Description: Alma Towazu has lost much during this ordeal: the YFCC once more, and now his sworn sister and close friend Hotaru Futaba, kidnapped before his very eyes by the invaders that have splintered and destroyed the city that he calls home. Only one man can restore that sense of home that Alma treasures, the other person with whom the psychic hero has forged bonds of sincere trust: Jiro Kasagi, the Stray Dog. These two, so different yet united by and through their journeys for purpose, were once both stray dogs, in their own way; that is what drew them together. Now, in another fated meeting and rematch, they prove that they are strays no more-- they are Glory Hounds, and will become seekers of justice and of truth too, in the face of a chaos that would consume everything they hold dear.
It's painful to be here still.
Yet Alma Towazu has endured much pain in the last weeks, as have so many others, and he will endure still more. Stepping out of the main house for the moment -- its wall still scarred from Alma's own body, hurled by Seth's bizarre attack -- the tall psychic runs a hand through his blond hair, a hint of weariness in the gesture that is otherwise absent from his gentle eyes and mild expression. Dinner has just begun for the many families encamped here, those that the erstwhile defenders of the now temporarily-defunct YFCC have spirited away from the conflict and protected from the continuing warfare. They, too, are in much pain; they have lost their homes, their jobs, their livelihoods. The world is an unwelcoming and unfamiliar place to them. To give them respite is to give them everything, in a situation as tenuous and fractured as this one.
So he can't just walk away.
But too many of their allies have disappeared. What of Frei? Where are the others? It appears not only one kidnapping occurred here. Strategy be damned; there will never be a perfect time for a counterattack. Too much has been lost. Leaning against the side of the wall, gazing up at a sun that has only just begun to set, the spiritualist turned veritable soldier feels his indomitable convictions turn to ruthlessness against his foes. There is no hardening of his heart; far from it. It is the deep and abiding ache within his breast that rather drives him, the suffering he is seeing only grow every day.
He has escaped death too many times already.
If this ends without him having discovered the truth, he won't be able to protect either his friends /or/ the YFCC. And if he loses the ones he loves the most before even that--
He'll go it alone if he has to.
~ Hotaru... ~
He won't allow things to end this way.
Standing in the shade of the balcony above, eyes cast above the desolate garden-turned-battlefield before him, Alma Towazu resolves to stake everything for what he knows is right, and for the people that he treasures most.
It has been a while since Jiro had been able to visit Hotaru. While a marked man by the government, Jiro had been on the run. But at this point, he is sure Interpol has more important things to do than the pursue him. That is why the young man is using this to his advantage. With the chance to finally visit the Futaba estates close at hand, Jiro thought he would show up in something newish.
A chance to show what he has been up to as of late.
A young blond-haired man is making his way to the estates entrance, dressed in an attire that isn't like Jiro: A uniform. A neatly done uniform at that. Even when he was interpol, he wasn't wearing a neat suit and all.
But this attire is different. Jiro's attire consists of a black suit with silver linings at the shoulders. No symbol. But the suit is almost a space-uniform in a sense. Well, if he decided to join Adelheid, he may as well deal with this whole attire gig as well.
He will visit his love who is likely standing at the balcony and present her with a bouquet of flowers. Interpol be damned. Jiro will visit Hotaru.
When he approaches the outside of the balcony, his expression falls when he finds.... Alma at the balcony.
"...God damnit, you."
...Could it be?
There is no other presence with which Alma is more familiar. Yet the sensation that arises within him is utterly unfamiliar. The closeness of those with whom he has formed intimate bonds is always reassuring, a tether to the world that he is so determined to embrace yet which can be at times so alienated from him-- by the confusion or awe this unusual hero can inspire, or when the true passion that cannot be denied is, as it was the day before, so cruelly denied. Never before has he felt trepidation or hollowness when Jiro, his brother and friend, is here, and never has he failed to recognize Jiro's signature diehard spirit-- having even intuitively sensed and pursued it across cities and continents, through Southtown and to the very jungles of Nepal.
There is a first time for everything.
So confused is he by his own feelings, his eyes fluttering open again but remaining cast up to the heavens -- as though he still hasn't noticed Jiro's arrival -- it takes him several seconds to realize what for another, less used to perceiving friends by their auras, would be obvious: Jiro's arrival means more than that Jiro is here.
It drives in further the spike...
"I really like your outfit."
...of the knowledge that Hotaru is gone.
"Doesn't seem like something you'd choose, though."
Alma meets Jiro's gaze, but the mild-mannered and calm-faced psychic has a highly unusual pained light in his eyes, twisting the meaning of his small, friendly smile.
'I knew you'd make it,' he could say. But such words are pointless between them. They both know each other too well. They both have too much faith in each other. And perhaps, by that same token, it thus can't be as though Alma is /afraid/ to report his failure to protect his best friend and rival's girlfriend. The love between them is unconditional-- and, anyway, it's not as though they didn't all take a risk getting involved. In their own ways, all members of this close group of friends have a strong and intuitive sense of personal responsibility, and it has drawn them and their disparate personalities together. But, even if there's no reason to be ashamed, or afraid--
"Jiro, I..."
It hurts.
"...I'm so sorry."
It just hurts; that's all.
Alma, he of stalwart composure, is unable to continue for a moment, reaching up to clasp his forehead in his hands, breaking his eye contact to gaze down at the churned mud and ruined grass dried beneath their feet, stepping forward from the wall beneath the balcony but staring at nothing as though still in disbelief.
"They took Hotaru. We... we destroyed their tank, and their armies, but-- a man with-- some strange man-- I'm sorry, Jiro. I couldn't stop them."
Closing his eyes again, Alma exhales deeply, but some emotions are not easily released.
"I've been taking care of the families we've rescued, but-- I think Frei is gone too, along with some of our other allies. I'm... tomorrow... I'm going to scour the city and find them."
He is silent for a moment more.
"I began to think... that if I discovered the truth about Geese Howard, and his involvement in these attacks, I'd be able to protect K' and the YFCC in one fell swoop. But now... now... none of that matters. I just..."
He trails off.
"...I need to save her."
"You're slow on detecting me, asshole." Jiro calls out towards Alma, who is still up at the balcony. There is an exasperated sigh for a moment when Jiro rubs the forehead. He thinks about what could be on Alma's mind. Alma isn't usually like this, you know. Every single time, even in his time in Nepal, Alma has been able to sense him. This time is different.
Is Jiro not special to Alma anymore? Well, at least it means that Jiro won't have to watch his ass around Alma.
As for the comment of the outfit, Jiro grunts for a moment. "...Not exactly my choosing. I am with Adelheid now. I joined him." He shuts his eyes, "...Working on refining myself for a purpose."
Blink. "Uhh... What?" Jiro looks a bit confused, quirking an eyebrow at Alma's composure faltering. He shakes his head, "Look Alma, what are you going on about?"
'They took Hotaru'.
Those words causes Jiro's eyes to widen. The bouquet that Jiro had in his hand? It is slowly consumed in flames as the scarlet blaze around him manifests and it becomes darker as the blue eyes narrow. His teeth grits as he can feel the surge of anger rise upon him.
Who. Took. Hotaru?!
Tanks... man with strange men?!
It is then that the area becomes Ground Zero. As if a nuclear explosion just set off, the entire estate is nothing more than a mushroom cloud as Jiro's wrath envelops everything in its sights.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
...Okay, that doesn't really happen.
Instead, Jiro grits his teeth and he swings his hands downward. "...We will find her and take care of your goal. Adelheid and I are working on trying to expose the truth." His expression becomes calm as the flames are snuffed. "...Come and see Adelheid. He'll have some plans on this matter."
Pause. "... What did the fucker look like, by the way?"
BAD END
Er, wait a minute.
Alma actually smiles faintly, believe it or not. It's hard to understand unless you feel what he feel: Jiro's rage, that eternal rage, previously unharnessed, once turned to nefarious deeds, but always at heart the same-- simple and direct. Not pure in the way that Alma's is, but-- it reminds him, as Jiro always does, that one does not need to be righteous to be right.
An odd thing to find comforting, perhaps, but even Alma, who is as sure of his identity as anyone in this world, is refreshed by the thought that one does not need to be a savior to be worthy. There is nothing wanting about the way Jiro lives his life. Alma, even during the worst of times, has thus always felt safe in the presence of those dangerous flames.
How else could they have overcome so much together?
The burden of his failure is lessened for the pain having been shared. That foreign trepidation seeps from his system. He is with his brother again. They will fight and stand together, as they always have, that pair whose irreplacable bond none other could explain.
--Wait, what?
"Adelheid?"
Alma blinks, straightening as he finishes approaching Jiro, totally unfazed by the way those burning flowers wilt and drop from the Stray Dog's hands and flutter to the desolate ground.
"You mean... Adelheid Bernstein? You're working? With /him?"
Not that Alma doesn't trust your judgment or anything, Jiro, but--
Okay, he doesn't really trust your judgment.
This isn't going to be Kain Part Two, is it?
"...Alright. I'll see him."
There's no point in arguing the matter. If nothing else, that prodigal villain will, indeed, have a plan. From what the psychic remembers, he is at least certain of that. Though, looking back on it-- well. It's hard to say in retrospect. But, perhaps, if he had met Ryouhara before having met Adelheid--
"But I prefer white and gold to black and silver."
Alma would have seen more of himself in Rugal's resolute son.
Only one way to find out.
"Aha, well, that's--" Alma seems a little more back to his old self, smiling sedately, his gentle hazel eyes warming beneath the tousled bangs that partially obscure them as he reaches up to rub the back of his head. "He's... pretty distinctive. Goes by the name of 'Seth'. Tall, bald, wears a suit-- at least until he tears it off to fight, and reveals the... er... how should I put this?"
He squints one eye closed, half troubled, half bemused.
"...You may just have to see it for yourself."
"Look. I know what you're thinking, Alma." Jiro shuts his eyes, rubbing his forehead, "'This isn't going to be Kain Part Two, is it?' Am I right?" Jiro considers thoughtfully, "Honestly, I hope not. However, the past times I have encountered him, his actions have been noble." Jiro looks up towards the air, justifying in the way that will make Alma understand why he decided to go with Adelheid. "We want to turn the world right where folks like Rugal and Geese aren't pulling the strings. We did that when Metro City was having a bad situation again. We will do it for this place and the others." He frowns.
"However, we need you and the others for this. We -just- got through dealing with Rugal." He grimaces, rubbing his head. Jiro is still hurting from the fight. He grunts for a moment, then he blinks as he hears the description of Seth. "...Wait... Why does that sound familiar?"
.... Jiro is undergoing a flashback....
...IN CHIBI THEATRE!
Chibi Urien: Join the dark side.
Chibi Jiro: Screw you! >:(
Chibi Urien: Fine. *RIPS OFF ALL CLOTHES EXCEPT FOR THONG!* IT'S RAPING TIME!
Chibi Jiro: He's going to rape me! Q_Q I WON'T LOSE! >:(
JIRO LOSES! BAD END!
</Chibi Theatre>
Jiro stares at Alma with an incredelous look and he places his right hand over the forehead and he lowers his head. "....So Hotaru gets kidnapped by -yet another- Cho Aniki reject. Come the hell on." He sighs.
"Another. Cho. Aniki. Reject."
Wow, I thought I was the psychic here.
"I see..."
It would be easy to think that the wool's been pulled over Jiro's eyes, and frankly, it takes someone with a faith like Alma's to even consider that this might not be the case. But the possibility that Adelheid has turned on his father and even taken a stand to oppose the very megalomaniacs that threaten freedom and justice-- well, it's not unfeasible. It's certainly not impossible that Adelheid has betrayed his father, at least.
And if he knows that Geese is pulling the strings--
They should definitely compare notes.
"I understand."
Alma trusts Jiro, of course.
"I'll be sure to meet with him while I can."
While he still can. For who knows how the rescue effort for their fellows will go, or what fruits their pursuit of the truth will yield? Yet his brother is at his side again, and this alone is enough to put Alma at his ease.
"Jiro... let's work together again."
Alma smiles gently, tilting his head slightly.
"How about we spar, to prepare before we set out?"
It's been a long time.
But more than that, it is this that will definitely immerse Alma in this feeling that he needs more than anything right now: this feeling of belonging, of being truly himself due to the presence of another.
This feeling of home.
Shifting his stance slightly, straightening his posture, Alma's smile finally widens into a grin, the prospect of battle return the glitter of resplendent passion to the depths of his hazel eyes.
"What do you say?"
Just a pair of stray dogs, in their own very different ways--
United, and given a place, by purpose.
COMBATSYS: Alma has started a fight here.
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Alma 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Jiro has joined the fight here.
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Alma 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Jiro
It has been a while since Jiro had battled Alma. It was a calling that brought the two together. The reason for their existance is something that Jiro enjoyed. Every battle that they had, whether it was to bring Jiro out of the dark or just for a spar, Jiro had actually enjoyed his previous fights with Alma.
It is no different.
As Alma finally takes his stance to a battle stance, Jiro merely tightens his gloves and he steps his right foot forward, bringing both hands in a guarding position while he hunches over.
"...Fine by me."
Here is something for old times' sakes.
His stance shifts, and then Jiro starts to sprint over towards Alma. What does Jiro do? He is bringing his right arm out and he dashes forward, aiming to bring his arm to strike Alma against the throat with a powerful clothesline.
COMBATSYS: Alma blocks Jiro's Strong Punch.
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Alma 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Jiro
"Ha ha ha!"
Alma is grinning yet wider as Jiro's strong arm collides with his taller adversary's upraised forearm.
"You know, being a psychic doesn't help much--"
Rocking back onto his heels, the Hiten-Ryu fighter leans his body to allow Jiro to step in, rather than pushing back against the force of the prevented clothesline, as he sweeps out with the arm with which he did not block as though to attack the Stray Dog as he closes in.
"--when you always do the same thing anyway!"
Yet that right arm's movement is a feint to draw attention away from the initial strike, a blurring knee to Jiro's midsection that aims to temporarily stun him and lower his guard before Alma /then/ unleashes with the right hand, a series of rapid punches to the brawler's face and upper torso.
All the while, one eye squinted and the other eye sparkling--
"Hmph!"
He grins.
COMBATSYS: Jiro endures Alma's Spring Shower!
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Alma 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Jiro
Jiro aimed to close the distance between himself and Alma with the clothesline. While admittedly, Jiro's main plan was to take Alma's head off with the powerful clothesline, he had a back-up plan in case that one failed. He's thinking more now!
It's just that... Jiro wants to punch Alma really hard.
As for doing the same thing? Well, Jiro likes his pattern when it comes to Alma!
Now, when Alma comes forth with the knee, Jiro is lunging himself into the path of the knee, hunching down a bit with a grunt. After the initial knee forces him low, he is given a series of punches towards the face and the torso. His face is shifting back and forth repeatedly from the impact.
Jiro seeks to put an end to Alma's session with his left fist to the ground, grinding against the ground as his knuckles trail against the dirt. The Ankoku flames come to life before it erupts into an erosion as Jiro launches his fist upward to strike Alma against the chin.
"BURNING HELL!"
COMBATSYS: Alma interrupts Burning Hell from Jiro with Divine Intervention EX.
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Alma 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Jiro
Alma will never cease to be impressed.
Jiro just doesn't seem to care. Part of it, of course, is that the brawler has always been much tougher than he appears, and able to weather the storms of great blows even when devoting himself utterly to crushing his opponent. But the Stray Dog has clearly been focusing on combining his harnessed rage with more explicit tactics, and it shows. Maybe if Alma didn't know him so well, and didn't have such an intuitive feel for Jiro's thoughts and movements, such diehard persistence would've worked better.
As it is--
"Hrn!"
It's comfortingly predictable.
Alma grunts as he catches Jiro's flaming fist in his left hand, struggling to contain those flames through sheer force of will, enduring the pain that shoots up his arm from the raw burning that commences. But as Jiro lowered in preparation for his attack, Alma, sensing the nature of that violent intent, was already preparing himself-- and before the brawler can break from of that grip, the model thrusts out his palm, emitting a piercing beam of focused Soul Power directly, it appears, through Jiro's torso.
The flame aspect of his psychic energies is only illusion, and the rending of Jiro's psyche is one that the Stray Dog is by now very used to. There is little Alma has to impart through such attacks, little he feels to need to expose Jiro to through the scattering of his sense of self. No salvation needs be brought. But it remains the best way he knows for their souls to clash, and their hearts to collide--
And nothing fulfills him like that.
The sea of flame within him surging, his very being singing out with the glory of facing his brother and closest friend, Alma feels truly himself.
The fist is about to make its mark on Alma. That was the intentions of weathering against the blows. However, the tide is turn when Alma focuses the Soul Power directly at Jiro. Not good. His eyes widen when he watches the piercing beam come straight towards his path.
Not. Good.
With the energy blasting Jiro against the gut, he can feel the psychic energy taking over his mind. There is no sense of scattering or salvaging, but he can feel that the soul is being clattered against!
Staggering back with a hiss, Jiro is sent sprawling back against the ground. Immediately, Jiro manifests a ball of chi once more, then he swings the right arm out with a grunt. "BALEFIRE!"
The scarlet blaze moves forth like a cutter, aiming to tear against Alma.
COMBATSYS: Alma dodges Jiro's Balefire.
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Alma 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Jiro
Alma leaps immediately.
Conviction has always lend him the ferocity in battle that he lacks in everyday life; the depth and strength of his faith and resolve imbue him with the ruthlessness that those who do not see beyond his svelte beauty and soft words could never imagine him capable of. But the preternatural speed at which he lunges to he attack, even before Jiro has finished falling to the ground, speaks of someone fueled by the rawest hatred. In fact, there is obviously nothing of the sort in Alma's eyes or features; in fact, he is not motivated even by that passionate aggression.
What drives him is what lies at the heart of that passion. For just as at the center of his faith in human dignity and interdependence is an uncertainty about whether the world is meaningful and if one should or must succumb to despair, so too at the center of Alma's perpetual quest for sincere intimacy is the need for closeness, to tether him further to a world that otherwise might let him go. In this case, having lost Hotaru, Jiro found him feeling that need more than ever-- and Jiro, more than anyone, is able to fill that void.
Alma does not want to let him go.
He can't stop fighting even for an instant.
And in this case, that is what helps him even more than his own intuitions, causing that cutting blade of chi to pass harmlessly a hairsbreadth under his feet as he ascends to Jiro's head-level, kicking out immediately after with a leg that quickly ignites into pearly flame, the white fires streaked with cherry-blossom pink and rich indigo as he twists into a series of fierce spinning roundhouse kicks.
"Hrraahhh!"
With Jiro, he doesn't have to hold back.
In these moments, he knows for certain he is alive.
COMBATSYS: Jiro dodges Alma's Rising Fury.
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Alma 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Jiro
There is the glare that follows suit of Alma's movements as Jiro watches for the flames shooting towards Alma. Now, Jiro has to put his mind in the fight, focusing himself only on Alma. Any frustrations that he has, he will take it out on Alma. Why? Jiro hasn't been having a good time with a few situations as of late.
Jiro can see that Alma is moving over his projectile to come forth at him with the leg that ignites in white flames. The young man snorts and immediately ducks from the impact of the flaming kick. What does Jiro intend to do?
Well, Jiro ducks low, waiting for Alma to remain into the air. Yet, once Alma is likely to lose air, Jiro immediately launches his right fist into the air to catch Alma and knock him off-course and on his ground.
COMBATSYS: Alma fails to interrupt Fierce Punch from Jiro with Blaze of Glory EX.
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Alma 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Jiro
There is a large degree of satisfaction after launching an uppercut on Alma.
"EXCELLENT!"
Jiro intones in a deep, dark voice.
Someone has been playing Mortal Kombat.
"Eh?"
And, for the first time, Alma is surprised.
The brawler might not be more agile than before, per se, but he is more in control of his own movements; Jiro truly seems in control of his own rage, able to use it when it is useful and restrain it when it is not. The scything kicks arc over Jiro's head and, unbalanced by his own lack of contact, rather than attempt to make a safe landing Alma torques his body around in a stellar acrobatic display to see what his rival is planning. He has a feeling he won't be allowed to touch ground safely anyway.
And he is right. That fist thrusts up with brutal intent, and airborne as he is, there is little way that Alma can evade or absorb the blow. So, flipped upside-down such that his feet arc into the air his face aims down at his opponent, the psychic hero summons all of his might into his fist, reaching out with all the power he can muster in an effort to overcome that strike, and then cut loose with all that charged energy--
"Guhh!"
But his aim is knocked astray.
Did he spend too long focusing his energy? Was he too slow, or was his position just too absurd to begin with? Whatever the failing, Alma, despite his dramatic effort, cannot prevent Jiro's fist from striking home and knocking him out of the sky, sending the model's body crashing to the ground.
"...Ha ha ha..."
Rising to his knees, Alma glances sidelong and grins, before further rising to his feet once more, resuming his elegant poise.
"Not bad, Jiro."
After showing Alma that Jiro had been taking lessons from Mortal Kombat, Jiro decides to kick things a little more old school. A feral grin curls upon his lips while he feels the rhythm take over. He brings both of his guards up and he approaches Alma. He knows that he withered Alma down a bit, yet the young man knows that he'll have to do something just as good to get Alma just as good.
He brings back something from the past.
Both hands manifest the scarlet blaze, then they form into blades. After the hand form into blades of chi, Jiro immediately takes the initiative and darts at Alma. He seeks to swing the arm out, hacking against Alma's side while passing through.
COMBATSYS: Alma blocks Jiro's Firebrand.
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Alma 1/----===/=======|=======\-------\1 Jiro
"Kkhh!"
As much as Alma savors the sensations his second sight derives from the flames of Jiro's rage, he has no desire to have them strike him quite so expressly. Having recovered from his leap and collapse only just in time for Jiro's quick assault, Alma's left arm bears the brunt of that hacking scarlet blaze as his right reaches out to thrust aside the arm that wielded it, intending to unbalance Jiro as he passes by.
"Hmph!"
Within his heart, he wants only to his battle to be close to Jiro; but that does not necessarily imply physical closeness. The white flames that arise onto the arm that blocked Jiro's attack, as though the soulfire is responding to the challenge posed by Jiro's own rage, are proof enough of that-- for though they flare up at point-blank range, they aim to surge forth and dart out into a flat-footed Jiro's back, furthering him along on his journey past Alma and, if they connect, possibly right on into the dirt.
COMBATSYS: Alma successfully hits Jiro with Sacred Wave.
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Alma 1/--=====/=======|=======\===----\1 Jiro
When Jiro brings the scarlet blaze to hack against Alma, his opponent manages to shove Jiro off balance by thrusting aside that arm. Why? Well, Jiro has been the type to charge into the frey of things.
As Alma manifests the white flames, Jiro is caught by the soul fire. His eyes widen while the energy consumes him. A hiss echos forth as he is off the ground and later skids across the floor before he presses his hands against the grass and flips himself back up.
A snort is given, then Jiro shakes his head and looks at Alma. "...Heh. Been too long."
COMBATSYS: Jiro focuses on his next action.
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Alma 1/--=====/=======|=======\===----\1 Jiro
Alma's smile widens, a bead of sweat dripping along a high cheekbone.
"You said it."
A decisive moment is coming soon. It does not take a psychic to be sensitive to that, to taste the tension hanging in the air. Adjusting his stance in the drying mud, even the desolate battlefield of their previous defeat now converted to an arena in which Alma feels only the possibility of full self-realization -- of the true intimacy that is the clash of souls -- the androgynous beauty takes a deep breath and allows his smile to fade, his clear gaze intent upon the eyes and the aura of his beloved opponent.
Every sense must be strained toward this moment.
Why wouldn't he do so?
Feeling his fiery spirit churning within him, thrilling in a passion that feels infinite enough to conquer any void, Alma knows that such demands upon his body and psyche are anything but a burden.
They are an opportunity--
One he is grateful to have.
And there is only one way to show his gratitude.
Poised, feeling pain and fatigue melt away, he awaits attentively the perfect moment to express what he has to offer.
COMBATSYS: Alma gains composure.
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Alma 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Jiro
A hand drops to his side. The young man lifts his head up towards Alma in a staredown. The eyes narrow as the flames of wrath come before him. As the blazing inferno swirl along his grasp, Jiro can feel the furnace growing hotter in him.
Staring at Alma, Jiro has a vicious grin curling on his lips. It is almost predatory. But the grin fades and he becomes focused.
He is one with Destiny. For Alma is his Destined Fate.
That is why...
The young man sprints towards Alma, narrowing his eyes as his entire arm is consumed with the scarlet flames. Leaving a trail of energy behind him, Jiro races towards Alma, his eyes filled with determination. Nothing will stop him.
Nothing shall bring him down.
...Jiro will not fail.
When the distance is closed, Jiro immediately launches his right fist upward for a powerful uppercut across Alma's chin, aiming to set him up for the big storm.
COMBATSYS: Jiro successfully hits Alma with Scarlet Slaughter.
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Alma 1/-======/=======|==-----\-------\0 Jiro
There is one thing about Jiro's strength...
Brute Force is one of Jiro's strongest assets.
Now give it direction? Pain.
After the initial strike, Jiro's left fist winds back, channeling forth the chi. The scarlet blaze is grasped forth, his eyes narrow as he focuses on Alma while wielding the storm in his grasp.
Stepping his left foot forward, he releases a devastating strike towards Alma, which results in a resounding explosion to tear against the model "HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"
Catastrophic.
Alma has faced this technique in many forms, but all of them ravage their victim. He, even with every sense focused on Jiro and so familiar with that style, is no exception. He is close-- very close, to parrying that first punch. His block glances it slightly to the side, faintly redirecting the uppercut, but the sheer power of what connects means that he is nevertheless rendered stunned and immobile for the rest of the assault.
That slightest of edges, however, may be what saves him.
For as the final storm rages against Alma's suspended form, having been tossed partially into the air by the excessive force of the first punch, the psychic may appear to already be unconscious. His eyes are closed, his head cast back loosely by what against a normal man would assuredly be worse than a knockout blow. He seems to float in these final moments, time seeming to slow down before, naturally, he will go flying back and collapse in a heap--
A single fingertip drifts up.
How, when? Alma did not seem to move quickly; he did not seem to move at all. It still is unclear whether or not he is conscious at all. But that fingertip rises up as though of its own accord, and reaches to settle on Jiro's forehead...
COMBATSYS: Jiro endures Alma's Absolution.
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Alma 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Jiro
Before, upon making contact, unleashing a storm of Alma's own, an invisible psychic barrage that manifests as a blinding flash of light. Every ounce of Alma's overwhelming spirit crashes against Jiro's latent will, seeking to smash away utterly at the Stray Dog's spirit for the fight, to consume and set it free, even as it tears through every nerve with pain and confusion.
And Alma, still hurtling back from Jiro strike, will land in a sitting position, barely conscious, a thin trail of blood dripping from his lips, but still grinning all the same.
It was then.... after the storm. Jiro just waited... His eyes narrowed at his brother. His friend. His rival. He waited for Alma's movements. It was then that Alma lifted a single finger as he came his way. So quickly.
The way that Jiro stood there is the same way that the earth stood still.
When the finger touches his forehead, the storm is erupting along Jiro's mind. He can feel his will crashing against the impact that is Alma's spirit. It is like a trainwreck as the collision occurs.
Yet...
Jiro will not move.
Infact.....
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGG!!!!"
His body becomes an inferno. The pent, stored energy from Alma's spirit tearing against him brings forth the fury. This is Jiro's defiance. This is Jiro's spirit... Jiro has already showed Alma what his spirit is like.
But this is his tenacity in the form of a strike.
His arms spread apart as his fists clench at nothing in particular as the eruption of flames occur.
COMBATSYS: Jiro successfully hits Alma with Defiance.
[ \ < > ///// ]
Alma 1/-------/=======|=======\===----\1 Jiro
"Ha... ha ha ha!"
Alma struggles to his feet, still dazed, his vision a blur. He can feel those flames, sense them with the vision that remains as clear as ever: that of his aura sight. Yet he is drawn to it, like a moth to-- well, to a flame.
His laugh is gentle, joyful, impressed. Truly, the Stray Dog seems to have mastered his own abilities, to finally, as Alma has, come into his own as a fighter, with his various abilities balanced and honed. Perhaps if they had been able to do this before the assault by NESTS-- perhaps they should do this every day. Against such flames, Alma feels the flames within him stir all the more.
There's no avoiding this one.
The psychic hero's movements at first seem evasive, if slower than usual-- but in the end, he plunges into those defiant flames as they erupt, immersing himself in them as he reaches out, one last time.
"...J...Jiro..."
Rage and fury; tenacious spirit and righteous passion.
Though brothers, they are very different.
But defiance?
Alma's fists are streaked with the colors of the true depths of his soul, hued with gold and rose that have blossomed amidst the white, pinks, and purples.
Defiance, that they share.
Clawing through the fire, these fists--
COMBATSYS: Alma can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\ <
Jiro 1/----===/=======|
COMBATSYS: Jiro counters Trial by Fire from Alma with Dead End.
[ \\\\\ <
Jiro 0/-------/----===|
Those flames....They die away after they erupt against Alma. That is when Jiro is gazing at Alma, waiting... just struggling and staggering. He is sweating. He is panting. He is getting very fatigued. He waits for Alma to come at him...
When the fist comes forth to crawl through the fire, Jiro immediately thrusts his foot against Alma's chest. And then, Jiro steps forward while the older man hunches over. He wraps an arm around the neck as the shoulder presses onto the throat. He uses his other hand to secure the other arm over the neck. And then, Jiro aims to drop both of his weight down.
...And have Alma's throat hit the shoulder.
It is some time before Alma can breathe again.
"...J... Jiro..."
He says his sworn brother's name again, as though savoring it.
"...well done."
He feels nothing but satisfaction; even pain melts away as it becomes meaningful, as though even the wounds he has endured are merely symbolic of the two young men's heartfelt connection.
"Let's fight... together."
Together.
They'll save her.
After the Stray Dog Stunner....
Jiro laughs a bit, idly looking at Alma as he mentions fighting together. He decides to sit down.
"Yeah... we'll do that.."
From his pocket, Jiro pulls out his harmonica. With the silver harmonica drawn out, he places the instrument to his lips and he blows against it.
An old song that he has not played in a while.
COMBATSYS: Jiro has ended the fight here.
Log created on 22:06:45 03/24/2009 by Alma, and last modified on 20:16:41 03/26/2009.