------=/=======|
Flora's feet slam into Zach's bloodied chest even as he slings an open hand upwards towards her. The result is almost Newtonian.
Zach is sent sprawling to the stone floor, while Flora is knocked clear from him by the lance of psycho power that screams upward from the ground and directly into her chest. Zach stays down, gasping for air.
Flora flies several yards into the air, her gi pressed against her body as she arcs with an extremely surprised expression on her face.
She lands a few moments later with a thump, tucking and rolling to avoid cracking her bow. While it can stand her swinging it - it's reinforced for that - it is not exactly designed to have her land on it and put several hundred pounds of force down it lengthwise (and she fell enough distance that it WOULD be several hundred pounds).
Flora gets back up. She looks vaguely stunned, but it clears pretty quick; she slides toward Tenma, trying a quick jab with the staff. It's not really all that powerful, just a quick crack upside the head if she manages to hit at all.
COMBATSYS: Flora successfully hits Tenma with Quick Strike.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Tenma 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 1/-----==/=======|
Not... Soft enough, apparently. Tenma, looking for his opening, sees one soon enough as Flora comes after him instead of keeping on Zach, and he once again tries to move into the girl's strike... But this time he doesn't time it quite right, the knock to the head impacting roughly where she already cut him open before, bloodying him /further/, and driving him off-balance.
Seriously, that hurts.
It also necessitates a change in plans, as Tenma lashes out with his bokken, blurringly fast, aiming to catch Flora in the head and thusly return the favour she's dealt him a couple times now. "Back OFF, Stringbean!!"
Zach slowly drags himself to his feet, as purple energy seeps off of his limbs. He staggers once or twice, before starting to run. Not at Flora, but at Tenma. He brings back a single fist, allowing the energies to spin around it hazily as he approaches.
"Now that ain't nice," Zach chides... right before he tries to snap a quick punch at Tenma's jaw. Zach's effort is starting to catch up with him, however. This punch is slow...
COMBATSYS: Flora blocks Tenma's Light Strike.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Tenma 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\\\ <
Flora 1/----===/=======|
Flora /still/ refuses to get hit in the head, although every time it gets closer; Flora catches this one with her bare hand. If it wasn't a bokken, she would have serious issues keeping all those fingers. Fortunately, it is - but that doesn't make it hurt any less!
She yelps, shoving it backwards and keeping the wooden blade away from herself as she backs up, nursing that hand. THere's not much left in her - and with her hand stinging, she doesn't feel able to draw her bow.
So instead Flora whips her staff around at Zach in a rather impressive display; she tries to catch him and literally throw him into the air several feet straight up, not caring if this ends up interrupting his punch or not - and then she reverses her staff, trying to slam him back down to the ground the way he came.
COMBATSYS: Tenma blocks Zach's Jab Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Tenma 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Zach
[ \\\\\\\ <
Flora 1/-----==/=======|
Yeah, by this point... They're probably all getting pretty worn down. Tenma is soaked in blood - his own, and more than his powers alone account for - and kind of sweaty besides. His bokken is caught and then pushed away by Flora, causing Tenma to stumble... Which is about when Zach shows up and tries to slug him in the jaw. Instead, he gets Tenma's upraised left forearm, which stings from the force of the blow and the mysterious energy the shorter man seems to wield with every motion.
Tenma's arm numbs a little bit.
"Well, I ain't a very nice guy," Tenma replies, and since Flora is bringing it to Zach, what's there for the Gedo swordsman to do? Except, of course, add his own two cents in as well, punctuating Flora's toss of the smaller man with a quick, sharp stab of his bokken, aiming to catch the gigantic schoolgirl while she's vulnerable!
COMBATSYS: Zach interrupts Mantis Snap from Flora with Third Stance.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\ < > // ]
Tenma 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Zach
[ <
Flora 1/=======/=======|
COMBATSYS: Zach can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ]
Tenma 1/-------/=======|=======\=======\1 Flora
Zach is flung surprisingly high. He does not have much in him to resist the throw. It's on his way /down/ that he gets his payback, as he summons up yet another lance of that violet energy to all but impale the Seijyun student. It should simply launch her straight up, but there is no accounting for how she'll react.
Zach, however, simply slams into the arena floor, and simply does not get back up.
COMBATSYS: Flora dodges Tenma's Weapon Jab.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ]
Tenma 1/-------/=======|=======\=======\1 Flora
Flora does, in fact, go straight up.
Going straight up does cause her to evade Tenma's strike. It certainly wasn't intended; he just barely clipped her foot as she rose and Flora didn't even feel it. With the energy washing over her, there's not a lot left that she can do; she can feel herself passing out.
Flora does hre best to come down foot first, smashing at Tenma before she manages to do about half a combination attack that appears to be primarily made of sweeps and hooks with the inside curve of her staff, pulling him close so she can -
- fall on him, apparently, because she's unconcious.
COMBATSYS: Flora can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Tenma 1/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Flora successfully hits Tenma with Hunting Mantis.
[ <
Tenma 1/---====/=======|
Well, balls.
Tenma stumbles a bit as his fast attack misses, somehow. Seriously, how does she avoid stuff that much? It's weird. But the hows and whys aren't that relevant right now; what IS relevant is that Tenma's pretty much out of steam, and he's pretty sure neither of the other two have anything left either, as Zach falls, and Flora...
What the hell is Flora doing, anyway?
Whatever it is, it unfortunately gets Tenma, despite his attempts to get the hell out of the way. He's too tired, too dizzy, too a billion other things... And then he gets collapsed on, the girl's weight taking the breath, and the fight, right out of him, not to mention bashing his head against the concrete.
Luckily, unconsciousness follows soon after, because Tenma is kind of pissed off right now. And, in the end, nobody wins anything.
Except Tenma, one supposes, as his hand is now on Flora's posterior on national television.
COMBATSYS: Tenma takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Tenma can no longer fight.
Flora, fortunately, is not in her skirt.
That would make this even worse.
Log created on 21:01:13 06/30/2008 by Zach, and last modified on 13:02:57 07/05/2008.