Description: Adon challenges his former master in a duel for the honor of Muay Thai -- as Vega decides that he's let Sagat stay on the run long enough. The fallen Emperor of Muay Thai knows the odds. But he fights on all the same.
The God of Muay Thai. Or the Emperor of Muay Thai. Both were in essence, the same. To be the God and the Emperor was to be the same thing: Ultimate. The God of Muay Thai oversaw all of Muay Thai's activities; all of the important schools and dojos, the proper activities, even to defend the country of Thailand when the time came. To earn it's title was one of great honor and respect, and to earn it was simple. To be a master of Muay Thai, and to defeat the current God of Muay Thai.
The fight's turnout was very inclusive. It was meant to be inclusive. Only students of Muay Thai could attend, and only those of great note. No cameras. No press. The challenge was sent out quietly to Sagat. And yet, everyone knew about it. Everyone WOULD know about it. The greatest fight of the new year was about to begin.
Which is why Adon was lurking in his room.
The current God of Muay Thai couldn't help but have the second thoughts that his fear gave him. Vega forced him into this. His people forced him into this. The institution forced him into this. Even the very title of the GOD of MUAY THAI forced him into it. To back down was to accept the rumors, the reputation that overwhelmed the entire martial art. That Adon was a lucky coward. That he did not deserve it. And that he ground the entire sport down into a squalor. He loved Muay Thai, almost as much as he loved himself. And to back down... would destroy the reputation of both. He was trapped in his preperations. Proper hydration. The binding of his hands and elbows. The proper application of his amulets, his circlets, and all of his regal jewelry. He had to apply the lard, layering it thick upon his hair before applying the rubber cement. Stretches. Repetition of form. And of course, his war face.
His preperations ran 15 minutes over schedule now. The God of Muay Thai was running late. Out in the simple, stone tablet arena was the small crowd of Muay Thai practiioners, quietly observing the grounds. There was no chatter, no cheering. The fight was set in a very familiar location, symbolic to both Adon and Sagat. It was the site of their last fight together. The humid summer air hung heavily in the air as Muay Thai, Thailand, and the world waited quietly for the fight to unfold.
The invitation was passed to Sagat by a small child, sent by the villagers whose forced hospitality he was enjoying in the hopes that Sagat would not kill one so young and innocent for breathing the word 'Adon' in his presence.
It turned out to be a reasonably sound plan, as Sagat merely crippled him for life.
Sagat doesn't really remember the days since. He's pretty sure he was in a boxcar at one point, and he vaguely remembers overturning a vendor cart in Chiang Mai. The fallen Emperor's rage, suppressed and tightly focused for so long since the Shadaloo invasion, has been given an invitation to break loose, and he's increased his visibility a hundredfold as a result of his rampage slicing through the Thai landscape, leaving broken bodies and more destruction than one could think a single human being could achieve in his wake. The news reports did not know what to make of it -- just that Sagat, stained icon turned folk hero, was on a mission.
And here, Sagat reaches its terminus. He stalks through the crowd, which moves away from him, no one speaking, and no one meeting his gaze. He's not exactly on time himself, but when he arrives at the spot, his opponent is yet to be seen. He stands at the center, veins bulging, gaze burning with unholy fury. His taped hands ball into fists.
"WELL?!" Sagat calls.
COMBATSYS: Sagat has started a fight here.
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Sagat 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Adon has joined the fight here.
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Sagat 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Adon
The entire crowd suddenly begins to bow. Not to Sagat, who merely terrorized them, but to their emperor. Adon finally gave up on delaying his arrival. The God of Muay Thai stepped out from the depths of the temple, walking slowly down the steps to the main courtyard. His face was tighten into a steadfast leer, his eyes burning at the monster before him. It was almost surreal at what he saw, like some sort of horrible nightmare repeating itself. It was the fight all over again. Except Sagat was here, Sagat was intent on destroying him, and Sagat demanded blood. Adon had only one thing that he didn't have, though.
The title.
"So, the TIGAH of MUAY THAI has RETURNED, finally ACCEPTING my CHALLENGE. It has been much too LONG, saGAT! Tell me, WHY didn't you VISIT?" Adon spread his arms open at the man, smiling that shit-eating grin as wide as ever. Grimacing slightly, he just shakes his massive head. "Look at YOU. YOU used to be a GOD? I heard about your RAMPAGE. Your reckless TEARING through my people. An INSULT. A BEAST consumed by your own ANGER! You FAILED MUAY THAI when MUAY THAI was MEANT to DOMINATE!" Shutting his eyes tight, he just unleashes a look of absolute disgust. "It was an ACT of MERCY to take the CROWN from you... TEACHER."
The disgust melts away to show the pure arrogance of Adon's smile. His own fear was gone now. His own hot air consumed it. Approaching the ring, he stopped short. He suddenly gave a shout, and began a small, slow hopping dance. He finally bowed towards the south, before turning back to the ring. Entering it, he stops, staring at Sagat, arms crossed. "Shall we begin? Or... have you already FORGOTTEN the DANCE of the MUAY THAI... The WAIKU?" Adon suddenly swept his eyes across his students. Yes. The Waiku. The man burned with insidious intent. There was more than one way to keep your crown. And frankly, Adon was ready to play all of his options.
COMBATSYS: Adon takes no action.
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Sagat 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Adon
Sagat snarls, low and deep, like an animal. "I do not forget."
The giant man doesn't even assume a fighting stance, simply standing there, fists by his sides, shoulders heaving with every deep breath sucked in through his wide nostrils. His upper lip trembles on one side, twitching into a sneer. "I am Sagat," he announces simply, speaking to the crowd without looking at them -- his one, small eye is fixed dead on Adon. "If I were fighting anyone else -- this would be to regain my honor." Sagat remains as still as an obelisk, blotting out the moonlight, leaving Adon in his shadow. "But this one has no honor to give."
Sagat's frown deepens, his broad, ugly features twisting, deep grooves of age furrowing. "Today I fight only to kill."
Then, the tiger charges. Sagat moves from standing dead still to surging forward, like a freight train, as fast as any of the observers can blink. His footfalls are thunderous as the enraged titan swings a massive fist back -- and attempts, with no subtlety whatsoever, to drive it into Adon's leering face.
COMBATSYS: Sagat successfully hits Adon with Jab Punch.
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Sagat 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Adon
Sagat took the bait... for better or for worse. It would take a great deal of justification for anyone to take Sagat rampaging into you as grounds for better. But Adon, in true form, just crosses his arms, letting the train of a man wreck right into him. For a moment, it even looks like he was sticking his chin out JUST for the Tiger of Muay Thai to hit him.
Unfortunately, the God of Muay Thai forgot how powerful his former teacher actually was. Indeed, he assumed that with a little effort, he could just take it. That was not an option here. Instead, he was flattened hard to the ground in one hit. The crowd rise from their bowing, seemingly surprised by the explosion of power. But Adon, curled on the ground, just grabs his jaw, and swings it back and forth. It wasn't broken. And now... now he had won this fight. As long as he survived.
"So you STILL remain an INSULT to MUAY THAI." The Jaguar creeps back up, his back arched forward as he faced down the tiger. "I EXPECTED as MUCH. You do not CARE for MUAY THAI. You do not CARE for the ART. Even I did not THINK you had fallen THIS MUCH, Sagat. You are not MUAY THAI at ALL. You are nothing but a THUG. An ANIMAL." His face still was racked with pain, but that did not concern the GOD of MUAY THAI. He just tightened up into that same, cocky grin. "This is no longer a FIGHT for MUAY THAI. This is a FIGHT to REMIND a SAD, FORGOTTEN MAN of how his LOST his GLORY DAYS.
And then, the Jaugar pounces. Leaping through the air, Adon lept forward, drawing both of his knees inward. Keeping his center of mass tight, he focused on bringing the pure speed of Muay Thai against his former master. To remind him why he was his favored student. To remind him why he lost... fairly. As he closed in on the titan of a man, he shot his right knee hard out, attempting to let it explode right into the bigger prey.
COMBATSYS: Sagat blocks Adon's Medium Kick.
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Sagat 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Adon
Sagat catches the knee in a giant palm. Does it hurt? Yeah. Like crazy. He just had a finely honed Muay Thai kneecap slam into his callused hand. But Sagat's too mad to care about pain. If he feels it, it doesn't even register on his face as he shoves Adon's knee back. "Muay Thai?" the hulk of a man says, sneering.
Sagat then moves forward again, bringing his own knee to bear, perhaps in some sort of attempt to show Adon how it's done. His kneecap is probably the size of Adon's face, and Sagat moves more gracefully than any enraged behemoth really should, swinging his bent leg at his former disciple's chest. "Muay Thai is whatever I /say/ it is."
COMBATSYS: Adon blocks Sagat's Medium Kick.
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Sagat 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Adon
The clinch. Something that, in boxing, was a bad thing. But in Muay Thai, it might just save your life. As Adon is shoved back, he simple springs right towards Sagat. It wasn't to attack, directly speaking. It was to deal with the Tiger's most significant advantage: his reach. Sure, his overwhelming power and rage was probably the most dangerous thing. But the reason why the reach was significant to Adon was that... well, he could control that. So as Sagat brings his own knee in, Adon just closes the gap. Instead of a direct, explosive strike, Adon uses his own knee to catch it. And then both of his hands, when he feels how much power was behind that hit.
Now, Adon was right in the tiger's mouth. His long limbs put him at a temporary disadvantage. But that was all. Adon had to exploit this immediately. Sneering right back at his teacher, he lets loose a high-pitched cackle. "I'm not taking MUAY THAI lessons from handservent of SHADALOO, SAGAT." The Jaguar bites as he bounced a little bit up as he gave way to the powerful knee. He suddenly snapped his hands out, attempting to grab the monster of a man by the shoulders. If successful, he would just whip himself over the giant's head, and attempt to hurl his girth right across the grounds. Exploiting Sagat's weaknesses. It was what Adon could only rely on.
COMBATSYS: Sagat interrupts Jaguar Carry from Adon with Tiger Shot.
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Sagat 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Adon
As Adon charges, Sagat rears his arms back, swinging those massive limbs out into a crooked cruciform. He doesn't even try to block Adon -- it's as if in throwing his arms out, he's daring his former protege to attack him. He waits until Adon is right there, right on top of him, launching over -- and then Sagat strikes.
Rolling with the attack, Sagat lets himself be thrown, but as his body moves, his arms snap together like a steel trap. It does not seem to matter to Sagat that he is upside down in midair as he does it -- the orange chi erupts from his colliding fists like a crescent all the same. "TIGUH!" he cries as the attack launches -- just in time for the titan to land on his burly shoulders with a smack, rolling onto his side and quickly springing back to his feet.
Adon almost thought he had his former master. Almost. The Tiger was a lot more brutal than he had remembered. And he remembered a lot. As the jaguar tossed the bigger man, that smirk could cut through diamond. Needless to say, it took a lot of effort not to let that smile die when the GOD of MUAY THAI was struck down by a parting shot from the larger man. But from that tense grinlock, there was a biting howl of frustration... and pain.
"More of your MONGREL techniques." The GOD of MUAY THAI declares from the opposite end of the ring. Raising himself up, he gripped his chest hard. He remembered the Tiger Shot very well. Bitterly, the Emperor bit back his fury. Both were old men. But Sagat... was older. He shouldn't be this difficult. Feet pounding, he built up speed for another charge. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAIAAAIAAAA!" The Jaguar howled as he sprung through the air, legs tightly wound into his body. Arms tucked in, he was diving at the bigger man again, trying hard to keep the pressure on him. He needed to burn him out early, tear him down piece by piece. As he dove in, he suddenly got a... despeciable thought.
Angering Sagat was grounds to have your life insurance canceled. And yet, Adon thought nothing of doing the stupid... or arrogant. As he jumped in, he suddenly shot both knees forward. But not to attack. No, it would seems like a form to attack. Sagat would guard against the blow, either through his massive pectoral muscles or through his arms. But as he did, Adon would do something just plain mean. He would snap his arms out, not in an elbow strike, but a straight punch with both hands... right for the Tiger's eye sockets.
COMBATSYS: Sagat dodges Adon's Medium Punch.
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Sagat 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Adon
Sagat executes a dazzling display of Muay Thai technique as he simply steps out of the way, turning his body with the step so that he can face Adon when he lands. "My 'mongrel techniques?' You forget, Adon, who turned you into a fighter worth anything at all. If I thought to expect any better of you, I'd be ashamed of how hard you've worked to undo that."
Sagat steps forward, a stomp that seems to rattle the landscape. "I made you, Adon, and I know how to break you."
Sagat's voice is deep and tight, fury funneled into a thin beam as his entire brain devotes all active processes toward the end goal of terminating Adon's reign as both 'God of Muay Thai' and 'presently living human being.' He waits for Adon to come up -- and then he moves, orange chi flaring around him, like jagged strokes of fire being swept up on the gust his uppercut creates. "TIGUH -- OPPACUH!"
COMBATSYS: Sagat successfully hits Adon with Tiger Uppercut.
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Sagat 0/-------/---====|=======\======-\1 Adon
As far as Adon was concerned, his reign of the God of Muay Thai was secure. Only those who were truly part of the Muay Thai community could really assume the title. The requirements was more than just beating someone up. Otherwise, Ryu would have been the one assuming the title. No, to be one with Muay Thai was to follow not just the techniques, but the rules and rituals. This was something he hoped Sagat would fail to uphold in his rage. And he did.
However, the downside of that was that you had a raging Sagat in your grill. As Adon's dive is avoided by a simple side-step, he feels that tingle in the back of his spine. He made a mistake. And now, Sagat was going to exploit it. Body tensing up, he began to brace for impact as he turned to block the blow. All of Sagat's movements were telegraphed, but only because Sagat allowed them to be. Adon knew this... and feared it. The chi flared brighter as Adon found himself consumed in the powerful uppercut...
There is the sound of the crowd rising up as their God falls to the ground. Adon doesn't move, initially. His eyes were closed tightly. Slowly, they open. Upon his chest was an open gash, burning in agony. Adon snapped up. It hurt to snap up. But he did not care. The only thing that was important to him was to bring Sagat down. He was down... but not out. Not yet. He suddenly lept through the air, foot first as he charged forward with a flying kick. "JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGA....!!!" Was the howl as the former student, current emperor lunged in...
COMBATSYS: Adon successfully hits Sagat with Jaguar Thousand.
- Power hit! -
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Sagat 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Adon
"... THOOOOOOOOOUSAND!" Adon piles the kick hard into the body of Sagat, and immediately brings his right elbow around to smash it across the face of his former master. But as he lands back on the ground, he doesn't stop. He just starts punching, elbowing, and kneeing. There was no end, he was just as focused as Sagat in unleashing a constant stream of strikes and blows, hammering it rapidly at the Tiger of Muay Thai. He was a jungle cat backed into a corner, something that his former master should know was dangerous. Adon was a desperate, angry man. But at least he had his pride. Finally, he ends the blur of punches by winding up his right leg for a kick... and suddenly snapping it behind him as he unleash a single cobra punch into his teacher.
Sagat doesn't quite make it out of the way in time -- he's a big guy, there's more to move, and part of him doesn't quite /want/ to get out of Adon's way, because that would reduce his ability to put his hands around Adon's throat and headbutt him until he stops moving. So he weathers the storm of punches and kicks, his body moving with each according to their force, the sound of fist against hardened muscle filling the air with a thousand thocks of impact.
The final punch knocks Sagat to the ground, and he sits there for a moment, holding his head. "Nnn. Ha. Ha, ha, ha, ha." Sagat leans to one side and spits some blood onto the ground, before pushing to his feet. "You always were the only student I had with any potential," Sagat says, smiling darkly as he brings his fists up. "But my Muay Thai was always stronger."
Then, suddenly, Sagat rushes forward, moving so fast that he leaves glowing afterimages of himself, one knee swinging up.
COMBATSYS: Adon dodges Sagat's Tiger Genocide+.
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Sagat 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Adon
Adon was there, finally taking Sagat down with a Jagga Kick. In his own rage, he defeated his teacher... if barely. But in the process, Sagat caught him off guard. As his foot smashed hard into Sagat, his master tore into him with this same attack. Tiger Genocide. Those after images triggered the memories. How every bone in his body was broken. Adon knew that Sagat's Muay Thai was stronger. It sent him into a body cast. But... at the same time, he knew that his Muay Thai was faster.
That placed him upon the throne.
Remembering the move, Adon focused hard upon the on-rushing Sagat. And suddenly, with the deft speed of the jungle cat he took after, he suddenly whipped around the pouncing Tiger. "Your warped STYLE of MUAY THAI, Sagat, is about the POWER." The arrogant man growled coldly. "But MINE is about the SPEED." Reliving the old days, the GOD of MUAY THAI suddenly shot forward, attempting to cross his arm up and over the shoulder of Sagat. If successful, he would simply drive his knee hard into the groin of his former teacher... and hurl him hard into the ground. If Sagat was in for the blood sport... well, Adon would just have to play that way.
Ruthlessly.
COMBATSYS: Adon successfully hits Sagat with Jaguar Slam.
~ Cruel hit! ~
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Sagat 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Adon
Sagat's testicles are like kneeing steel bearings.
The titan goes to the ground again, and just lays there for a moment. His eye closes for a second. In that second, Sagat stops and thinks. He's letting his rage get the better of him -- he's being clumsy, and stupid, and letting Adon goad him into foolish strategies. This, he decides, as his eye opens, will stop. Now.
Pushing to his feet, Sagat is hunched over, drawing in a deep breath. "I am Sagat," he says, simply, bluntly. "There is no Ryu to soften me up for you this time, Adon. There is no one to save you. There is just you --" Sagat points at Adon.
Sagat then stands tall, his full height impressive as ever, jerking his thumb at his scarred chest. "-- and me. And I. Am. Sagat."
Sagat lets out a leering, mocking grin. "So what hope do you have?"
COMBATSYS: Sagat gathers his will.
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Sagat 1/--=====/=======|====---\-------\0 Adon
"What I HAVE, SAGAT, is 10 YEARS of YOUTH and VIGOR, TEN YEARS to OVERCOME YOU!"
Adon's smash left the powerful man to the ground, leaving Adon to simply glare at his former master. Normally, he would have just kept pounding him into the ground... but then he brought up the details of the fight. He was thinking clearly now. This meant trouble. Stepping back, the story poured out. Ryu did soften him up. But it was more than just Ryu. Sagat's rage consumed him. That was the most important part. If that rage wasn't there... Then he was left with the old Sagat. The dangerous Sagat.
The world champion Sagat.
The student gritted his teeth, and almost desperately spit out his counter. That was all he had on his side. Time. Sagat was older than him, and the ravages of old age might have slowed him down. Hopefully more than Adon. A new fire burned in the God of Muay Thai. This wasn't about keeping his reputation. This wasn't about even staying alive. This was about Adon proving he was better than Sagat... something that never felt closer. As his teacher just stood there, high and mighty, the Emperor just lept into the air again.
"You are NOTHING. I AM ADON! THE GOD OF MUAY THAI! And you... WILL... BE... FORGOTTEN!" Adon was practically screaming as he flipped forward, letting the momentum of the force give him the power he needed. Even as Sagat burned with the power he needed, Adon was going for the kill. Bringing his foot down towards his former Master's face, a long trail of orange energy burned from behind his heel. And as he brought it down, he unleashed a high-pitched squeal, seeped in a new fury.
"JAAAAAAGGA KEEEEEEEEEEK!"
COMBATSYS: Adon successfully hits Sagat with Jaguar Kick.
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Sagat 1/=======/=======|====---\-------\0 Adon
Sagat catches the kick right in the jaw, causing another spurt of blood to fly from his newly-split and plumped lips. "Will I, Adon?" he says, stepping back for a moment for the sole purpose of cracking his enormous knuckles. "If you beat me here, no one will call you the God of Muay Thai. No one will remember you as that, or as its Emperor."
Sagat smiles cruelly, an ugly expression. "They will only remember you as the man who struck down Sagat." Sagat brings his fists up. "The one who got lucky."
Then, suddenly, Sagat swoops down low, swinging a foot out in a huge stomp that ends in a crouch not unlike a runner's position at the starting line, one leg straight and bent back. And as he does this, his fists swing forward again, colliding and sparking like a flint, chi soaring out in an orange blaze. "TIGUH!"
COMBATSYS: Adon parries Sagat's Low Tiger Shot!
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Sagat 1/=======/=======|====---\-------\0 Adon
The kick knocks both him and Sagat away from each other, opening up distance. This was trouble, as distance is what usually damned someone who was fighting Sagat. Landing deftly on both feet, he took a labored breath. He didn't see Sagat acting tired. Why should he? Sagat was the classic symbol in terms of power and endurance. Adon? Well, he was arrogance. But with that arrogance came confidence. And with that confidence... came just enough power.
"You are WRONG." The God of Muay Thai states resoundingly, his grin tightening as Sagat prepares to slam his fist into the ground. Suddenly, he erupts forward. As the flint just begins to spark, Adon jams his foot right by Sagat fist. The energy erupts behind Adon as he drops right by the still crouched Sagat. "If I win here, there is no more QUESTION of LUCK. It DESTROYS all ILLUSIONS. It PROVES that I, ADON, THE EMPEROR of MUAY THAI..."
"Am KING."
Adon shoots upwards and forwards, his legs triggering fluidly as his scream cuts through the air. "KEEEEEEEEYAAAAAAA!!!" The intent was to drive one knee hard into the face of Sagat... and then the other knee, just as hard. Before he could react. Before he could counter. Before he could do anything to insure that fate... rights what has been wronged.
COMBATSYS: Sagat fails to interrupt Rising Jaguar EX from Adon with Tiger Genocide+.
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Sagat 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Adon
Sagat eats knees. Two of them. He tries to bring his own knee up to stop the assault, or at least block them, but he's not that fast, and so he gets his skull cracked a bit more for his troubles.
Sagat falls to one knee, pressing his palm againt a new cut on his cheek, framed eloquently by purple bruises. "You are nothing," Sagat replies, blood drooling from his mouth whenever he speaks. "You are a loud little thing who cares nothing about honor save when it suits him. I am no saint, Adon," Sagat rumbles, staring at his protege, "but at least I am consistent. You're just a fly, buzzing wherever you think you won't get swatted."
Adon's aggression only fueled his self-centered nature, that burning drive that presented itself. He saw opportunity now. Even as Sagat rumbles his claim, the current emperor only kept charging through. What Sagat said was true. He was a small man that relied on big words. But unlike many small men, he had one thing that held him together. He was a master of Muay Thai. Not the master. A master. He knew how to fight, and in a world where there was no Sagat looming over, he could have been an acceptable leader of the martial art. But he would still be a big fish in a small pond.
And it was time for him to move into the ocean.
"You can't learn, can you." Adon growled from under his breath. "You THINK your STRENGTH can WIN. SPEED is POWER. MY SPEED will DESTROY you. Go BACK to your SHADALOO. Where your THUGGERY is held as KING. Your BRUTE, STUPID TECHNIQUE is consider an IDOL. You ARE consistent. And what you hold forever is SOMETHING..."
"...That should never return to MUAY THAI AGAIN."
Picking up speed, he attempted to tackle his former Teacher to the ground. To put the former Emperor into a pin... that was elegence. He needed to assert his dominance. His power. His VICTORY. And when he was on his back, Adon would drive his elbow hard into that scar... deep into that scar. To leave him in ruin. To destroy him.
To Win.
COMBATSYS: Sagat endures Adon's Medium Throw.
[ < > ////// ]
Sagat 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Adon
"You never learn, Adon," Sagat says wearily as he sees Adon coming, elbow first. Sagat doesn't move out of the way. He doesn't even try to block or roll out of the way. Like a prom date gone horribly right, he just lays there and takes it -- if he's going to lose, he's going to take the greatest parting shot he possibly can -- tainting Adon's victory by /allowing/ it. Sagat grunts in pain and stands up, staring at his former pupil. "Fast. Right."
Then, suddenly, Sagat's foot is in the air -- like a tree trunk blown in a hurricane, sailing for Adon's haircut.
COMBATSYS: Sagat keeps on fighting!
[ \ < > ////// ]
Sagat 0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0 Adon
COMBATSYS: Adon blocks Sagat's Light Kick.
[ \ < > //// ]
Sagat 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Adon
The combination of lard, rubber cement, and skull was a wise investment on behalf of Adon. As he smashes his elbow hard into the chest of Sagat, he expected him to... just give it up. But that chest is like a tank, and when he doesn't go down... the tiger gets up. The kick would have destroyed Adon from the neck, if it wasn't for the fact that... the hair was built like Sagat's chest. Driving the hair-style hard down, the kick grazes his skull. His neck might have snapped, but he was tense now. Bracing it hard against the impact of the legendary legs, he brings his arms up, snarling. "Don't toy with me, Sagat. If you want to GIVE UP, just SAY IT!"
The Emperor of Muay Thai was becoming exhausted. He was running out of options. He was tired, he was weak, and most importantly, Sagat was NOT. He was that same pillar of strength, undying. Eternal. He was trapped with very few options now. He just needed that one attack now. To push him over. To win. That was it. To WIN. He hopped up into the air, raising his right elbow high up. He stiffened the arm's fist into his other hand. Winding up, he suddenly released it. The elbow crashed down, attempting to smash it hard into the skull of Sagat. The Jaguar taking down the Tiger. Finally. In a fair, unstolen fight. Victory was so close... he could taste it.
COMBATSYS: Sagat just-defends Adon's Jaguar Crunch!
[ \\\ < > /// ]
Sagat 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Adon
Sagat again seems to make no move to defend himself. As Adon comes at him, the titanic warrior simply stands and watches. And then, at the last possible instant, Adon's elbow connects.
With Sagat's hand, that is, as the mighty brawler catches the attack and redirects its momentum, shoving Adon away with a grunt. "Don't toy with you? A bit late to be telling me this now, Adon," he sighs. "I'd have ended it a lot sooner, in that case."
As Adon is rebuffed, though, Sagat attempts to swing his arms out and catch the smaller fighter, gripping him in those giant hands, and then just -- /throwing/ him, over his shoulder, like refuse, like dirt. "TIGUH!"
COMBATSYS: Sagat successfully hits Adon with Tiger Carry.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\ < > ]
Sagat 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Adon
No. No. Adon was so close. He almost had the entire fight. And then, with that, the entire fight turns on him. As Sagat catches his charge and tosses him aside, he suddenly had that horrible thought in his mind. What if... Sagat was holding back. No. That couldn't be. NO. Like slow motion, he turns around to look at the giant of a man. And Sagat? The man just grabs him by the face, and elegantly throws him away like gabage. With that, Adon lands on his face. The entire fight collasped on him. It was over. Sagat won.
Sagat won.
Sagat... couldn't... WIN.
There was a scream. Adon wasn't there anymore. There was only a small man, consumed by his own rage, his own stubbornness to resist losing; to resist dying. Sagat wasn't going to leave here. He was going to be ground to the ground, right here into the arena. The emperor of Muay Thai just swung blindly, desperately at the bigger man. He smashed elbows, swung arms, drove kicks, and jammed knees. To someone at full strength, it would be a sad, desperate attempt at denying what has evitiably happened. To someone on the edge of his ropes, however... it might be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
COMBATSYS: Adon can no longer fight.
[ \\\ <
Sagat 0/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Adon successfully hits Sagat with Jaguar Varied Assault.
- Power hit! -
-+- CALCULATED HIT -+-
[ <
Sagat 1/------=/=======|
It's enough.
As Adon utilizes the tactics of 'the Muay Thai Tantrum' to try and batter Sagat down, the larger fighter seems to finally and distinctly weaken, falling to one knee as Adon continues his assault. When it finishes, Sagat is left kneeling and heaving, sucking in oxygen to perhaps compensate for the blood he's losing from various cuts across his body. His chest is mottled with bruises -- same with his face. He doesn't retaliate, though. He just kneels, catches his breath, and thinks.
COMBATSYS: Sagat takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Sagat can no longer fight.
Adon, however, in his tantrum, forces what might be considered a draw. But deep down, through his rage, his anger, he knew what just happened. Sagat won. He beat him, fair and square. He was, for all intents and purposes, the better fighter.
As Adon slipped into unconsciousness, this was the only thing he could think of. Sagat was better than him.
Clap.
Clap.
"A victor again. Sagat, you truly are something special. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you could defeat him, though - he was never truly your calibur, no matter what he boasted." Surprise, Sagat - Vega is in the house, and his blase, bored expression shows just how little he cares for what is left. He frowns thoughtfully, looking about, and with a snap of his fingers, several 'Dolls' enter as well, falling in to line near him. With them at his back, Vega could take an army, many armies - or quite possibly, a strong Muay Thai master. He doesn't move to attack though, just to watch, instead.
Pale white eyes ponder, for a long minute - and then there's a shrug. At this point, the win would not be crushing enough for what he has planned. Weakened, the Tiger of Thailand might never believe he was Vega's lesser, were Vega to attack now. The plan was to learn what Sagat had seen and grown in his fighting style - and Vega is certain he'll still have the upper hand - and as such, his own ego gets in the way of a pragmatic sneak attack. "It's time you learned your place again in the world, Sagat. Not as a man of Muay Thai - but as a minion of Shadaloo. You've run from me, you've stood and told me to come - and now, I have. I'll return soon - prepare yourself for what is coming - and what is left when I pick up the pieces."
"Hhh -- hhh -- hhh." Sagat doesn't look up as Vega appears. He can all but smell the burning crackle of psycho power on the air; he's been around the leader of Shadaloo far too much to /not/ recognize the sound of his cape swooping in the breeze. As Vega speaks, Sagat keeps his head down. He doesn't move -- he knows that even if he did, in this state, the Dolls would be on him like wild dogs, and just as merciless. No, the Muay Thai warrior can only listen, and let the words sink in deep, particularly the phrase 'minion of Shadaloo.'
The small crowd Adon gathered watches the whole display, from Vega's entrance to exit, and for its entire duration, they are silent, watching with respect, fear, and awe in varying proportions. Finally, Vega leaves, and only then does Sagat stir.
Standing, still letting out hoarse, deep breaths, Sagat seems oblivious to his surroundings. Days ago, his rampage began, when he first heard of Adon's challenge -- and now, it seems, he has been given the fuel to continue.
Days pass. Bruises fade. Cuts clot and heal. But Sagat keeps pushing himself. He doesn't train in any 'conventional' way -- he just lets his rage consume him however it pleases, confident that in the fires of his anger he will be forged into a deadlier weapon. It's not much of a plan, but Sagat was never much of a strategist. He's more the type to simply kill whatever's in his way.
And now? Now, Sagat is in Bangkok. A crowded city center. He wears his shorts and tape, and screams in his native tongue: "FIGHT ME!" No one dares try, so he continues walking, blurting the challenge every dozen or so steps. Instead, the crowds part for him like the Red Sea. But if they are not directly in his way -- Sagat takes no notice.
Within the crowd, a flash of blue. A piped hat, a perky yellow tie - agents in leotards and combat boots, Shadaloo's minions. He'll see them where he looks, poor Sagat. Vega's followed him, on and off - tracked him through the training, always within eyeshot, only to vanish when looked at. They're skilled enough for this, at least. In the end, when Sagat returns to the city center, eventually this parting of humanity will stop - a single figure standing deliberately within Sagat's way, in the midst of the thrum of humanity that has realized 'I should not be here right now'. That figure..
Vega.
Lord of Shadaloo, the former Dictator of Thailand. He's returned, and nearby, his Dolls appear. They surround the area, lithe angels of death - they move people away from the fighting area, and make a loose, makeshift 'ring', staying well out of Sagat's angry reach. Those hands are for Vega along to crush - they've all been given strict orders, after all.
He stands, unspeaking. His words, however, are easily heard inside Sagat's mind, a simple enough trick to make himself heard to only one man. <<You want this defeat so badly, Sagat - feel free to take it. I will offer you this one sop - no matter the outcome of today's battle, I will not kill you after. You're far too valuable to Shadaloo - and once you know your place, well... We'll speak then.>> He beckons the warrior onwards, offering him the initiative, calm in comparison to the raging beast Sagat has become through his anger. Soaking in that energy, Vega basks in preperation.
COMBATSYS: Vega has started a fight here on the left meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Vega 0/-------/-------|
Sagat knows the Dolls' tricks -- but even if one had acted, the hulking Thai brawler would not have been satisfied. Though deadly, most of Vega's toys break too easily for Sagat's favorite games. So he continues -- until, finally, he sees the man himself. "/VEGA/," Sagat rumbles, voice like an avalanche, even as the terrorist mastermind beams his message directly into his mind.
The fallen emperor of Muay Thai stomps forward, his sneer so pronounced as to deepen the lines of age written across his face. "Are you trying to intimidate me with mercy, now, Vega?" he asks, in English -- his thick Thai accent gives him a strange cadence and diction, with a deep, booming voice giving it a disconcerting, demonic element. "I have none within me. When I defeat you, Vega--"
Sagat stops, flexing his titanic form, every artery bulging grotesquely. "--it will be the end of Shadaloo, and the end of your /life/."
COMBATSYS: Sagat has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Vega 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sagat
"Intimidate? No - this is your future, Sagat. You should know better, going forwards - I have no need to intimidate. Even when I offered you what you left behind, I never stopped to anything so .. pedestrian." Admittedly, Sagat is a force to be reckoned with - but if Vega has any thoughts at all about how he would have to fear Sagat's power, he keeps them tucked far away, deep down within him. Now is not the time to show weakness - it's instead, the time to crush Sagat into a fine paste, and remind him who his 'Master' is. Time to snap the chain he'd given Sagat quite short indeed.
As Sagat stretches his ego up and around, waving it at Vega, the dictator leans forwards, and then /moves/, bursting into something akin to a purple haze. He vanishes from sight, reappearing near Sagat, almost behind him. He reaches out for the back of Sagat's head, his voice angry, dark and finally letting out some of the intense emotion he keep bottled up inside. "There is no end to me, Sagat. I've passed beyond such mortal things - what's left is pure power. It's time to show you this..!" If he's able to keep a grip on the Thailand Muay Thai master, he'll catch him by the neck and slam him to the ground, a wave of dark psycho power battering at Sagat's self esteem and will to fight. A difficult thing to pierce through, but... Vega has all the time in the world.
COMBATSYS: Sagat fails to interrupt Psycho Fall from Vega with Aerial Tiger Carry.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Vega 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Sagat
Vega moves at the speed of psycho power -- which gives him the drop on Sagat, his hands closing as the giant man's neck, which is so tense and tight as to feel like steel cable is running beneath sunburnt flesh. "Hhggh--" Sagat snorts, attempting to leap and drag the Shadaloo leader into the air, but this is for naught.
The momentum of Sagat's jump just gives Vega even more leverage to use against him, the psycho power causing the titan's body to momentarily seize up, long enough for him to be slammed into the ground. Sagat skids, coming to a rest at the very edge of the terrified onlooking crowd. "One of us," Sagat spits -- literally, a bit of blood in the gob that lands on the ground -- "will not walk away from this." The psycho power hammers at his belief that he can endure the storm and win this -- but his rage is such that all it does is turn the fight from 'the murder of Vega,' in his mind, to 'the last stand of one of them.'
Sagat pushes himself to his feet with a growl, eager to find out which one it will be.
"You're very right, Sagat. One of us will not." Those are a predator's words, a predator's glare in blank white eyes, the grin that crosses Vega's mouth tight, tense with the expectation of battle. He knows how Sagat moves, and he knows what he is in for if he makes the slightest error in judgement. Sagat is a powerhouse.. and in the end, Vega can be sure that every bit of it will be brought to bear today. He takes the time to prepare his next move, watching Sagat return to his feet.
"No matter what, though - today, you return to where you belong. Where that is, well.. That has already been decided for you." Vega laughs crazily as he launches himself forwards again, eagerly entering the fray with the Muay Thai Monster. His hands are held high, and the swing of attempted impact isn't with his fists this time. No, this time he makes a mockery of Sagat's art, by using a corrupted variant of a kick, much like the powerful shin strikes that Sagat has mastered long ago. The impact is not nearly as strong as one of Sagat's own - but the power of Vega's mind more than makes up for any perceived lack of power. After all - Vega's strength has /always/ been his ego, his utter certainty of what will be.
COMBATSYS: Vega successfully hits Sagat with Medium Kick.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Vega 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Sagat
The impact may not be as strong as one of Sagat's muay thai kicks, but good luck convincing the crowd that, as Vega's armored shinguard connects with Sagat's face in such a way as to cause his cheek to swell up like he was beginning some sort of horrifying transformation into a plum. "HUUGK!" the giant says, another squirt of blood erupting from his mouth -- as well as from under his eyepatch, creating a gruesome line of red 'tears' down his bruised cheek.
"Keep talking," Sagat says, his new deformit making his words even harder to intuit as he kneels. Sagat sucks in a breath, the rest of his body very still.
Then, without warning, Sagat is up, attempting to grab Vega with those giant hands. There's a loud, diabolical laugh from the shamed giant as he attempts to deal with a notoriously complex opponent by handling it in the simplest way possible -- grabbing onto him and smashing him into the ground really, really hard.
COMBATSYS: Vega blocks Sagat's Tiger Rage.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Vega 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Sagat
Easy enough to grab - Vega's caught up in those wrapped hands, the immense size of Sagat's meathooks make Vega-snagging a relatively easy concept. Flesh constricts underneath the grip, but as Vega is smashed towards the ground, he seems to fade again at the last second. There are bits of the Dictator's pauldrons and cape left in Sagat's hand afterwards, and torn cloth and flesh beneath as he reappears, the grabby gus drawing blood from his opponent. Narrowed eyes look on as Sagat recovers, Vega already vertical again, already circling and preparing another attack.
"I have ... very little left to say to you, Sagat." His words are very deliberate, his choice made with much forethought. He's already said far too much for a crowded venue, and really - all that he needs to say has been said. He's told Sagat what will happen next - all that remains is to make certain that it comes true. He tries to catch the warrior in another speedy series of punches, a rapid-fire pattering at the warrior's guard. It's an attempt to break him down, to push him into a disadvantageous position - he knows that the longer the fight goes on, the stronger and wilier that Sagat will get. If he can keep him unbalanced, Vega may prevail - but victory is a narrow thing indeed to reach for.
COMBATSYS: Sagat dodges Vega's Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Vega 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Sagat
The punch sails over Sagat's shoulder; the titan, though already wounded, moves with surprising quickness. "Good. Then let's get this /over/ with." Sagat isn't focused on any long-term goals over the arc of the fight; he's not playing five moves ahead. Instead, the Muay Thai master works on raw, ragged instinct, letting his knowledge of the style take over -- Sagat's movements are pure instinct, and his animalistic snarl and baleful gaze are pure rage.
As Vega came in close to try and tag him, though, Sagat cannot help but try to exploit the opportunity. Just as his empty eye socket was injured, he decides that Hammurabi had the right idea in repaying Vega -- so his fist shoots up, frighteningly fast, to try and stab his thumb into one of Vega's blank-faced eyes. He doubts he'll hit hard enough to gouge, but any advantage in a storm.
COMBATSYS: Sagat successfully hits Vega with Jab Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Vega 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Sagat
Wait, was it /really/ Vega's fault Sagat was blinded?! C'mon, that was just fun 'n games! Really, this 'eye for an eye' thing is overrated - but Vega certainly gets caught off-guard by the lashing move of Sagat, the Thailand Giant raking one of his eyes and causing Vega to break off his attack and pull away, wincing in pain. "Rrrgh! Fool! I offered you a place of power, and you turned it down. Stupid, pig-headed idiot! You can't accept your place, and you have to be shown it - and /I will show it to you/!!"
Pain in his voice, anger there too - the Dictator of Thailand throws down his arms, and that evil inky aura surrounds him. It sweeps up and around him as well, subsuming the area into darkness. Surrounding them both with his power, he shows the other man where he is - that he's in the midst of the lion's den. There's a warning in this - 'here there be dragons' - or destruction. "Come at me! Show me what you toy with, Sagat? Let me remind you about /true/ power!!"
COMBATSYS: Vega gathers his will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Vega 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Sagat
"Hnnh hnnh hnnn," Sagat laughs darkly, falling back himself and bringing his fists up in an insular kickboxing stance, presenting himself as a shuffling monolith, looming over just about any given member of the crowd -- the size of both men makes it feel very much like a clash between titans, a war between beings more than just human -- gotterdammerung.
"I need nothing of yours," Sagat says, the words flung from his lips with percussive venom. "Do you understand me, Vega?!" His voice grows louder, rising from a guttural, cracked croak into a savage roar.
"NOTHING!" Sagat swings his arms out, flexing what seems like his entire body at once, muscles tightening, veins pulsing.
And then, Sagat smashes his fists together, arms locked straight ahead as he sparks a soaring, luminescent orange crescent, that burns with the power Sagat wields. The power of the -- "TIIIGUUUHHH!"
COMBATSYS: Vega endures Sagat's Tiger Shot!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Vega 1/-----==/=======|=======\=------\1 Sagat
Nothing. Nothing? Sagat needs /nothing/ of Vega's. That's what he says at least - that much, Sagat has attempted to make crystal clear. Vega, however, is having none of it. The hulking brute of a Shadaloo leader is quite certain that Sagat doesn't know what is good for him, and is intent on.. sharing that knowledge in a very quick manner.
As orange fire blasts and blazes towards him, that aura surrounding the pair solidifies. It curves around Vega's body and he launches himself /into/ and /through/ the blast, burning blazing and blown around by the horrid pain of Sagat's spirit, a spirit he has yet to crush. That, that he will change soon.
He comes out the back end of the Tiger Shot with his own eyes and hands ablaze - and just after he flies forwards, launching himself fists-first at Sagat, his voice a howl of rage and spirit, showing the man just how much power he has on his own, how much he can control and focus into a bullet aimed at Sagat's brain, seeking to splinter his will into tiny, tiny pieces. "PSYCHO... CRUSHAAAAA!!"
COMBATSYS: Sagat blocks Vega's Psycho Crusher.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Vega 0/-------/-----==|=======\====---\1 Sagat
Vega's theatrics give Sagat the barest amount of time to prepare, but it's enough. Rage begins to form into distinct patterns and channels as opposed to an uncontrolled storm, allowing Sagat to focus on surviving Vega's onslaught rather than just rushing headlong into Psycho Crush City.
Throwing his arms inward against himself, he braces for Vega's impact, but is still bowled off of his feet, launched into the air and carried by the Psycho Crusher for an impressive distance, resisting the overwhelming urge to cry out in agony as he tries to overcome the electric blue psycho power being mainlined into his body -- through sheer willpower.
When the move completes, Sagat is launched yet further, smashing into a vendor stand hawking cheap Bangkok souvenier hats and shirts, crushing the wooden kiosk outright. Sagat slowly gets up, knocking a shirt away from his face. His forearms have bloody, bubbling, raw scorch marks. "Hh," he grunts, before staring Vega down again. "I don't need fancy tricks to smash you."
Then, Sagat lunges forward, his fist swung back and up, arm bent tightly as he takes to the sky -- hoping to come down on Sagat with an elbow sharpened by the power of Muay Thai like unto a thing of iron.
COMBATSYS: Vega interrupts Fierce Punch from Sagat with Final Psycho Crusher+.
+ Epic Hit! +
*KNOCKED AWAY*
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ]
Vega 0/-------/----===|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sagat
He doesn't need fancy tricks. Sagat is beyond those - or perhaps just incapable. Vega's mind sees weakness where Sagat sees determination - an unwillingness to use /every/ tool at the man's disposal. When Sagat launches himself up and off the ground, Vega is ready. More than ready, really - Vega is /prepared/, and focused like a bolt of lightning. He waits his time, bides in a crouched stance as Sagat lunges, waits until the highest point - and then he speaks, his voice rushed and angry, screaming out towards the taller, attacking man.
"Fool! This is no /trick/!! This is your Master's touch!! FINAAAAAAL....!"
There is no way to hear the rest, but certainly Sagat knows what is coming. The electric blue and black power that is Vega's explodes from his body, an inferno that dwarfs the attack mere seconds ago. Eagerly, it rages about and around the warriors, and then it seemingly blasts forwards, aimed right into Sagat's chest, towards that scar he'd been given in his last 'honorable' fight. Or the one where he lost his honor, where he was turned to the path that led to Shadaloo. It's deliberate, on Vega's part - a reminder of who and what has built and /still/ owns him. Energy after energy is thrown out through Vega's fists - and no matter how much the initial impact that Sagat throws into the blast pains him - he knows that this much, he's left some sort of mark. Psychic, physical - who knows.
"HAAAARRRGHHHHGHGGHHGGH--!" Sagat screams as the Final Psycho Crushaaa basically destroys his internal organs' will to continue functioning, as well as half of his bone marrow.
The blast strikes him dead in the scar, and the psycho power is sufficient to /rip the scar open/, turning it from mottled and dried dead flesh into a gaping wound, given punctuation by the bloody epicenter of the onslaught of strikes. The waves of psycho fury smash Sagat through the crowd, injuring several, through a storefront's windows, through the store and half its inventory, through the brick wall bordering an alleyway, and through the alleyway into another brick wall -- which Sagat smashes through in a final crash, landing in a heap as a nightclub finds their fun time disrupted by a seven-foot man and his vaguely Fascist-uniformed rival breaking down their wall.
Sagat groans, sputtering up thick blobs of blood, feeling like his life is pouring out of his chest. He is dazed, but his anger still remains. He knows that if he has any hope, he must act fast. And so he does. He throws himself up with a howl of fury, eye seeming on the verge of bulging out of its small socket under his heavy brow. "HHHUUAAAHHH!"
Sagat moves so fast that he leaves an afterimage, the strobe lights of the nightclub only enhancing the effect as a blue trail of shadow Sagats follow the Muay Thai master as he surges forward with one mighty knee. "TIGUH!"
Again: "TIGUH!"
And finally, should he manage to make it this far, he spins into a crouch, fist coming down below his waist -- before surging straight up, in a twisting uppercut that Sagat pours every last ounce of his strength into. "TIGUH -- APPEGAAAHHH!"
COMBATSYS: Sagat can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Vega 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Vega dodges Sagat's Tiger Genocide EX+.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Vega 0/-------/----===|
Anger remains. Anger /always/ remains. Sagat is an angry, angry man. Vega knows this, deep down. It's pride - one of those emotions that can lead to triumph - or to bitter, twisted hatred and shortcuts that can be taken for self-aggrandizement. Vega knows pride and anger well - he is full of them, himself. And now, he is full of Sagat's anger, his pride - and /knows/ the man, in just that brief instant, strong psychic feeling that need to succeed, to overcome, to crush his enemy.
And he denies it.
Vega moves like a blur, weakened from his own explosion of power, but determined to not show it. He shows only strength, skill as he weaves in and out of the knee strikes, backing up and bending, bowing - but never being hit. It keeps him close to the warrior, so he can focus on him, on the wounds that Vega has inflicted through the fight - and it lets him speak. "Not today, Sagat. Not tomorrow. You're mine, Shadaloo has you, body /and/ soul. This, tonight - it's simply a reminder of what is. They say I cannot change my fate - and neither can you." Every last ounce of strength - Vega's going to take it away from him with an false ease, and intently crush his hopes for change, for triumph. At least, for today.
COMBATSYS: Vega has ended the fight here.
As his uppercut whiffs, Sagat lands in a heap, his huge hands slamming down against the ground, forming a kind of three-point stance. Still, Sagat seems unable to continue, making the stance not a harbinger of attacks to come, but a perhaps ironic posture -- as it's so close to being prostrate. Sagat looks up at Vega, his one eye fluttering, the hate in his heart strong, but scattered, unfocused. He moves his thick, broad, and bloody lips a bit, but nothing comes out.
Finally, after a few moments spent quaking above the puddle of his own blood, Sagat collapses. The giant lays fallen at Vega's feet, sprawled into a position of complete and utter devastation. The nightclub is empty around them, gaudy lights shining down on the display.
Sagat, fallen.
Vega, victorious.
And the beat goes on.
Log created on 14:21:09 01/11/2009 by Sagat, and last modified on 22:21:58 01/14/2009.