Description: Hotaru Futaba, in an ongoing attempt to raise attention for the Reconstruction charity drive being managed by Yurika Kirishima, calls out representatives from the Southtown High Schools. Three others show, bringing Gedo, Pacific, Seijyun, and Taiyo to the table for long, rough, knock down brawl. Curiously missing is a representative from Justice High?
After millions of dollars in donations, city grants, and corporate sponsorships, the Taiyo Dome has just recently been refurbished after the devastation one Wanted: Ichiro Oe caused during the war on Southtown. And what better way to open it back up than with a charity brawl that might just end up busting it right back into needing repairs!?
An active participant in the city-wide charity event Yurika Kirishima has organized on behalf of Seijyun High, Hotaru Futaba has been spending what time she hasn't lost to getting her home fixed up, the YFCC rebuilt, catchup classes for coursework missed, and making appearances in the now Ken-owned SNF franchise matches by trying to raise funds for Southtown's reconstruction via the charity tournament system. Eager to show that they are making significant headway recovering from the destructive Southtown Siege, Taiyo High has offered the young celebrity fighter the use of their refurbished arena for this weekend's match.
A capacity crowd, recording equipment, and a viewing audience are all ready in anticipation for the match to come as Hotaru herself walks out into the center of the open floor, wireless mic in her right hand. Dressed in a stylized white and blue outfit that reflects her Chinese based style of martial arts, the teenaged fighter waves with her left hand to the crowd as she turns in a slow circle. "Thank you," she manages once the general din dies down slightly.
"Thank you," she repeats once it becomes more quiet, "I just wanted to remind everyone that all of the proceeds from ticket sales and pledges collected by those willing to sponsor the participants will be going into the Restoring Southtown Charity Project. As such, regardless of the outcome of this match, everyone walks away a winner in light of the pledges promised just for participating. With that in mind, I'd like to thank everyone for coming out and thank Taiyo High for allowing us the use of the newly restored Taiyo Dome to host this match."
An assistant rushes out from the sidelines, "And now I'll be joined by the rest of the fighters who have volunteered to make this possible." The girl bows then hands the mic off to the assistant who rushes right back out of the open area as the audience renews their cheers for the collection of Southtown fighters to be gathered here tonight.
Her first match--a fight against the RSCP host herself--was...weird, to say the least. Fortunately, no one was really hurt, and that crazy blonde with pigtails wound up ducking out before things got really messy. Even still it left a rather odd impression on Marisol and, as result, had her seclude herself for a while in an attempt to brush up and hone a bit on her skills.
And several weeks later, the opportunity to try again (hopefully without Shadaloo interruption) presented itself. A free for all, 'led' by Hotaru Futaba, was the chance she was looking for, and couldn't pass it up.
Fast forward to NOW:
Emerging from one backarea exit and onto the field, Marisol glances around at the gathered thousands plus people cheering and waving as Hotaru introduces the match. She offers a small wave, grinning a bit to herself as she breaks into a light jog toward the middle of the arena. Clad in Pacific uniform--rather than, you know, something comfortable--Marisol is here to REPRESENT. School spirit, et cetera et cetera.
"Hey, long time no see," she offers idly to Hotaru, grinning. "Good luck, 'kay?"
Of course, you can't have a fight at a school in Southtown without involving students from other schools. That's basically a rule, isn't it?
Among the outsider students involved in this match - and who knows how anyone ever got him to participate in charity - is Gedo High's own Tenma Kiryuu. Not long after Marisol O'Connell appears from in back, the Gedo Swordsman actually emerges /from the stands/, hopping down lightly on sneakered feet, his bokken present as always, the wooden blade resting casually against his shoulder, held negligently by his right hand.
Tenma, as virtually always, wears his own variation on the Gedo High uniform, which is to say he doesn't wear the uniform in the least; his slacks are from his old school before he moved to town, his white short-sleeved dress shirt, worn untucked and unbuttoned, could belong to any school uniform... But at the very least, the t-shirt he wears underneath has the Gedo logo on it, large and proudly worn. The gang member cracks his neck a little, before he starts walking closer to where Hotaru and Marisol are.
Of course, he also runs his mouth the whole time.
"Hey, Red, when did you become a real estate agent?" Tenma wonders of his ETERNAL RIVAL (except for Luc who is more his literal antithesis) MARISOL O'CONNELL as he studies her in her Pacific High uniform, his mouth turned up in a lopsided smirk. But the belle of the ball here is Hotaru Futaba, towards whom Tenma's dark blue eyes turn next. "Been a while, Princess," he offers, about as close as he ever comes to polite. "Hope you've been practicin' hard over at Mrs. Stiffneck's School for Boring Girls or whatever."
Tenma, as you can see, is very good with /people/.
Wait, we had to make up school work?
Well, that would explain why Batsu was forced to take part in study hall these last few weeks. Charity work was nice and all, but there was that whole classwork thing that the hot-blooded teenager never connected well with. History was bum, it was just a bunch of numbers and names no one cared about. Just like Algebra, really. And Chemistry too, when he came to think about it. Even Japanese had a lot of names and too many numbers.
Okay, maybe Batsu is a terrible student.
But he had SPIRIT. And what was more powerful than the BURNING SPIRIT of TAIYO! The hero of Taiyo High stepped out in the arena to the scream of thousands. "BATSU! BATSU! BATSU!" Was the chant as the teenager stepped forward, dressed in the full Taiyo High male uniform. School colors and all that. He had to get his parent's permission and be in good academic standing for this fight.
And he was certain to make it count.
His eyes swept the arena at his challengers in this free for all. From Seijyun High? The pig-tailed master of Kempo, Hotaru. Representing Gedo High was Tenma, the sword-sweeping student of mystic arts. And from Pacific High was Roberto's OTP, Marisol. Sorry, Yurika, he is just out of your league. Batsu grunted loudly as he walked in, slamming his fist hard into his palm. "Quit your YAMMERING! Lets get this fight ON!" The hellion barked, cracking his knuckles in the depth of his palm. He gives a quick bow, showing his respects to the fighters, and draws releases his hands. Throwing his head back, he roars, growing more impatient.
"I said, COME ON!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has started a fight here.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Batsu has joined the fight here in the center.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
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Batsu 0|-------|-------
COMBATSYS: Tenma has joined the fight here.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tenma
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Batsu 0|-------|-------
COMBATSYS: Marisol has joined the fight here.
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Tenma 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Marisol
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
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Batsu 0|-------|-------
The blue eyed Kenpo artist follows the arrival of each of the fighters, her hands clasped behind her back, offering the others a friendly smile as they step into the arena. Marisol is given a grin and nod in return, "Thank you for coming out for this." The invitations to the schools to send one of their own were answered by all except Justice. Given that campus houses the likes of Kurow Kirishima, Hotaru wasn't too surprised. "It's nice to see you again." Seeing some of the faces present brings back memories to before the war. It seems so long ago.
Tenma is the next in line, offering Marisol a greeting that earns him an arched eyebrow from the event hostess, but his own comment to her provokes a short laugh, "I haven't been slacking. Mrs. Stiffneck wouldn't approve." And at last Batsu charges into the scene with the energy that the young man is famous for and Hotaru's smile warms even as he shouts to get things going. "I agree!" Having already stretched and warmed up before coming out into the arena, she's as ready as she's going to be.
"Let's go, Batsu," she encourages, taking steps away from Marisol and Tenma, circling around to give herself a straight bead on the Taiyo representative. Drawing back and down into an almost sprinter's-stance. "Better be ready," she warns him... and then she bolts. Her steps bring her tearing toward the young man with seeming reckless abandon. It's from a yard out that her course of action shifts, the girl dropping into a lower stance, her arms out at her sides. It's a fluid transition that leads to her tumbling toward Batsu's right.
If he isn't quick, the agile girl will come out of her roll by sweeping her right hand up into an open palm against his back to menace his balance. Twisting to the right, her left hand would slam into his chest secondly, aiming to shove the Taiyo student fiercely to the ground in one fluid sequence of motion. "YAA!"
Oh god. Who invited Tenma Kiryuu?
She offers Hotaru a quick smile and a nod in response, an eye twitching lightly as she catches his approach from the corner of her eye. Maybe he won't notice her, maybe he'll just keep his mouth shut. Wishful thinking, Marisol assures herself, but--
Of course Tenma does not fail to disappoint!
"At least my school can actually AFFORD uniforms," the girl bickers back, gray eyes sharply hooding as she snaps a glare to the Gedo demon hunter. "Doesn't Gedo shop at thrift stores for theirs?" A frown crosses the redhead's lips as she opens her mouth--
And finds Batsu bellowing like an angry water buffalo.
Flinching slightly, the half-Spaniard shoots a mildly annoyed glance toward the large fighter before she squints. He seems familiar...she's pretty sure they've fought before, once long ago, but...
Hotaru takes initiative, getting the advance on Batsu. Immediately Marisol whips her attentions back onto Tenma, a huge grin crossing over her sun-kissed features, like some cat that's caught the canary. "I am totally looking forward to this," she states. Looking forward to what?
Why, the punch she suddenly attempts to throw right into Tenma's prone face.
COMBATSYS: Tenma blocks Marisol's Medium Punch.
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Tenma 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Marisol
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
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Batsu 0|-------|-------
"Good, I
"Good, I'd hate to think you were sitting on your butt eating Funyuns with ol' Drillhair all day long," Tenma says to Hotaru, turning his smirk back to Marisol, when of course there's Batsu, and he's yelling. Lots of yelling.
He's kind of like Kenji with a widow's peak.
"Kinda glad I don't go to this school," Tenma mutters irritably as he regards Batsu sidelong. It seems like his attention might be entirely invested on the 'home' fighter, and possibly he's considering trying his strength against the yelling enthusiast's, when Marisol comes careening towards him like a punch missile, her fist headed right for his face.
Until it instead impacts with the solid, blessed hardwood of his bokken, both hands bracing the wooden blade as it intercepts Marisol's punch. "Looking forward to me kicking your ass, Red? That's pretty messed up, you should see a counselor." Disengaging from her quickly, Tenma bites into the thumb of his left hand, drawing that thumb down the blade of his bokken, painting a red stripe along it in a long-practiced motion. With a swing through the air, Tenma fully activates the chi link between himself and the weapon, and a smoky aura of blood and chi starts to emanate from it, wispy crimson power.
Now it's Tenma's turn to lunge, as he stretches his bokken before him, aiming to catch Marisol with the tip; his bloody chi focuses there, 'latching' onto Marisol for a second if he can get her, before he twists and swings the bokken over his head, releasing the redhead in an arcing throw. "Get lost!!"
COMBATSYS: Batsu effortlessly blocks Hotaru's Medium Throw.
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Tenma 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Marisol
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
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Batsu 0|-------|-------
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here on the top side.
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Hotaru 0|-------|-------
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Marisol 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Tenma
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Batsu 0|-------|-------
Batsu was in a bad mood. Post-Study Depression and all that. He was tired of sitting down, slogging through a makeup examination. So Marisol had every right to be teed off with Batsu being a blunt as a 2 by 4.
Of course, then Hotaru had to go and be adorable.
Batsu can't help but feel his face curl up into a rakish grin. And then, his tense presence unwound. "Okay, Hotaru, lets do this!" Bringing up his fists, he holds a loose defensive stance, keeping wary. Both Marisol and Tenma we going at it like rivals do, meaning that him and Hotaru could have at least some straight up dueling... until the chaos of a free for all took over.
Batsu let Hotaru take the first move, allowing her to charge forward. He didn't want to initiate anything on the little girl, and learn the full-front. He knew Hotaru's reputation all too well. When she breaks into a roll, Batsu instinctively spread his form apart, perfecting his posture further for stability. He knew she was either breaking into a strike, or a grapple. As Hotaru erupts, he began to draw in. Hotaru manages to send the hot-blooded teenager for tumble, but on the boy's terms. Batsu tumbles with the hurl, instead of going flat faced on the ground. Rolling with the flip, he builds distance between him and Hotaru... and suddenly leaps.
"Coming at you, Hotaru!"
Batsu leaps from the tumble into a flying kick, aiming a leg straight for the pig-tailed girl. It didn't seem like much, until blue chi began to erupt around his straight leg. There is a crack of energy exploding, and Batsu picks up speed. He picks up a LOT of speed. Enough speed, in fact, that he drops down like a meteor right right where Hotaru stands. Batsu's initial temper was cooking off fast now, thanks to Hotaru's sweet nature. But now, a new feeling was a emerging.
The combat rush.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Batsu's Shooting Star Kick.
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Hotaru 0|-------|------=
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Marisol 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Tenma
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Batsu 0|-------|------=
Within seconds, the four combatants have broken off into dualing pairs as so often happens right into a four way brawl. Tumbling out of her lunge, Hotaru finds Batsu's defenses more ready than she'd need in order to accomplish her aggressive shove to try and drop the young man to the solid arena floor. Snapping her arms back, she's on the defensive as Batsu rises out of his tumble. Wary about blitzing right back at him after he handled himself so well against her intitial attack, the young fighter turns her side toward him, deciding to ready herself for a strong counter attack.
Batsu doesn't disappoint. "Nn!" she replies with a soft nod as he announces his intent to charge her back. And when he explodes downward, she's ready, arms raised, feet seperated and planted, side turned toward him to give her more bracing power. And it's a good thing too because Batsu comes down with an incredible amount of force backing his descent. A soft grunt escapes her lips as chi explodes around her, sending her pig-tails flying out behind her and her feet slipping back over the arena floor a short distance before she comes to a stop. His reputation as a fearsome brawler is earned, she muses.
"You certainly brought a lot of spirit with you," she remarks, shaking her arms and hands a little to work the numbness from absorbing an impact like that. But she isn't going to give him a lot of time to respond before she's back on the offense. Her advance isn't as bold or reckless as her initial charge, but she's swift all the same, coming at Batsu with her right shoulder leading, one foot stepping around the other as she gets closer without opening her guard to counter attacks so much.
When she springs to cover the final yard, the intent is to land in another low crouch before converting her momentum into a forward open palmed strike targeting Batsu's sternum. She's leaning hard into the attack to give it striking power, but her right foot is sliding forward along the floor at the same time, in order to allow her to push off and spring backward immediately after delivering the hit as well. "HA!"
COMBATSYS: Marisol blocks Tenma's Asura.
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Hotaru 0|-------|------=
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Marisol 0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0 Tenma
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Batsu 0|-------|------=
"Oh please," Marisol quickly replies, eyes hooding as she sneers. "You know how this is going to end."
Her arm quickly recoils as the punch is intercepted, a half-step taken back and away from Tenma as he bites his thumb. Idly her nose wrinkles in response, but she says nothing about it; instead, she continues to sneer, see a counselor, he says. Her lips only twitch slightly in response as he smears his blood grotesquely across the length of wood. For now, the other fighters are forgotten. Right now, Marisol just focuses entirely on Tenma.
Because, well, she really doesn't like the guy.
The bokken thrusts forward, but Marisol grips the chi-emanating blade in one hand, softening the blow. Heaved up and twisted overhead, she slams the ground with a muted thud, a light 'RGH' escaping her. Swiftly she rolls aside, hopping hurriedly to her feet.
"It's going to end with you in tears!"
Curling a fist, yellow chi dances across her knuckles, flames licking over her clenched fist. With a guttural cry she attempts to drive her fist forward like a piston, to strike Tenma dead center in the chest. Should it strike the energy around her fist suddenly flares up, a lancing burst of pure chi backing the physical blow for a double-helping of PAIN.
COMBATSYS: Tenma interrupts Bee Sting from Marisol with Head Breaker.
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Hotaru 0|-------|------=
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Marisol 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Tenma
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Batsu 0|-------|------=
"Me in tears?" Tenma wonders, his expression suddenly taking a turn for the suspicious. "You're... Not going to try to /kiss/ me, are you?" Oh Tenma, you are incorrigeable.
Of course, much like Marisol he only has eyes for his opponent at the moment; he's aware, in the back of his mind, of Hotaru and Batsu having paired off in turn, but the vast majority of his attention is focused on the red-haired leader of the Pacific Resistance. They've clashed dozens of times, and to be honest Tenma has usually gotten the worst of it... But Tenma Kiryuu has never been the sort of person to let 'past history' or 'facts' get in his way. It's just not in his mindset. The idea that he /cannot win/ simply doesn't occur to him, and in the end, living in his own little reality like that often benefits him.
As Marisol lashes out at him, Tenma steps /into/ the attack; the King of Blood twists as her fist grazes against his chest, painfully, but it's a lot better than what he would've gotten taking it full on. Getting hit by Marisol is seldom a whole lot of fun. Even as he's hit, though, Tenma's hand snakes out to grab Marisol by the front of her blouse, and his dark blue eyes widen, his grin turning a bit vicious.
As Marisol's chi flares, Tenma's head blurs forward, forehead smashing into Marisol's face with tremendous force, and he releases her at the same instant, so the powerful headbutt ends up sending the boxer flying. "GRAAAAAAH!!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Batsu with Medium Punch.
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Hotaru 0|-------|-----==
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Marisol 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Tenma
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Batsu 0|-------|-----==
Spirit? Batsu had nothing but spirit. Slamming down hard, the teenager actually stumbles off of Hotaru, revealing momentary weakness. "Come on, Hotaru, and what did you bring from Seijyun!?" The teenager snarks, catching his balance just in time to see Hotaru charging right on in. Her speed was a problem, a real danger for the student. But not crippling. He knew Hotaru could not take many direct hits. As Hotaru comes diving in, the hero of Taiyo twists his body attempting to overcome his moment of inertia and dodge the attack.
He fails.
The blow, unfortunately, catches his chest. "GUH!" The teenager roars, staggering backwards. The blow had knocked him all the way off balanced, stunning him briefly. But not for long. He winds back his right arm, throwing it back to catch his balance. Digging a foot back, he catches it all right. Curling his hand into a fist, he turns his response to the blow into a full-on counter-attack. The boys hurls the fist up and over into a haymaker punch. Rushing forward, he attempts to drop it down hard, using his size advantage to his fullest.
"HAAAAAI!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Batsu's Fierce Punch.
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Hotaru 0|-------|-----==
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Marisol 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Tenma
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Batsu 0|-------|-----==
Hotaru doesn't answer Batsu with words but action, slipping in swoftly to give the young man a demonstration of her Kenpo striking arts. Able to hit deceptively hard for her stature, her skill lies in combining momentum and coordinating different muscle groups to deliver attacks that bring more than simply her arm strength to bear. But she isn't about hitting but controlling her own positioning and trying to keep herself safe at the same time, as demonstrated by how smoothly she pushes back with her forward-most foot into a backflip that includes a hand-spring in the middle right as Batsu's fist comes swinging for her.
She slides to a stop in the end, one hand touching the floor lightly. "Don't count me out so fast, Batsu." she notes, a smile at her lips all the same. Her attention shifts, however, eyes taking in the exchange between Tenma and Marisol. Well, it seems like they're getting along just fine as-is, but should Marisol be the only one to engage in smacking Tenma?!
As Hotaru pushes out of her crouch into a swift spring toward the young swordsman, it seems she thinks not. She moves with that charging speed that allows her to navigate the arena so swiftly but this time it's part of her attack to, since she shows no signs of letting up. She would give Tenma perhaps a bit of a warning about the impending attack, but situational awareness is part of being a fighter too, so he'll just have to be aware! Mid-step she goes for his hands, aiming to seize a secure enough hold on both wrists that he isn't able to raise his guard...
And then, in the process of twisting open his defenses, the small fighter will borrow Tenma's body as a set of stairs as she all but tries to trample right up and over him with a series of rising, stepping kicks that culminate with a forward flip through the air! "Ya, ya, ya!"
"You really want me to throw up, don't you?" Marisol wonders aloud, somewhere in the mix of it all.
Then he twists, avoiding the incoming strike and chi-laced addition that would have otherwise blown through the Guardian King. As result there's a sudden and unexpected surprised expression that washes over Marisol's face, full lips parting somewhat before her teeth just gnash. "Why you--" she begins.
She doesn't manage to finish that train of thought immediately.
Instead, she's grabbed by the white blouse of her Pacific uniform and summarily headbutted in a gesture that sends her sprawling backwards through the air before she hits the ground. Immediately the girl scrambles back onto her feet, looking furious.
"Oh hell no!" she cries, pointing a finger. "Don't go pulling that shit on me!" Jerking a thumb toward her chest, the girl bellows, "That's MY thing, you incompetent ass! You call that a headbutt!?"
And as if to prove it or get back some of her pride or show him how it's done or SOMETHING Marisol makes a dash toward Tenma and attempts to drive her forehead into the center of his face. "RHARRRGH!"
COMBATSYS: Tenma blocks Hotaru's Shin-Jou Tai.
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Hotaru 0|-------|----===
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Marisol 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Tenma
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Batsu 0|-------|-----==
COMBATSYS: Tenma dodges Marisol's Headbutt.
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Hotaru 0|-------|----===
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Marisol 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Tenma
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Batsu 0|-------|-----==
With Marisol blasted away by the headbutt, Tenma - who would normally take the chance to gloat right here, probably - finds himself with another problem to deal with. A Hotaru-shaped problem. He can feel Hotaru as she moves into his 'area', if only peripherally, and he turns to meet her as she comes at him. The warning he gets is only a split-second's, but it's enough to change the game considerably. Though Hotaru grabs his wrists, Tenma is able to power out of the grapple, meeting the succeeding, 'climbing' kicks with his forearms and bokken, blunting the worst of the impact... But this is Hotaru, and it still /hurts/.
And just when Tenma is about to turn around and go after Hotaru instead, Marisol's coming at him again. "It's rough, being this popular," Tenma mutters to himself; when Marisol gets close enough with her bulling charge, Tenma simply does a one-handed cartwheel out of the way, landing spryly on his feet as the redhead careens past him. "Too slow, Red! Must be the shoes!"
Of course, Tenma fully intends to add injury to insult. Privately hoping that Batsu will take great offense at Hotaru's turning away from him, Tenma elects to continue his assault on Marisol O'Connell, sweeping his bokken in a wide arc that's nowhere near close enough to hit her.
The blade leaves a red streak behind it, though, and from there is born a crescent of roiling blood and chi, that slices through the air towards Marisol. "Have some of this!!"
Batsu doesn't take great offense, per say.
Hotaru is far from counted out. Batsu really wanted to see what Seijyun High had to offer. Frankly, at first glance, it was speed. Hotaru moved like a spring breeze, elegantly shifting with each motion. Hotaru could not draw any ire from Batsu. She was just too good, too sweet.
Except Batsu was set on thumping Hotaru.
"Suck it up, Tenma, and stop being such a DAMN wuss about it!" The teenager snaps, head trailing after the more agile Hotaru in steady bounds. Flexing up both of his arms, he watches as Hotaru teams up with Marisol to give Tenma a beating of, well, what a Gedo High student would be used to. And with a moment of respite, he begins to burn. Blue energy flares up around him as he started to roar, the BURNING SPIRIT of TAIYO flowing his veins. The others might realize that something was turning up. Batsu might be drawing attention to him. But for now, he had a bigger concern.
Yelling.
"TAAAAAAAAAAAAIYOOOOOO!"
COMBATSYS: Batsu gathers his will.
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Hotaru 0|-------|----===
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Marisol 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Tenma
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Batsu 0|-------|-======
Tenma's guard proves sure and Hotaru's attack doesn't deliver the intended force. But her springing from his shoulders goes off without a hitch allowing her to come down into a sliding landing against the ground, a soft exhale escaping her lips as she recovers from the aggressive attack. Fortunately for her, she has all the time she needs as all the fighters have taken up attacking each other again. Attentive eyes glance from one to the next. Tenma held up well under the double assault, but she isn't going to test his ability to repeat that just now.
She'd take a shot at Marisol if the opportunity presented itself, but the swath of Tenma's especially unsettling brand of chi is already enroute and there's no way for the Kenpo artist to slip into land an attack without risking getting caught in the middle of it. Very well - back to Batsu it is! His shouts make her smile faintly - his enthusiasm for combat is well known even in circles he hasn't fought before. All right then.
Taking in her breath, the girl makes back for Batsu's location even as he begins to build spirit and energy up around him. A high arched leap into the air gets her over Tenma so that she doesn't end up having to go around him, the girl taking to the high jump like she was born to fly. She comes down some yards away without losing her momentum but it is into a second jump that she launches herself toward the Taiyo youth, twisting herself into a mid-air pirouette in order to lend a bit more striking power to the solid kick she aims to give him on her way back down, targeting his chest once again. "KYA!"
COMBATSYS: Marisol endures Tenma's Dharmapala.
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Hotaru 0|-------|----===
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Marisol 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0 Tenma
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Batsu 0|-------|-======
When the hell did Tenma suddenly become all ninja-like and graceful, Marisol wonders.
Giving a low growl as he avoids her grasp, the redhead plants her foot, shooting a cursory glance aside and toward Hotaru. She distantly recalls that this is a 'free for all,' despite her narrow focus on the Gedo High fighter. And that, of course, means that she's fair game to Hotaru.
Fortunately, the Kenpo girl doesn't make a move at her and instead goes for the ox of Taiyo. She breathes a proverbial sigh of relief, eyes flickering back to Tenma, just in time to see him sweep his dorky wooden toy sword in her general direction. This move again? "God you're so redundant!" the girl barks before she sucks a sudden, sharp breath in. She's bracing her body. But for what?
Why, to run THROUGH that streak of painful red.
Yes, breaking through it--but not without feeling a LOT OF PAIN and struggling--Marisol continues her charge right for Tenma, attempting to snare the Guardian King by the THROAT with a grip that could crush a boulder before she tries (again) to headbutt him in the forehead with HER forehead, before she punches him IN THE HEAD with her fist in some odd attempt to practically nail Tenma into the very ground he's standing on.
"LOOK YOU MADE ME GET BLOOD ON MY UNIFORM!"
COMBATSYS: Tenma endures Marisol's Suicide Catch.
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|----===
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Marisol 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Tenma
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|-======
Just because Marisol has all the grace of a three-legged hippopotamus doesn't mean everyone else is the same way!!
"Well, you smell funny!" Tenma retorts, when Marisol calls him 'redundant'. She must have gotten that word of the day calendar! The redhead, of course, ploughs through the projectile like some kind of God of Battle or something, leaving Tenma momentarily surprised, his blue eyes widening. He probably should've seen that coming, but he totally didn't. This leaves him with less time to respond than he'd like - sort of the opposite scenario of Hotaru charging him from his blind spot, ironically enough - and then that hand is going for his throat, so...
He just rolls with it. He gets headbutted, and punched in the head, smashing him into the ground, but througout, the Guardian King grins a bloody grin.
And there's the opening he needs. "I can see your panties, Red," Tenma announces from the floor, before pushing himself in a single smooth motion on one hand, aiming a kick right for the underside of Marisol's jaw; he keeps the momentum hit or miss, barring Marisol doing something funny, and flips onto his feet just in time to slash once, then again, with his chi-emanating bokken, in quick succession. "Grey old granny panties! What is it, that time of the month?!"
COMBATSYS: Marisol has left the fight here.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Tenma 1/-----==/=======|
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|-======
COMBATSYS: Tenma has left the fight here.
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|-======
COMBATSYS: Batsu has ended the fight here.
COMBATSYS: Batsu interrupts Light Kick from Hotaru with Guts Upper EX.
[ |||||||||||||||||||| ]
Hotaru 1|------=|=======
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Marisol 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Tenma
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|---====
Batsu was flowing with burning energy, the bright blue chi blasting around his frame. He was focusing hard, letting his emotions take hold. Boiling from his heart was his pride, he unstoppable desire to win the fight. His eyes were wide up, burning with the same spirit as he watched Tenma and Marisol dance the forbidden dance. He made a mental note to slam Tenma. Why? Because all those Gedo jerks needed a good stomping. And besides, Marisol was cute. Before he could allow his teenage hormones to divulge further on that subject, Hotaru was bounding forth towards him with almost unnatural agility. Hotaru was dangerously quick, and from the looks of it, she was going to charge right in with a flying kick.
But he was all too aware.
As Hotaru spun around, Batsu's energy suddenly rushed all to his right fist. It was as a light just flicked off, and all balled forth in a dense concentration. He lowered himself down slightly, winding his right arm back behind him. Positioning his left arm to help brace for the oncoming kick, Batsu tensed up. Hotaru's aerial kick slams into his arm, causing it to smash into his own face roughly. But like the infamous Yamazaki, it was more like a mousetrap. With a hair-trigger reaction, all his built up energy flares out as the hot-blooded teenager cries out.
"SHOKURUN!!!!!"
In a flash of energy, Batsu's burning fist launched right for Hotaru's own abdomen in an uppercut. The impact literally explodes on contact, the crack echoing across the arena. Batsu's nose was bleeding slightly from the kick, but his eyes spoke volumes. The boy didn't notice yet. It was only as he wound back did he rub the back of his hand on his face. Look down at his hand, his blinks. And with unnatural eloquence, the young man expresses his inner feelings with but mild disgust.
"Meh!"
Into the air she leaps, attempting to hassle Batsu out of his moment's reprieve from constant pressure. The momentum behind her is enough to carry her the rest of the way, her body twisting into a spin designed to deliver a more forceful impact by way of her foot on collision course with the Taiyo student's chest. Airborn, she has nothing to focus on but Batsu himself. The words exchanged by Tenma and Marisol become a blur - distant echoes of a battle some place else - and what she notices of immediately distressing concern is the surge of energy to his right hand.
It's to be a collision then; and not one that she's in a good position to correct for. But she took the chance when she made the jump and there's nothing she can do now but commit to the strike that ends up slamming against his left arm and making him feel at least something from the inevitable exchange.
And then there's an impact and the featherweight goes flying backward in an uncontrolled arc. By the time her upper back hits the floor, she's already lost her breath, forced from her lungs by way of a pained gasp at the moment Batsu's fist connected. She slides to a stop, feeling slightly dazed and more than slightly shy on breath, but as she grimaces, she pulls her thoughts back to the moment and shakes her head, rolling onto her side, left hand going to rest at her sternum before she finishes turning onto her knees and manages to suck air back in. "...nice hit," she manages through pained gasps before she pushes herself back up to standing, determined to recover from the attack.
"Okay," she murmurs, back on her feet, raising her hands back to a defensive ready posture, eyes focused on Batsu directly. A huff of breath and a faint smile later and she's back in the game, stepping forward with controlled steps until she reaches a certain distance from Batsu, at which point she begins circling him, watching for his next move, perhaps seeking the right opening to deliver a better attack on her part. Through Marisol and Tenma's battle continues on, she puts it out of her mind for the moment, focusing only on the Taiyo brawler, actively trying to figure out how to deal with his strength, skill, and unlimited spirit.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru focuses on her next action.
[ |||||||||||||||||||| ]
Hotaru 1|------=|=======
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Marisol 1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1 Tenma
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|---====
COMBATSYS: Tenma successfully hits Marisol with Fierce Strike.
[ |||||||||||||||||||| ]
Hotaru 1|------=|=======
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Marisol 1/-======/=======|=======\===----\1 Tenma
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|---====
That felt pretty good.
Practically hammering Tenma into the damn ground like the skinny rail he is, Marisol's bruised face cuts a wide sneer, blood staining her face from cuts on her forehead and the busted nose she's managed to get somewhere along the line. Yeah, her uniform is completely ruined. Does she particularly care?
Mmmmnope.
"Hey, that's a pretty good look for you," the redhead comments, glaring down at the Guardian King. Yes, poor Hotaru and her plight against Taiyo's Batsu go completely ignored. Right now she just wants to beat the crap out of Tenma. Is that so wrong??
"On your back, like a /loser/!" Pause. He can--
"OH FU--"
Before she can lift a leg and stomp the crap out of Tenma, Marisol finds her jaw kicked before cuts at her with his bloody toy sword. It hurts a little more than she'd ever admit to, evident by the gasp and the way her body stumbles backwards. She barely manages to keep on her two feet.
Through a veil of blood Marisol has a pretty ugly looking scowl on her face, yellow energy slowly bleeding from her hands and arms. "That was the most disgusting thing...I have ever HEARD!"
To emphasize the whole 'I AM ANGRY' point, Marisol bursts forward, dandelion-yellow chi blazing from her fists. Her intent? To unleash three glowing hook punches on his face, followed by a swift uppercut. If the four should land she'll snag him by the collar, headbutt him AGAIN, then dip low and yell, followed by a vicious uppercut emphasized by a particular potent burst of yellow energy.
COMBATSYS: Tenma interrupts Cloud Nine from Marisol with Dead End Breaker.
[ |||||||||||||||||||| ]
Hotaru 1|------=|=======
[ \ < > //////// ]
Marisol 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Tenma
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|---====
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Tenma laughs, clearly enjoying Marisol's furious reaction. He's kind of a dick that way. "Nah, I'm just messin' with ya, Red," the Guardian King continues, raising his voice loud enough to be heard by probably the entire arena, with the right acoustics. /Certainly/ the other fighters should be able to hear him, even over the tumult. "Nice thong, though. Red's definitely your colour."
So basically, Tenma totally deserves to get punched a lot by Marisol, which is what happens next.
The hooks strike home, each one a thunderous impact of fist and danelion-yellow chi, driving the Guardian King further back. The uppercut follows, slamming into the underside of his jaw, snapping his head back and knocking him apparently off-balance, as he slips seemingly by accident away from Marisol's attempt to grab him by the collar, and then when she's vulnerable...
He whirls around, swinging his chi-emanating bokken across her torso in a vicious upwards diagonal slash. "Right... THERE!" Tenma calls as he finds his opening, slashing at the half-Irish girl again, and again, adding in a kick with his opposite leg, then a punch with his free hand, a last slash of the bokken and then... Tenma lunges into Marisol explosively with another headbutt of his own, smashing his forehead into her face, hard.
Tenma pulls back at the end, licking blood from his split upper lip. "C'mon, Red. You get any sadder and I'm gonna have to take you out on a pity date," the Gedo Swordsman says. "And I don't think Pás would like it if I did."
Batsu wipes the blood on the back of his pants, cleaning his hand. He snorts, the blood clotting up fast enough. Man, even with the deflection, Hotaru did a number on him. Of course, that was nothing compared to Marisol and Tenma. The teenager made a mental note to invite the Pacific High girl for some milkshakes. As he turns to the twin fighters, there is a very light 'wumph, followed by Hotaru whimpering a compliment. And Batsu, in his true gentlemanly form, waves a hand at her. "Yeah! Thanks! Now hold on, I got some asshole to beat up!"
The asshole in question, of course, was Tenma.
Yes, Tenma. The student from Gedo was suddenly on Batsu's mind. The twin snakes were going at each other like vipers, and Batsu had know business to pick sides. Except Marisol was cute, and Tenma was a dick. And Batsu hit dicks. With his fists. And not in that way, Yurika.
Stop looking at our secret roleplay sessions!
Batsu charged in just in time to see Tenma interrupt Marisol's rabid headbutting with... well, head butting of his own. Batsu was not creative, but he could think fast. Quickly he marched forward, reaching out with his right hand. "HEY! ASSHOLE! Think FAST!" The teenager snaps, attempting to grab Tenma right by the throat. If successful, he will simply lift the Gedo Student up, look him right in the eye, and say one thing.
"Shut UP!"
Oh, and promptly begin smashing his forward into Tenma's face, before tossing him aside like a used condom at a Grateful Dead concert.
This time Hotaru has time to see what's going on all around the fight, her mind gradually opening up to the circumstances around her as she slowly circles Batsu, using a tried and true Tai Chi based focusing technique that keeps the young man at the center of her controlled path. Tenma and Marisol exchange shouts and violent attacks and not a bit of it is any surprise to the girl. The fueds between not just their two schools but their collective groups of friends have been the focus of several SNF events so they're certainly no secret to the girl who makes sure to never miss an episode of the best fight related show around.
She doesn't break her gaze to follow just how bad either Tenma or Marisol are looking right about now. The shouts give her a sense of it, but the details are something she doesn't allow herself to be distracted with. All of that comes to an end when Batsu speaks up, indicating that he's got someone else to smack around for a moment, Hotaru blinks with a hint of surprise, stopping short in her next step to the side. It doesn't take much to guess who Batsu is going after and to that end she smiles faintly.
Still, the fight continues, and as a veteran of more free for alls than she'd care to recollect, the girl isn't about to let up in her relentless attacking just to give Batsu time to beat up on a probably well-deserving Tenma. "All right," she calls after him after a moment's hesitation, "But don't let your guard down."
She completes her next step but even before her foot falls, it's clear that she's ready to move, a faint glimmer of blue igniting along her forearms and culminating in her palms. And then she charges, leaning forward into a sprint after Batsu. She isn't aiming to interfer with his combination against Tenma - let that play out however it may - but she isn't going to give him a second's reprieve afterward. The chi answering her call trails out behind her like twin contrails of sharp blue as each step brings her closer to catching up with Batsu.
"Soushou..." And then she attacks, springing into a spin through the air, sweeping her arms up into a pair of windmilling palm strikes to be delivered before her feet touch the ground again. She would follow up with another pair immediately after, springing into a second combination of strikes, the trails of blue chi twisting through the air, left in the circular paths her arms follow.
And should she connect cleanly through Batsu's guard, the girl will, upon landing again, attempt to drive a rising shoulder lunge into his chest, rising into the air from her own momentum, only to flip forward, the last of her chi flaring around her as she dives back against Batsu like a teenaged missile to finish smacking him to the ground! "Tenrenge!"
Good thing for Marisol punching is therapeutic. Especially punching Tenma Kiryuu.
Beating him repeatedly with blazing fists of feminine FURY, Marisol just grits her teeth through it all, gray eyes wide as she yells. But just as she's about to snatch the Gedo High student by his grimy collar and smack her head into the center of his face--
Marisol finds that Tenma is slashing at her, kicking and punching and just doing what the hell ever it is Tenma does. Then he HEADBUTTS HER.
Again. AGAIN!
When released, Marisol falls back, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. Sad, he calls her. Somewhere in the middle of it all, she hears Batsu's bellowing, over that dull ringing in her head. How the hell are things going so poorly for her, she wonders. But...she can't let someone like Tenma out-do her.
Whatever Batsu may be doing, Marisol just scrambles to her feet. Seeing red, the girl just attempts to deliver MORE hooks at Tenma's face, four of them, before she'll reel back, clenching her fist tightly, muscles straining. Then? Then she'll unleash a driving punch right for the center of Tenma's scrawny chest as she cries, "GO TO HELL KIRYUU!"
Hit or miss though, thereafter Marisol just flops to the ground, unable to fight any longer.
COMBATSYS: Marisol can no longer fight.
[ ||||||||||||||||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-------
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Tenma 0/-------/---====|
[ |||||||||||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|---====
COMBATSYS: Marisol successfully hits Tenma with Atom Smasher.
[ ||||||||||||||||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-------
[ \ <
Tenma 1/-------/=======|
[ |||||||||||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|---====
COMBATSYS: Tenma fails to interrupt Headbutt Beat Up from Batsu with Hell of Blood.
-* CRITICAL FAIL! *-
[ ||||||||||||||||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-------
[ <
Tenma 0/-------/---====|
[ |||||||||||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|--=====
COMBATSYS: Tenma can no longer fight.
[ ||||||||||||||||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-------
[ |||||||||||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|--=====
First of all, Tenma's collar is not /grimy/. That's disgusting and frankly another of Marisol's baseless, racist assertions. So maybe she should go eat some potatoes and pump out a dozen unwanted children while drunk on whisky.
The Kiryuu heir, of course, feels quite prepared to deal with whatever else Marisol might have to throw at him, except for the tiny wrinkle of Batsu's presence. He feels the approach of the spirited Taiyo fighter a split-second too late - roundabout when Batsu shouts at him - twisting to face the incoming fighter which... Is when Marisol's punches land, hooks and that last ridiculous punch. But Tenma doesn't go flying, though.
Because Batsu's caught him by the neck.
Tenma drives his bokken downwards, attempting /something/, but just what it is the world may never know as Batsu puts forth his own thesis on headbuttology, which frankly eclipses Marisol's and Tenma's. The bokken clatters to the ground, the aura around it vanishing, the blood stripe drawn down the side similarly gone.
Tenma himself lands in a crumpled heap, letting out a faint noise that's somewhere between an amused chuckle and an annoyed sound. And that's all he's got in him.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Batsu with Sou-shou Tenrenge.
[ ||||||||||||||||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-------
[ ||||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 1|-----==|=======
*WHAM*
**WHAM**
***WHAM***
Gedo blood dribbles down Batsu's forehead as he unleashed a trio of powerful slams right into the face of Tenma... thanks to Marisol. "Thanks! Marisol!" The teenager barks between head slams. He doesn't even realize that she is down. After a death rattle rumbles from Tenma, the hot-blooded youth tosses him aside
Just in time for Hotaru.
Batsu only catches the girl when he hears her mention Soushou. He completely missed the part about keeping his guard from falling down; and frankly, that made it all the more bitter. Turning around in time for her warning shout of "Soushou," Batsu quickly shoves his guard up, going on instincts. If it was a lesser attack, he might have managed to keep it up. Unfortunately, the first wave of spinning palm strikes breaks through his arms, and the he is putty to the pigtailed girl's hands. The blows keep stunning him, preparing him for the next strike. The endless chain is only broken when Hotaru rockets down in her own Shooting Star Kick, smashing the teenager down hard beside Tenma. Curled up in a crumpled heap, he lies there.
And then, Batsu rises up.
The teenager's uniform is torn to shreds, the blows rending it asunder. Underneath, the hot-blooded teenager's mesh shirt kept him from becoming totally topless. The boy moves gingerly for a moment, before taking a long breath in, and a sharp breath out. "Great! GREAT! Okay, Hotaru, it is just down between ME." Batsu brings two fingers from his left hand towards his eyes. "And YOU!" And those two fingers direct themselves right at Hotaru.
"Now it's GO TIME!"
Batsu swings both of his arms back, blue energy flowing through them. Eyes locked right on Hotaru, he throws his weight back. Not missing a beat, he swing both of his arms in tandem together, taking several steps forward from the sheer effort. "KYAGEN!" He roars, slamming both of the fists together. The energy rolls forth from the young man's hands, rocketing forward as a blue fireball.
Watch out, Hotaru.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Batsu's Guts Bullet.
[ ||||||||||||||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-----==
[ ||||||||||||| ]
Batsu 1|----===|=======
The final hit delivered, Hotaru slides to a stop some yards further, the chi that flared about her body flickering and then fading all together as she ceases to channel the costly power. A soft exhale escapes her lips as she pushes herself to standing, whirling around, her pig-tails trailing a split second behind as she surveys the current layout of the field. A wry smile flashes across her mouth as she sees that Marisol and Tenma pretty much neutralized each other out of the fight. It's to be expected with those two.
Her hands snap up to the ready as Batsu stirs, however. The fight isn't over yet. The Taiyo youth rises up. She could tell he was rugged. Even that well practiced combination of hers couldn't keep him down. She nods slightly as he points out that they're the last two standing, "Nn." More of that potent energy of his is brought to bear as Batsu draws his arms back and in this case, Hotaru holds her ground. By the time he whips his arms forward, unleashing that shimmering projectile toward her like a speeding bullet, her arms are crossed and her feet planted, the girl's aura brought to the ready to provide sufficient counter force.
The impact is significant, sliding her back a step, but as she uncrosses her arms and shakes them, it's clear that she's weathered the worst of it to some degree. "It sure is," she replies with a ready grin even as she lowers into a sprinter's stance... and then /bolts/ for Batsu again. It's from a yard out that she takes to the air, whipping her body into a pirouette and bringing her arms into a windmilling attack pattern that seems a staple of the girl's Kenpo style.
But the meat of the attack is delivered only after she touches down, as if the opening portion was just to throw Batsu's guard off by warding off the higher attacks... For in that moment all of her forward momentum is converted into a single motion, the girl's body sweeping low, her feet slipping some distance apart, before she completes the fluid motion by slamming her right hand outward in a one-handed palm strike. "HAA!"
Her left hand jams out in the opposite direction to provide crucial counter balance, the girl committed to the attack but not to the point of clumsy recklessness. The final posture has her feet apart, one foot forward, one planted beneath her, and her arms held out in opposite positions with her right palm possibly planted hard against Batsu's now slightly less concealed chest!
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Batsu with Soushou Shin.
[ |||||||||||||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|----===
[ ||||||||| ]
Batsu 1|--=====|=======
Of course Hotaru goes for the chest.
Because Batsu is just Jiro at R4.
Batsu was almost impossible to keep down. It was one of his most striking features, and infamous to boot. Even the world-famous Ryu couldn't keep Batsu down. The Taiyo student's white-hot spirit just couldn't be snuffed. The teenager's fireball, however, bought him some time to better position himself. Hotaru managed to block it, though the impact was more than enough to slow her down. She charges forward, and Batsu has an idea of how to shut the girl down. He couldn't predict what was going to happen. So he just stuck out his chest, held his legs stiff, and got ready to eat the meat of the blow. Winding back his own fist, he gets ready as the girl unleashes a single palm strike...
And the teenager grunt as he falls right on his back.
"Damn!" Is the response that Hotaru gets. Batsu is utterly astonished by the sheer force that came from the girl. He accounted both the combo attack and the nose-bloodying kick to sheer momentum and volume. This simple, direct blow, however, just proved how much power was in that little girl. Batsu rose up, gripping the back of his head. Blood. He probably had a broken rib now, and now a gash. "Just DAMN! Alright, Hotaru, you asked for this. It looks like it is time to bring out....
"THE BURNING SPIRIT of TAIYO!"
Batsu drops both of his arms to his side, bending them at the elbow. He tenses hard across his body, and as he begins to shout, the teenager... bursts into flames. "SHOKYOOOOOOOO!!!!" Bright burning chi erupts over him, cascading right to his fists. Just like the charging from before, as Hotaru would remember quite clearly. However, this time Batsu was charging. Diving straight into a full sprint, Batsu runs right for Hotaru, winding back his left fist. Swinging the burning fist over, he attempts to drop a fiery haymaker right down into the little girl.
"UPPER!!!!!"
Should it make contact, he would take the moment to wind up... and unleash the rest of the energy into a single, burning uppercut of explosive power, strong enough to knock her straight up. BAM. ZOOM.
Straight to the moon.
COMBATSYS: Batsu successfully hits Hotaru with Maximum Guts Upper.
[ ||||||| ]
Hotaru 1|------=|=======
[ |||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|-----==
She maintains the stance for only a split second before her arm snaps back quickly, the girl not leaving herself vulnerable to counter attack if she can help it. Fortunately for her, she managed to knock Batsu clean off his feet with that strike, buying her time to prepare for what he might do next. She can feel it at this point - the end of the fight is nigh, one way or another - if she can keep it together a little bit longer, perhaps she'll be the one standing when it's over.
Her sharp, attentive blue eyes stay focused on Batsu. She had bloodied him some - an unfortunate side effect of the nature of the fight. There was no getting around it. Someone like Batsu wasn't going to be felled by sissy slaps to make him give up. Only the kind of strikes that leave marks would slow this guy down. And even then, only just barely...
She takes a breath, saying nothing in response to the young man pumping himself up for the potentially fight ending combination. And then he launches himself forward, his arm drawn back, his body erupting with chi that culminates in flame focused on his fists. This is it then. He swings and Hotaru makes a move.
To the naked eye, it would seem to be nothing but a clean hit. His fist cracks forward, smacking into the crown of her head with enough force to crumple the smaller fighter and likely send her sprawled against the ground by sheer force alone. But then there's a second swing delivered so fast as to defy any hope of recovery on her part before it is executed with all the vigor and burning spirit Batsu brought to the fight from the first minute. An explosion of chi and the crushing force of fist to her body sends the featherweight flying. Maybe not to the moon exactly, but the girl's arc is steep and uncontrolled, and when she comes crashing down it's with little in the way of being able to brace or recover cleanly as she smashes back into the ground with a soft cry of pain escaping blood speckled lips. What the naked eye wouldn't pick up was the defense rendered an instant before his haymaker was delivered - a sweep of her right arm and a shimmering mirror of blue chi against which a measureable portion of Batsu's own chi was dissipated, keeping the fight ending combination from being exactly that.
She coughs as she rolls onto her side, curling up for a moment, as if ready to call it quits. It's close. For a match like this, there's only so much pain and damage she's going to be able to take. But maybe she can muster on a bit longer. It's worth the effort, worth the try. No guts, no glory, no growth. Her hand goes to her chest as she coughs, pushing herself up off the ground, the left side of her hair draping down loosely over her shoulder, the ribbon previously keeping one of her pig-tails in check having been lost in the exchange. "...ugh," she mumbles, staggering a little before finding her balance.
The embroidered, blue Chinese styled vest she has on has seen its last fight as an angled burning rip has been scorched through its surface, rendering the white shirt she has on underneath visible through the open tear. "Okay, /that/ was a good hit," she admits with a certain teasing reluctance in her voice as she slowly regathers her strength to render one more possibly fight turning attack.
Her hand drops from her chest as she raises her arms to the ready one more time. Wiping her arm across her mouth she makes a bloody smear and leaves behind a determined grin, azure eyes flashing with life yet. "And now mine!" And with that she bolts, pouring on more of that incredible speed she has put to such use throughout the match. Speeding across the distance, she leans low, shoulder forward, as if intending to simply ram into Batsu like a miniture bull.
It's from a yard out that she springs into a twist in the air and delivers yet /another/ punishing storm of whirlwinding palm strikes. Feet touching ground for an instant would lead into a second volley of those determined strikes. And should she find herself crushing through his defenses, it's the second time her feet touch the ground that Hotaru would lean low before slamming her shoulder forward, aiming to dig it deep into Batsu's stomach and /slam/ the breath from his lungs, perhaps robbing him of the ability to fight any further all together! "Tenrenge!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Batsu with Ten-ren-ge.
[ ||||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-------
[ |||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|---====
Batsu makes contact with his uppercut, and with an explosion, Hotaru is sent flying. He just stands there, on one knee, gasping for air. He overextended himself there. He was in a poor position right now. But he made contact. Hotaru was sent flying through the air, and with a flinch-worthy thud, she collides with the ground. Slowly, he rose up, gazing towards the girl. And with a glimmer of pure respect, he saw her rise up again.
"I guess you Seijyun girl really know how to take a punch." Batsu rolls out with clear pride. His reflexes were dull, though. He knew what was coming. Bringing up his guard, he waited for Hotaru charge in. He had the fair warning now. He had things in his favor.
But like before, he just couldn't hold up his defenses .
The whirlwind of blows knocks down his guard, and then catches him a storm of blows. Batsu could just stand there, letting the thousand cuts take their toll. But the real coup de grace was the single shoulder slam. Batsu suddenly felt himself not only without the wind in him, but his lungs spasming. Choking, the teenager falls over on his back. The constant strikes. The minor blood loss. The sheer will of a brave little girl. And now, Asphyxiation. Hotaru might be able to see Batsu's eyes close, as so many things wearing him down. The fight must have left him. The fight had to leave him.
****************************
But this was Batsu.
"Rrrrrrgh!" Batsu rolls over, letting loose the rest of the air in his lung out in a sudden burst. He was suffocating. The teenager literally could not breathe. But there he was, dragging himself upright, bringing himself to a stand. His eyes slowly opened, his face turning blue. He was like a fish on land, gasping helplessly for air. He couldn't even speak. And yet, he still struggled. Staggering forward, the teenager pushed himself harder, picking up speed. He was charging Hotaru, and leaning back, he stomps short, winds back his right leg, and unleashes a single, straight mule kick right for her torso. This was madness.
This was Taiyo.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Batsu's Medium Kick.
[ ||||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-------
[ ||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|---====
"Some better than others," she had responded to his observation about girls from her school being able to take a solid hit or three. Seijyun may not build a reputation for having the most rugged collection of fighters around, but many of its students have managed to carve out a name for themselves in the violent world of fighting all the same. And in the next instant she was delivering her attack, attempting to take the fight out of him with a final hit to end the entire assault by.
She staggers, stumbling a step before catching herself after sacrificing her balance to pour all of her momentum into the shoulder slam that ultimately manages to knock Batsu down again. And for a moment, it seems as if perhaps she managed to do just that - managed to take the tenacious fighter out at last. But only for a moment. Even as she finally catches herself and stops, leaning forward to rest her hands against her knees, propping her tired body up for a little bit longer, she can Batsu is about as stubborn as hanging in there as anyone she's ever seen.
It was going to be close, she could tell. He was going to get back up, his strength wasn't gone in spite the focus of her solid strike. He doesn't even recover the capacity to breath even in the act of pulling himself up. Hotaru smiles, panting hard but all together pleased to see the determined student pull himself together again. He did his school proud when it came to matters of guts and determined spirit. No one could take that away from the Ichimonji boy.
Her own hands snap up, the girl standing straight, one foot slipping forward slightly. She'll have to defend herself again. There's no disputing that. He's standing now, unable to speak, but that doesn't seem to slow him in the slightest. Another charge toward the girl before he comes to a stop and twists into a solid kick that would easily drop the Kenpo artist in her present condition.
But her own agility sees her through, Hotaru twisting to the side around Batsu's mule kick, staying tight in the process rather than sacrificing proximity for the possible safety of distance. She doesn't relent, moving in even tighter to try and take advantage of the missed kick. Both arms sweep for Batsu's chest, one higher, just below the base of his neck, the other lower, closer to his sternum. Moving in the opposite direction is her foot, sweeping from back to forward, aiming to kick Batsu's legs out from under him and drop him back down to the floor of the proud Taiyo Dome by flipping him right over. With how hard it was for him to get up last time, perhaps she can finalize this match all together by dropping him one more time? "YA!"
COMBATSYS: Batsu blocks Hotaru's Quick Throw.
[ ||||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-------
[ |||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|--=====
Oh. This WAS going to be close.
Hotaru was sitting on the Ryu Line. Batsu just barely kept his head above the water. and he was going almost all out. As the kick was unleashed, he finally took a rush of air in. He was going dizzy, and a trip might have brought him down. The leg snaps out, and the teenager staggers. But the spirit just burned on. His leg snapped down hard, turning into stone. Batsu caught his balance just enough to keep him landing on his back.
But the hot-blooded youth was sitting on the edge already.
Batsu drops to his knees, still struggling for air. The trip was stopped cold, but Batsu was drifting again towards unconsciousness. He looked dizzy, and he was just short of falling... And promptly, he just rises up. "KYA!" was the shout as once again, Batsu refuses to stay down. As he rolls up, he just throws a right hook, attempting to slam Hotaru in the gut. Batsu may have the endurance of a cockroach, but it seemed that Hotaru instead took the agility.
Perhaps a direct hit would stop her for good.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Batsu's Medium Punch.
[ |||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|------=
[ |||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|--=====
It's a risk getting in close in her present condition. Agility requires some level of concentration, and as Hotaru tries to hang in there just a little longer, being able to stay standing is pushing it, let alone being able to rely on her rather famous alacrity. The attempted trip and shove, a simple but reliable staple, fails to take the Taiyo youth down. Either his balance is more sturdy than she gave him credit for in his present condition or he managed to force his way to stay standing by sheer willpower alone.
Whatever it may be, the girl finds herself put to the test again as Batsu not only manages to defend against her attack but to take a swing right back at her. He rises quickly, his fist clenched, the proximity between them so narrow as to defy much in the way of options for defense. That she musters anything at all is one part instinct, one part reflex, and maybe a touch of luck, as her hands close in around to cup Batsu's slamming fist before it manages to connect with her, allowing her to slow the impact but at a cost.
She loses a bit of ground, huffing another gasp for breath, perspiration brought on by exhertion and a fair number of aches and pains that aren't going to ebb any time soon, dampens her hairline and clings to her forehead, but for one brief moment, the focused girl manages to force everything else out of her mind. All that matters is the next step. The steps beyond don't matter if she can't make the next one...
The girl drops into a low stance - like a bird, her arms stretched out to her sides, her feet spread wide apart, one leg bent beneath her for support, the other more forward, her toe just shy of Batsu himself... And then, like so many attacks before, she lunges, springing into the air, twisting into a short hop that lends itself perfectly to delivering a pair of windmilling palm strikes executed like so many times throughout the match.
Only, this time, there's no catch, no follow up attack, simply a pair of the most blisteringly fast strikes she can muster to try and batter the defiant Taiyo youth hard enough to knock him down again. "HA!"
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Batsu with Enryuu Banda.
[ ||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-----==
[ ||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|=======
Those fast strikes do it.
Batsu hurls his punch, hammering it hard in Hotaru's palm. She was getting slower, but not enough for the hot-blooded teenager. Batsu was just getting the air back in his lungs, but as he drew in another breath... the wind was taken back out.
The pig-tailed girl flurry of blows always seemed to be Batsu's weakness. He draws his arm up for the first strike, but his reflexes are just too slow for the rest of them. There is a crack, and Batsu falls out of the flurry. He tumbles backwards, gasping for air. "Nice hit... nice..."
*wheeze*"
Batsu falls to his knees, swinging side to side. His eyes were growing dull, and slowly, he slipped forward...
COMBATSYS: Batsu takes no action.
[ ||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-----==
[ |||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|=======
COMBATSYS: Batsu has reached second wind!
[ ||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-----==
[ |||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|=======
And suddenly, a new breath filled his lungs.
Batsu tumbled forward in a roll, throwing himself straight upright. He took another sweet breath in, and exhaled it out slowly. Breathing loudly, he was turning rosy red again. Still bleeding a bit, he seemed to almost perfectly ignore the pain in his chest. The Taiyo Spirit was coming back, and with a strange new rush of energy, he was shouting. "HAI! HAI! Okay, Hotaru, I'm ready! No more time for goofing around, come on, show me what Seijyun High can REALLY do."
And with that, he pounds a fist in his palm, proving that Batsu was no longer hanging on the edge.
As she drops down out of her strikes, Hotaru leans low, coming to rest in the same extremely low stance she had launched herself from, arms out at her sides, her face only a few feet from the ground, her feet spread out far apart as she watches Batsu. Time and time again, she thought she had managed to take the young man down at last, and each time he's managed to pull himself to his feet. Leaving nothing to chance, she holds her stance, forcing herself to start trying to breath regularly. She's going to need all the oxygen she can get at this point if Batsu is still going to hang in there.
And, as she has started to expect from the young man, he rolls to his feet. He was recovering from the breath-stealing strikes she had dealt him earlier and contrary to anything she had expected, he was weathering on in spite all the attacks she had sent his way. A flicker of a smile crosses her lips as he finds the strength to shout, demonstrating his readiness with a smack of his fist to palm, and calling her out to attack again.
All the while, she has been slowly scooting herself closer, maintaining the low stance, but sliding one foot forward a little, then moving her other to catch up by twisting her ankles back and forth. It isn't obvious, but it will help her position herself... Her hair hangs down over the right side of her face, the ribbon keeping her right pig-tail in place having been lost in one of the last few exchanges of attack and escaping her notice until now. A soft huff blows it out of her right eye just to make sure that she's in the right position.
And then the Kenpo artist strikes, lunging up like an uncoiled spring, her left palm leading the way as she aims to strike Batsu solidly with the heel of her hand with a solid hit. Even as she does so, her torso is twisting to the left, her right shoulder coming forward, her right hand slamming out hard to deliver a follow up strike equally sound if not moreso than the opening swing. "HAA!"
COMBATSYS: Batsu dodges Hotaru's Fierce Punch.
[ ||||| ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-----==
[ |||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|=======
As long as Batsu had breath in his body, he could fight. He was like a male version of Sakura, in terms of keeping in a fight. Of course, Batsu was his own man, but the raw energy he brought into a fight was more than just a fierce offense and a burning presence. It meant never giving up, and always bringing out your best. So as Batsu stood there, that come back still running through his veins, he watches Hotaru, barely noticing the slow advance until she erupts with that single blow aiming straight for his chest.
And with astonishing speed, he deflects it.
Batsu snaps his fisted arm up as the girl strikes like a cobra. Doesn't linger long afterwards. Hotaru's flurry of blows has made the teenager wary of lingering near her. His judgement proves sound, as he is already stepping back as the right palm strike comes in like clockwork. With the same rotating motion, he deflects her right with his left, pulling away.
And suddenly the momentum shifts.
Like a crashing wave, the waters change. It was an invisible force, a sudden change in chi. Something comes forth from inside the boy, something drawn straight from the heart. Batsu seems to be leaning a bit forward. Twisting to his left, he almost seems to turn his back on Hotaru... until a flash of blue energy erupts over his body. His right leg leaves the ground, whirling around as Batsu leaps through the air, attempting to hook the chi-laced leg right behind Hotaru's head and spike her into the ground.
"NEEKEETA!"
COMBATSYS: Batsu successfully hits Hotaru with Crescent Star Kick EX.
[ ]
Hotaru 0|-------|-======
[ ||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|----===
Her first strike is knocked aside, but the momentum of the deflection only plays into her second strike, the girl already twisting in that direction to begin with, her forward foot planting so that she can lean hard into the second blow. But he's quick, regaining strength, and she can't quite connect. She starts to pull back as Batsu completes his own motion, winding up for a counter attack, knowing full well that the strength she's observed in him after this resurgance of breath is going to be dedicated to an effective technique.
But she doesn't have the speed it would take to escape the bullet-like speed with which the young man launches his way toward her. Drawing back, she tries to range his attack, hoping to make him miss hitting her entirely by attacking too early. But his own approach is the perfect counter, the young man already aiming to strike from behind, his foot hooking and catching Hotaru solidly in the back of the head. The force is enough to seal the deal, driving the smaller fighter face first into a slide along the ground in spite her attempts to catch herself with her arms and knees.
She comes to a stop shortly, having hit at a sharp angle rather than shallow, her arms and legs coming to rest flat against the ground as she remains face down for a long moment. A breath is taken, her hands clenching as she determines that this shouldn't be the end. Palms open, pressing flat against the ground, arms straining to pull herself together as she starts to push up. Her head hurts, her ears ringing, her face dirty and smudged from the unpleasant faceplant, but for a moment it seems like she just might have something left in her all the same...
It's with a soft cry that she collapses forward in the end, face turned to the side, eyes closed, releasing a long, pent up gasp as the ability to fight any longer eludes her at last.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru takes no action.
[ ||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|----===
COMBATSYS: Hotaru can no longer fight.
[ ||||||| ]
Batsu 0|-------|----===
Batsu was a test of endurance, a test of skill, and a test of one's spirit. Batsu had been struck down countless times, and his ability to take blows reflected this. He had learn from those who brought him down, and has become powerful as such. But skill and endurance was gifts that could be grown, something that training can develop. Nothing (short of the Way of Todoh) could grow that strength in the heart.
And Batsu was nothing but heart.
"KAI!" Was the follow up shout as Batsu's heel caught the girl in the back of the head. He felt the leverage in his body, and with a twist, he spiked the teenager. Batsu lands shortly after Hotaru's own, and he doesn't wait. He snaps around, keeping his guard up. He just stands there, watching Hotaru. "Come on, come on, come on- Damn."
Hotaru was down.
The entire arena erupts into a frantic cheer as Batsu drops his guard, the fight being called to him. And as the drive for battle leaves him, he staggers to his knees. "Good fight. Good fight all of you." He says, glancing at the three other fights. Marisol. Tenma. Hotaru. Four students, four different schools. Batsu spit up a plume of blood to the ground, coughing hard. A boy could take only so many body blows. Despite the pains in his chest, he had only one thought on his mind. It wasn't his victory. It wasn't the donation money. No, it was something far simpler.
Why the hell didn't Justice High throw a student in the mix.
COMBATSYS: Batsu has ended the fight here.
Log created on 22:35:58 08/08/2009 by Hotaru, and last modified on 13:53:21 08/20/2009.