Description: For their first 'qualifying' match, the Burning Phys-Ed Teacher meets the Ansatsuken Wanderer on the high, rocky slopes outside of Strolheim, where Ryu has apparently made his camp. (Winner: YOU)
The Strolheim Invitational doesn't start properly for another week or two - the town is still quiet, the villagers excited but still reserved, the crowds of fight afficianados from all corners of the globe limited, the hustle and bustle of training competitors nowhere to be seen. It is a picturesque, peaceful little hamlet full of family-owned shoppes and well-cared for architecture, quiet streets, and cool lake breezes. The bite of the oncoming winter is only hinted at in the easterly wind, blunted by the surrounding mountains. It's a reflective hamlet, when all is said and done, before the fervor of the coming tournament. Preparations are underway, but still the castle stands its silent vigil over the secluded town. To a city dweller, Strolheim would already be pushing it. The proverbial middle of nowhere, without a McDonalds or Starbucks to speak of. And the Big Mac /is/ the official sandwich of fighting championships. How does that /work/ exactly? Surely the athletes don't eat that.
Secluded for some, and still far too loud for others. It's hard to say when exactly the nomad moved in high in the peaks of the mountains beyond Strolheim, but he's there well before his match is announced, much less scheduled. While the crew comes up from the base of the mountain to set up camp and record the combat for Krauser's perusal, the basecamp they set up for Hayato to meet Ryu at is far, far lower than the Ansatsuken Master's actual refuge. He picks his way down the rocky, cold mountains, a simple sheath of fur laced in leather around his feet, the thicker leather rough on the bottom for traction - but little other attention is paid to the elements. His gi has sleeves, not quite so tattered, the dark blue garment fluttering in the ripping mountain breeze, a sharp contrast to the harbor made for the town below, as he picks his way down a sheer cliff face and all but drops with sudden, graceful precision to an outcropping far below. So it continues until Ryu finds the plateau where the agents of Strolheim have set up shop, and perhaps - his opponent as well.
There is an aura to the man that seems to mirror the snowcapped peaks - a raw, natural fury that courses through him as if in crescendo that were purely natural. The mountains themselves seem to echo the gi-clad nomad's arrival, a reverberating centered sense of power that is neither calm nor enraged, merciless nor benevolent. It is as the cold wind that whips through the mountain pass, and Ryu embraces the strength of his surroundings, and the focus they bring to his spirit - it is one of the fundamentals of Gouken's training, after all. Here, he is reminded of it like few other places on Earth.
'Stand tall, and strong. Let the wind flow around you, and you will be ever changing. Embrace subtlety, and unwavering will.' The lesson of the Mountain.
Hayato is a city dweller, but he's not entirely uncomfortable in the outdoors. He's been to many of the sites of natural beauty in Japan, in some cases making use of them for martial arts training. Most of what he came up with is based off of movies, however, as most of the actual instruction he received in his earlier training was a bit more pragmatic. Does meditating under a waterfall really do any good? Well, Hayato thinks it did, and isn't that what really matters?
/Something/ that the gym teacher has been doing has definitely been working, though. Although his red track suit with the coat flapping in the cold breeze isn't quite as traditional as Ryu's gi, an observer might be forgiven for thinking that Hayato is the more powerful of the two men, with his height and weight advantage over Ryu. Both of his hands are wrapped with athletic tape, and in his right hand he grasps a shinai which rests against his right shoulder. Between his teeth he's clenching a long stem of grass which he chews on idly as he watches Ryu make his way down the mountain.
Hayato cracks his neck as Ryu draws closer, then gives the nomad a wide grin. "'S an honor to meet you. Not often I get to trade blows with a living legend. Should be fun!" He laughs good-naturedly. The Burning Phys Ed Teacher then casts his eyes up the mountain, observing again the route by which Ryu arrived here. "Been training in the mountains, huh? Nice. Very traditional! Oh, yeah. Name's Hayato Nekketsu. Good to meet ya."
Power is a poor measure of a man, in Ryu's experience, and estimation. There is respect, accompanied by a frank light of curiousity that would seem more at place on a younger man, as the nomad studies his opponent thoughtfully throughout the initial greeting. The Ansatsuken Master's own hands are bound, as always when entering combat, in tight, thick padded sparring gloves, designed to blunt the impact of the blows of the fists to sparring partners, generally. In this case, it's a nod of compassion to his opponent, and a visible reminder of the value of restraint, and discipline, to the man himself. A reminder much like the long red headband tight around his forehead, its lengthy tails whipping out behind him as the nomad inclines in a polite bow, lowering his head to the elder warrior, "Ryu." He answers, simply. It isn't impolite - it's the only name he has, as far as he knows. The only one he's ever really needed.
"It is an honor to meet you at last, Hayato Nekketsu. I have heard of your teaching, and your fighting ability. The actions of many of your students speaks louder than any praise, however." The words could be mistaken for flattery, or buttering up Hayato to put him off his guard, from just about anyone else. Ryu.... seems to just sincerely mean it, and have little compunction about sharing. If he considers himself a 'living legend' he doesn't show it, the compliment passed over with little more than quiet acceptance of the reputation.
He shows little preparation for the coming battle - but then he /must/ already be stretched, meditated, and warmed up, from his solitude and hike, and he simply stoops to remove his simple moccassins, as he must be barefoot before continuing, "Up here there are no distractions, no enemies, no hurdles but those one brings with him." The Wanderer explains simply, raising his sparring gloves before him, his dark eyes focusing in on Hayato more intently, "In the highest peaks there is nothing left, but now." He observes as if it makes perfect sense, and nods once to Hayato.
"I am ready when you are. I look forward to seeing what you can do." No fear, no overconfidence, no hostility - in the calm eye of the storm there is nothing but fervor, however. It's nearly tangible around him, the surge of raw, unfettered natural strength that he catalyzes almost instinctively - a conduit of chi unlike almost any other of similar might. Where others rend the fabric around them, project themselves with maddening intensity outwards... with Ryu it flows in, and out in equal measure, as if centered on the deceptively collected nomad, burning intensely behind his gaze, and coursing through ever fiber of thickly corded muscle in his body.
COMBATSYS: Ryu has started a fight here.
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Ryu 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Hayato has joined the fight here.
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Ryu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hayato
Hayato pounds his right fist into his left palm, squeezing down and cracking his knuckles. "Likewise. So, why don't we get started?" The gym teacher pauses, for only a moment. He's not waiting for a response, as he is already quite confident as to what Ryu's response will be, he just doesn't want to stoop to trying to take advantage of the element of surprise. Once the fight is actually /going/, then, well, if you can pull off a surprise, then more power to you.
After that moment of waiting, Hayato breaks out into a steady run toward Ryu. He spits the grass stem out of his mouth mid-stride, letting it tumble down behind him as his long legs carry him over the rocky ground. It doesn't take long from him to reach Ryu, and his intent is fairly obvious, judging by the way he brings back his arm in preparation. Hayato unleashes a full bodied swing of his right arm, but doesn't bring the shinai into position for an attack. Instead he simply tries to land a powerful right hook on Ryu's jaw. For fighters, this is breaking the ice.
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Hayato's Fierce Strike.
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Ryu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hayato
Ryu's arms tense, his right fist flexes, his left hand steady before him, open. He doesn't flinch as Hayato answers, doesn't immediately move as the fight starts. He watches, intently, as Hayato charges. The Burning Gym Teacher's kunai is eyed for an instant, but there's something off in the rhythm of his rapid footfalls. He's charging in.... but he's going to close with... Yes! His footing is light, but steady - anchored, and ready to move all at once, slightly wide stance shifting into a forward lunge as the fist snaps around. There's a resounding crack, and even a rush of air as the impressive strike blasts home against a crimson glove, the back of Ryu's clenched fist slamming around to meet the strike, the stinging reverberations shaken off as he suddenly shoves off, and his momentum shifts entirely.
In the blink of an eye, the nomad weaves aside, a singular, gliding leap that barely takes his feet off the ground. He touches down, the cold earth firm beneath his bare feet, and twists sharply, pivoting on his left heel as the right lashes out, doubles and redoubles his momentum in the singular rotation, and crashes in a classic, perfectly executed roundhouse even with Hayato's own skull. As he said, this is breaking the ice. Taking one another's measure, and fighting with all their ferocity and skill - any less would be an insult to Strolheim itself.
"HYAAAAAH!!!"
COMBATSYS: Hayato blocks Ryu's Strong Kick.
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Ryu 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Hayato
Hayato snaps his left arm up, holding it bent at the elbow in the path of Ryu's kick. The leg crashes into him and he bends slightly under the impact but manages to keep his guard up. He quickly steps to the side to let Ryu's leg fall, shifting his arm back down for the sake of balance. "I was right; this is going to be fun!" He barks out a laugh, then lunges back in toward Ryu with his arm once again raised.
But this time he's got the bamboo blade of the shinai held up in an attack position. He brings the blade slicing down toward Ryu's shoulder, aiming to smash it across his collarbone then drag it down his body. Once it's clear he brings it back up at another angle in an attempt to hook a blow in just beneath the other man's ribcage, then bring it back across for a similar strike from the other side of his body.
COMBATSYS: Hayato successfully hits Ryu with Scolding Slash.
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Ryu 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Hayato
The fun is just beginning! Ryu's kick crashes hard into his opponent's guard, and immediately snaps back, the gi-clad warrior leaping back a step, sliding slightly on the rocky ground - and then Hayato is back on him. The nomad moves to execute a similar weaving sidestep to the one from moments before, but there is no chance to redirect his footsteps - the blurring shinai crashes hard into his shoulder, whooshes through the air as the subsequent, harsh swipes are delivered, staggering the nomad backwards, and nearly taking his feet right out from under him rather early and abruptly, "Strong..." he murmurs, more to himself, struggling to find his footing.
In the end he turns it into a decision, a conscious choice, that trip to the ground - Hayato's offensive is impressive indeed, and the nomad aims to make him pay for it. Ryu snaps both gloved hands forward, seeking purchase on the Burning Gym Teacher's tracksuit, at which juncture all his weight would drop rather sharply and suddenly backwards, a foot snapping upwards for Hayato's midsection, the aim to drag him into that reverse roll, and send him hurtling free off towards the far end of the plateau, an attempt to buy breathing room? Or simply a free trip on Air Ryu? Either way, the intent is the same, and the Ansatsuken Master's only offering would be a fiercely intoned, "HAAAAH!!"
COMBATSYS: Hayato dodges Ryu's Tomoe Nage.
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Ryu 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Hayato
Ah, now that's more like it! The sensation of a blow connecting cleanly with your opponent is always a good one. And Hayato's pleased to see that he can land some nice hits on someone of Ryu's caliber. It's going to take a lot more than that to defeat him, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. Not that Hayato would put any less effort into the fight even if it was. Hayato sees Ryu reaching for his jacket and in the brief moment available he's able to come up with a pretty good guess as to what Ryu's plan is. But how to deal with it? In this case, by moving right /toward/ Ryu.
Before Ryu can snag his jacket, Hayato pushes in past his grasp. Once there he attempts to get Ryu in a hold of his own, wrapping his arms around the nomad's torso... and then jumping. He kicks off the ground with some spin as he does so, leading to some rapid rotation in mid-air. If he can manage to drag Ryu all the way up there he then suddenly shifts his grip, flipping Ryu around so that his head is pointed back toward the ground. Then gravity starts to do the work, and Hayato just has to hold the nomad in place long enough for his head and shoulders to come back into contact with the earth.
COMBATSYS: Ryu just-defends Hayato's Kaiten Shinai Otoshi!
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Ryu 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Hayato
Ryu rolls without Hayato. It's less than ideal, but the nomad is nothing if not an improv artist. His shoulders touch the ground, his hand plants to the hard earth, and he vaults back to a ready stance in a single, fluid rotation. Landing lightly on his feet is little comfort as Hayato charges in for his bearhug, however - Ryu has little room to maneuver, and less time to do it in, and in a moment he's hurtling upwards in a spiralling arc. Up, up, up.... then there's the inevitable turn. It's inevitable, to the analysts from Strolheim, what's about to happen. Unavoidable, predictable, and yet stunning all the same. Truly, the Burning Gym Teacher is strength in motion, a fiery spirit that yields quite a match.
But let's not forget who he's up against. His quarry all but -explodes- in his grip, Hayato's grasp loosened with what can only be described as: FULL BODY FLEXING.
Every muscle tenses, every synapse fires, it's fight AND flight and right now he has to get /out of the way/. The chill air erupts, a blinding wave of shredding chill centered on the two fighters, blasting pebbbles.... inward as the nomad lashes outwards with every limb in his body, and for a moment seems suspended even as he launches free, long before the crashing reunion with the ground. The air does indeed surge through him, his momentum almost gentle as he drops back, away, once more facing Hayato.
Of all things, the Ansatsuken Master smiles, warmly and without reservation. Appreciation for his opponent's fighting - but there are no words to go along with it. Nothing beyond the swirling intensity of that wind that seems to linger unduly around him, his sable, wild mane whipping madly above his restraining headband. Nothing but the further strength focused down his arms, a deep breath drawn inwards, then he explodes into motion once more.
Both hands sweep forward, palms opposing, as licks of wildfire pour from his fingertips, rush from his hands, and roar together into a conflagration of sheer, searing chi, the meteoric blast scorching the ground as it passes towards Hayato, the cry of, "HADOOOOUKEN!!!" echoing off the mountains.
COMBATSYS: Hayato endures Ryu's Shakunetsu Hadouken.
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Ryu 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Hayato
Hayato's arms are knocked wide apart and he's sent stumbling back, flailing, after Ryu explodes in his grasp. It takes him a few moments to catch his balance and steady himself, and by that point Ryu already has his feet back on the ground and is moving into position for his next attack. An attack that Hayato has limited options to counter. A blast of fire sent racing from his palms? Hayato can use chi, but his control is not very refined. Ryu is too close for him to get out of the line of fire, and even if he stood there and took it he'd probably get knocked back, so there's only one choice left, as far as Hayato is concerned: run right through it.
And so Hayato charges right into the flames, ducking his head down low as he rams through. And for a moment he literally is the BURNING Phys Ed Teacher, as flames flicker all across him. The blast causes him to stumble briefly, but his momentum keeps him going, right on course for Ryu and picking up speed again. As soon as he gets within reach he plants his left foot down hard, using all his momentum as well as his strength to bring his right leg swinging around before snapping it out in a kick aimed at the center of Ryu's chest. His leg flares up with chi as the kick surges forth, burning orange at the edges but increasing in intensity to a bright white light around Hayato's foot itself.
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Hayato's Devastation Kick.
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Ryu 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Hayato
The fiery Taiyo instructor all but erupts through the fearsome blast in turn, a fiery blast of his own for a few steps as he rushes in on Ryu. The nomad's eyes narrow - Hayato's dealt with his attack impressively and dramatically, and his intent is clear as crystal. Which makes it only slightly less dangerous, a margin that shifts in the Ansatsuken Wanderer's favor today. The searing intensity burning off the kick burns painfully as crossed forearms slam forward, opposing the strike just moments before it crashes home into his chest. Ryu's feet skid backwards, testament to the sheer strength behind the punishing kick, but no time is wasted on pondering his bruising arms.
Instead, Ryu drops low, and in seemingly the same motion, springs back upwards, leaping the short span in directly at Hayato. Perhaps the nomad is throwing himself in for a renewed bearhug?
Instead, his right leg whips about, and in that instant of ascent the man in the dark blue gi becomes a whipping whirlwind of punishing pugilism. His foot acts as a rotorblade, the practiced, perfected technique focusing elemental properties that are abundant indeed along the slope of the mountain. Once again the winds come up, the Ansatsuken Master defying gravity with forceful aplomb as he seeks to level kick after kick on Hayato's chest and skull, coming about repeatedly with blurring intensity, "TATSUMAKI SENPUUUUU KYAKU!!!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Hayato with Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku.
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Ryu 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Hayato
Hayato manages to remain on his feet for the first kick, but the second one follows so quickly that it's really an academic point. Losing contact with the ground doesn't save Hayato from further punishment, however, as Ryu's rapidly spinning feet still manage to pound against him several more times before he's finally left free to sail away and crash down on his back with a groan of pain. He's not down for long, though. Hayato rolls back toward his shoulders than kip-ups and quickly starts straightening back up to his full height.
The teacher rubs his jaw with his left hand for a moment, having taken several blows there, but everything seems to be intact. "I can see why you like the mountains so much. You must be /made/ of rock, buddy!" But then Hayato is grinning again as he pounds his fists together. "But I'm not gonna let that stop me!" Whereas Ryu's chi is smooth and controlled after much practice, Hayato's is rough and wild, evidenced by the fiery orange blaze which springs up about him, whipping his jacket and hair about. There's not much finesse there, but there's definitely power. The power of a Burning Spirit!
COMBATSYS: Hayato gathers his will.
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Ryu 1/------=/=======|=======\====---\1 Hayato
Chi is all about elements, right? And of course, so are people, animals, the rocks and the stream. The refractions bring wonderous diversity, and it's with this sort of approval, and appreciation that Ryu witnesses the upsurge in Hayato's inner strength. Wild, untamed - the essence of fire. To burn bright, strike true, and never relent. To illuminate one's path, to see consequences and goals clearly, to experience without abstraction - to see what things are, and what it all truly means. Spirit, Fire, Hayato has no small measure of - Ryu can immediately sense, if not see, why more than a few Taiyo students and alumni have sung the praises of this warrior. It is a noble spirit, driven by a positive purpose, and it all but radiates warmth and hope - to say nothing of the strength.
The nomad watches silently, but not passively. He basks in the light, he basks in the energy. His eyes close, small, nearly invisible whirlwhinds creep about him as he begins to glow - not the fervent burning of the raging furnace within Hayato, but one that burns hot nonetheless, wisping blue-white fire all but bleeding from his aura all around him, a light crackle of energy visible coursing over, or glowing just beneath his gi as his own power centers, as the mountaintop rumbles under the gathering synergy of the two fighters.
It's enough to set all the equipment Strolheim's people brought right into early obsolescence, every scale of technical measure broken as the sheer focus of power on the accomodating mountainside rises exponentially, the Earth itself sounding a deep rumble - or is that the roar in the air between the two fighters?
COMBATSYS: Ryu gathers his will.
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Ryu 1/-======/=======|=======\====---\1 Hayato
Once the two men have displayed their surging power, Hayato takes the initiative to begin approaching Ryu. He demonstrates no fancy tricks here, no clever tactics; just rushing headlong toward the other man. You might think that Hayato's fighting style is as unrefined as his chi, but you'd be wrong. Although it often looks like he's a simple brawler, he actually has a great deal of formal training experience under his belt, as well as vast athletic experience which has further homed his timing and reflexes. Sometimes, though, it's just about power. A clever opponent can often take advantage of that, but that'd better be clever and /right/ or they're going to be clever and in a lot of pain.
And pain is what Hayato is serving up to Ryu. He closes the gap between them with a heavy body blow from the right, following it up immediately with another blow from the left. He then hops back a pace before shooting back in with a heavy kick aimed right for the pit of Ryu's stomach, then drops his foot, and his stance, in order to surge upwards with a vicious uppercut to the nomad's jaw.
COMBATSYS: Ryu interrupts Deep Strike from Hayato with Shin Shoryuken+.
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Ryu 0/-------/-----==|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Hayato
Hayato's gathered power is nothing to sneeze at - indeed, it's testament to the teacher's instincts that he doesn't rely solely on practiced technique. Rote can be predicted, analyzed... undone. Only in adaptability and evolution is a fighter truly great, and while one might indeed claim Ryu's own motions to be the product of repetition, and imminently predictable... as with all things it is not the various aspects, the facets of the whole... but the root of the matter, the heart. The flexible, honed core that makes up the nomad's versatile, brutally efficient hybrid of styles - pushed well past their traditional limits. It's a study in that one step further, off the beaten path entirely, and into brambles that few have ever penetrated. The Assassin's Fist. Many can kill with their hands - many styles have lethal, brutal intent. Few have mastered that connection between fist and soul, between warrior and energy - fewer still have then turned their back on it, and redirected that great power into a purer, nobler purpose.
Hayato charges, puts his training and strength to work in that tremendous blow, that Ryu can almost hear even before it rushes fervently through the air... and the nomad answers in kind. It is unrestrained, yet perfectly controlled. Destructive, yet merciful. Sudden, yet as it's launched it's readily apparent that it's been building, perhaps all this time.
The inward rush of raw elemental fury suddenly reverses in those last moments it takes Hayato to close with Ryu - the blast erupting outwards as nearly /all/ of that gathered power is focused, and utilized in a single movement, one moment that synergizes both technical perfection, and raw instinct.
The Burning Gym Teacher's shinai crashes hard into Ryu's shoulder - about the same instant his left fist collides indescribably solidly with Hayato's sternum. The sheer force behind the blow would be enough to drop many men, but not this one. Ryu knows it, and the uppercut is immediately followed by its partner - the TRUE Rising Dragon. His right fist sweeps around, crimson glove leading as he literally rockets skyward. It's not a jump, it's not even quite wire-fu, it's as if the King of Fighters was quite literally fired out of an artillery cannon, and Hayato's in the way. The singular, devestating uppercut crushes along his chest, and crashes full on into his jaw, likely sending him even higher than Ryu's thrice-twisting ascent, the canyons booming back the resounding, "SHOOOOOOOORYUKEN!!!!"
Hayato's vision goes white from the force of the impact snapping his head back and his brain trying to deal with the sudden influx of pain. He goes merrily sailing up into the sky, eventually reaching the top of his flight and finding gravity prepared to bring him crashing back down towards the ground. By that point, however, Hayato has managed to recover enough to realize what happened, and what's about to. So rather than just falling limply back to the ground he manages to twist himself into a position to see what's coming.
And even with teeth that are now red with his own blood, Hayato grins. He shifts his position as he falls, manage to direct his feet toward the ground. Most of the momentum from the blow was direct upwards, so when Hayato /does/ land, it's relatively near Ryu. In about a half second there's going to be pain shooting up his legs, but even before that can reach his brain Hayato is already lunging up from the ground with a bloodstained grin, fist blazing as he comes at Ryu. The impact won't be face to face, as Hayato is angled slightly to the side... but that's because he intends to just keep on going once his fist collides with Ryu's face, the plan being to continue the lunge forward several feet, before continuing to push in a downward arc, bearing Ryu's skull all the way down to the stoney ground.
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Hayato's Burning Cross Counter.
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Ryu 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Hayato
It's testament to Hayato that the teacher is still fighting after that earthshattering strike - and further, that he's fighting with such ample ferocity. Footfalls may be hard to come by, but there is nothing lacking in the force or speed of that blazing assault. His fist rockets forward, and it'll all be over in the blink of an eye - or at least, a much closer contest once more. In that same eyeblink, however, Ryu finds more strength within him. Despite the tremendous expenditure, he centers himself, draws a deep breath, and it is a fiercely clenched, bent arm that collides with the vicious strike, the resounding impact twisting Ryu about as he leaps backwards, /crashing/ to the ground in a three point crouch. His knee drags painfully, foot pushing behind him as his eyes snap back upwards to Hayato, "You fight like Ken - all passion and fire, strength in every motion." It's one of the highest compliments Ryu could give, really, as he pushes back to his feet, "You spirit gives you great strength, the life you lead only reinforces it!!!" He may have just met the man, but he's got enough of a picture from Hayato's own spirit, and Sakura's words, to make an educated guess.
Why with so much fervor? Why, the Wanderer is rushing full on back into the fray. It's not over yet. He darts left, darts right, and lunges in, one arm leading in a feinting strike that turns fluidly into a grapple as he steps in that final step... and seeks to grab Hayato by his suit once more, and harshly disrupt his balance with a sharp forward tug.
Should he find his grip, that tug would be followed by a fully committed turn, leveraging his powerful arms and upper body around to whip Hayato up, around, and down - to slam harshly on the opposite side of the Ansatsuken Master from where he begain, "HYAAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Hayato fails to counter Seoi Nage from Ryu with Counter Thrust.
- Power fail! -
> Determined Hit! <
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Ryu 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Hayato
COMBATSYS: Hayato can no longer fight.
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Ryu 0/-------/-======|
When Ryu darts left, Hayato darts right. When Ryu darts right, Hayato darts left, starting to unleash a punch aimed at Ryu's face... but that's when Ryu's hand snags the edge of his coat. Hayato is yanked forward and off balance and then Ryu's got him. Arms lift him up, up, up... and then right back down, landing heavily on his back with a loud thud. Hayato lies there, sprawled out on the ground for several moments, then attempts to sit up. He manages to get his head several inches off the ground before falling back down with a long sigh. "Oof. Man, you've got me. Even if I could get up, I wouldn't even be able to walk on my own right now, let alone throw a punch at you."
Hayato closes his eyes for a moment, but he's got a smile on his face. "That was a great fight, though. You definitely earned that reputation of yours." And then Hayato decides to just stay there for a little bit longer. At least until the world stops spinning and the little flashing light start to fade from his vision.
Is he getting up again?!?!? The resigned breath answers it just before Hayato does, and the nomad's attention relaxes slightly. His shoulders droop, a deep breath of his own comes, and he just drops down on the side of the mountaintop, sitting slumped backwards with one leg stretched out in front of himself, looking wistfully back up the mountainside, "I shouldn't have left my bag." He mourns. As if in answer to his prayers, the staff for this little bout bring over fresh canteens to refresh the now-battered warriors, the water chugged thoroughly before Ryu nods, and picks up the other issue right where it was left.
"I was hoping to meet new warriors with your kind of strength here." The Ansatsuken Master admits, and thanks Nekketsu, in his own way, "I forsee tournament invitations in both our futures, or these guys just don't know what they're doing." There's a weary, but amused grin.... it's something of a personal in-joke, really. He hasn't seen Krauser, or been in Strolheim for quite some time... but the whalloping laid on him by the lord of the castle down below was one he's not soon to forget. Wolfgang Krauser more than knows what he's doing... and so does everyone in the dangerous Lord's command.
COMBATSYS: Ryu has ended the fight here.
Log created on 18:04:56 10/01/2008 by Ryu, and last modified on 13:39:45 10/02/2008.