Description: Shortly after the events of Jinchuu II, two superpowers vie for control of the exploded bomb's fragments. Vega's forces are busy collecting the strange relics when the NESTS leader comes to stop them. Only Vega himself could possibly ward off the godling long enough for his men to escape with the samples. The two men clash and boast about their dominance over the other, resulting in a temporary stalemate that sparks a war between their respective factions.
What a time poor China has had. She welcomes (or at least allows) these brash brutes into her lands, gives them the kindness and freedoms that any wonderful human being is due...and what do they do?
They bomb the everloving christ out of her.
It's no wonder that China-fighter relations are strained. On top of everything else, some of them dared to target one of the high-ranking military officials that work so hard to keep the Chinese people happy and secure! It's really a terrible thing.
Thus, while not impossible, it's been difficult for most people get into the bomb wreckage site. There are scores of crimson-clad soldiers scattered around the grounds, outfits familiar to many save for the fact that they bear no Shadaloo insignias on them whatsoever. Surplus, perhaps? Mimicry? Whoever they may be, the oversight of actual, official People's Liberation Army tanks and troops lend credibility to these scavengers. They congregate around big army trucks, usually covered with olive drab tarps. Instead, they're open and exposed. Thick metal crates are stacked into these trucks one by one, after recovered remnants of the so-called 'chi bomb' are categorized and sealed for later research.
The intervention of those soldiers was an unforseen variable.
The NESTS Cartel has been hard at work for the duration of the Taizou incident, if not at the forefront of everyone's attention. That's how they like it. With all of Ryouhara's defenses in place, as well as the Chinese government's watchful eye on all nearby comings and goings in a bid to keep the situation contained, it was far more efficient to simply watch. With all of the civillians caught in the mix, it was an easy matter to insert a number of spies posing as displaced citizens or opportunistic scavengers.
The news reported back to the Cartel was of great interest. They were among the first to learn of the superweapon, but it was deemed tactically inefficient to make off with the weapon itself. This didn't stop parties such as Rolento from attempting to make off with the core anyway, but the attempt met with the expected resistance. Simpler to make the pieces of the weapon vanish one by one...at least until these soldiers began turning away scavengers and inquisitive civillians, and not always with a gentle hand.
One such civillian is being escorted back now, led to a makeshift command post. His attire is...strange. A full body robe conceals the majority of his features, with the exception of blonde hair and piercing eyes. "We found this guy snooping around. Had a few pieces of the cargo...what should we do with him?"
The robed figure smiled darkly, not waiting for the response as he lifts a single gloved hand from its concealment. "Bow down in worship, of course."
The explosion can be heard from the trucks. The hooded individual paces his way toward them, not in any real hurry. If the trucks try to withdraw, he'll just shoot them down.
Quite on the contrary! Instead of fleeing, armed soldiers start pouring out of the woodwork. Radio chatter fills the air, superiors wanting to know what the hell is going on in the secure zone and WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THAT EXPLOSION?! This guy needs answers, people!!
Alas, the only people who /know/ what's going on are dead. Those who aren't, well! They form into two groups by the trucks, all weapons drawn. Automatic weaponry of various calibers are aimed in the direction of the problem, long before anyone can truly tell that there's a man sauntering forth from the chaos. "It looks like a person!" The smallest of the troops puts a finger in one ear and yells into his handheld walkie talkie in excitable Mandarin. "Well, kill him!"
Now THAT'S more like it. It's bad enough that the Shadaloo forces have to 'play nice' and try to brush civilians aside without killing them outright. It's not as fun, but it's necessary for relations! The call of "Safety off!" brings a deep grin to many a man's faces; it's about time they got to blow off a little steam.
And that, dear, lovable Igniz, is when a peal of detonated gunfire rips through the air, just slightly faster than the volley of lead slugs fired in the would-be Godling's direction.
In spite of all of the weaponry being levelled in the direction of the assumed assailant, he seems more intrigued than concerned about the matter. "You would raise arms against a God?"
The soldiers don't offer him any time for further dramatic embellishment, drowning out the possibility of further discourse with the roar of gunfire. Did he really just roll his eyes at the soldiers?
What was presumed to be a robe abruptly springs to life, as if a wind suddenly swept up from in front of him and lifted the edges of the garment, throwing the hood back as well. The lower folds of the robe animate further, defying the laws of physics as the four lower corners place themselves between their owner and the hail of bullets, as if to shield their master! The sound of spent shell casings hitting the ground is echoed by the rounds themselves splitting and clattering to the ground in halves as the wave of bullets breaks against the rock of an energy barrier projected from the garment, the mysterious assailant smirking darkly as he continues to advance on them undaunted.
"Such acts of defiance cannot go unpunished."
Extending his arms to either side, the tips of strangle cables drop from beneath the concealment of his sleeves. Allowing little time to speculate on their purposes, both arms snap forward and out, as if parting invisible waves in front of him. The weapons snap out to a distance of ten feet in front of him, raking deep lacerations upon all soldiers caught by them, and then yet again as his arms swing inward once more. Onward he travels still, the corners of his robes lifting once more, small wisps of energy discharging in the direction of the few soldiers fortunate enough to miss being raked by the bladed appendages.
It's like some sort of campy Japanese monster movie with a robot methodolically rampaging through downtown Tokyo, except the skyscrapers are red-clad soldiers howling in pain.
"Know my wrath, heathens! Fall to your knees and seek forgiveness, and I may yet show mercy."
Shredded Shadaloo forces are nothing out of the ordinary. It seems that every week, some hero or another sees fit to decimate them for simply doing their job. Savages, one and all! That doesn't, however, mean that the soldiers themselves are ready for it! Their uniforms grow stained with darker smatterings as blood soaks into the tightly-woven threads. Gunfire continues unabated, fighting against gurgled screams and cries of pain for dominance even as the ground and trucks are tainted red.
If that wasn't bad enough, another explosion rocks a distant squad. The chaos is heard briefly over the recently-deceased communication expert's walkie talkie. "What is it?! Fire! FIR--" And then, static. A plume of fire careens into the sky some short distance away; it seems that Igniz isn't the only person after these bomb fragments!
Before the smoke has finished clearing itself through the whims of the wind, there's a palpable, awful presence. It's a chill in the air, the very taste of malevolence that makes the sun seem darker. Without the threat of official Chinese military soldiers watching him, the Shadaloo leader can make his presence known...and does he ever! From the second explosion comes a pinpoint of violet, small for but a moment before Vega, completely encased in fiercely-fluxuating Psycho Power, comes literally flying across the field...and right for Igniz, with enough speed to carry himself clear through the nearest building, impact or not!
Igniz was making quite the serious offer to the soldiers. Bow down and recognize their place, and they would be shown forgiveness. A pity, then, that further consideration of this proposition is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a second threat from the other side. Pain and fear gives way to terror and instinctual preservation of life and limb, soldiers scattering every which way as they're either struck down by the wrathful Igniz or bored through by unrestrained Vega. Igniz himself is forced to pause for a valuable second as he assesses the new threat and its intent on his person, before deciding to meet it head on. Cables automatically retract back into his sleeves as he throws his body forward...and is propelled forward by unseen force, feet leaving the ground as he quite literally flies in the direction of Vega.
The soldiers are nearly deafened as two horrible forces suddenly collide at full speed, a ear-splitting screech filling the air as spiralling waves of dark psycho power drill against a wall of indigo-tinged chi projected in front of Igniz. Neither offer ground against the other, and the only thing seperating this from being the scene out of a popular anime is the lack of a rapidly expanding crater between the two as the forces collide. Unfortunately, the dead and wounded at their feet are a little too focused on other things to fully appreciate being spared from vaporization.
This could go on for quite some time, but both parties likely recognize this as being tactically inefficient. The invisible forces propelling Igniz nudge him slightly over toward the side, resulting in the clashing forces seperating from each other as they pass parallel to each other. Igniz himself slows, his foot touching the ground again as he turns in place to study Vega's own change of flight plans.
"I see that death is no barrier to you. Is your new body to your liking?" Igniz has no way of knowing the specifics behind Vega's resurrection, but there are a few trade secrets that extend beyond the boundaries of being exclusive to either Shadaloo or NESTS. Cloning and genetic engineering are one of them. Meanwhile, gears are spinning.
It's a terrible thing to experience, this clashing of titans! The earth itself starts to spread away from the point of impact, pebbles and dirt all pushed out beneath the floating pair. It looks for all the world like a crater beneath them, and the soil doesn't even get the worst of it! Previously-assaulted soldiers not only have to limp away for medical care, but now their wounds are scarred by bombardments of chi, only made to fester by an equally-oppressive smothering of their dark Lord's Psycho Power. It's a no-win situation for them! Logic states that the only correct course of action is Getting the Fuck out of Dodge...which the newly-spawned rumbling of engines can attest to, the scraping of tires as they cut into the earth. Hopefully, they'll get away. If they can't--or worse, escape at the cost of their cargo--their master's wrath will surely be terrible. Fear motivates men like little else.
As the air ignites with the class of chi versus mental energies, PLA solders struggle to evacuate the immediate area. They don't know what's going on, aside from that 'single man' broadcast from earlier. That means that it's another of those damned Fighters...and there's no way in hell that China is going to lose more of her people to the threat. Far off in some safe, air-conditioned office, the order is given: bomb the place. No sooner is the command given than pilots are pulled from their beds, mechanics sent to check and double-check equipment. The timer is ticking.
Through the wisps of violet (and violent) purple flames, Vega himself sneers through his spread fingers at the NESTS leader. To survive being struck is incredible enough...but to /stop/ him? In his previous 'life', it would have enraged him to the point of irrationality. Now, it truly angers him, but it simmers inside behind a grim frown, percolating and fueling his rage. It's the poor building behind Igniz that suffers the most as the men 'slide' past one another. It's as though a bomb went off, all doors and windows exploding outward on the first floor, dust spewing from the innards of the thing.
Only after he's spoken to does Lord Vega return to the field, shimmering into existance from a hazy purple outline some two feet off of the ground. His arms are folded, legs dangling beneath him as he hovers. His charcoal cloak has suffered a few small tears at the end and some dirt, but otherwise seems pristine as it billows behind him. "Is there /any/ body that can properly contain my endless might?" he answers snappily, a modicum of amusement evident in the harsh, gutteral tone. "However, I'm sure it will be enough to squash a fledgeling picking through my new toys like some filthy drifter."
Fledgeling? Him? The man standing opposite to Vega laughs, but it isn't the high pitched hooting of Vega's rodeo clown of a "general". Instead, it's a deep unconcerned chuckle in the face of one of the most powerful men in the world. "Not good enough. As it shouldn't be. It's a plight that I can relate to...after all, this suit makes a poor vessel for my own Godly might." Smirking, knowing full well that the Lord of Shadaloo accepts none as his equal in anything, let alone plight, Igniz imperiously raises a single hand to the heavens as he turns his attention toward the cargo bearing vehicles desperately turning their ignition keys. "That is in fact why I am here."
From Igniz's hand emerges a two foot long blade of energy. "I will not permit these artifacts the insult of being played with by a newborn child." The concentration of power within the blade intensifies as his hand simply swings down, as if smiting the planet itself. "One who would never know the depths of their secrets for all of his meddling!"
As it so happens, the Earth is indeed smote. Cascading pillars of raw power tear through the ground seperating him and the vehicles, wreaking havoc not just upon anything that would stand in the way of the Ideon Blade but all that would seek to use its path for further travel. If the fragments contained in those vehicles aren't capable of withstanding the power of his attack, then their secrets aren't worthy of being incorporated into Igniz's battle suit anyway.
Returning his attention to Vega, it's clear that Igniz is quite pleased with himself. He's allowing himself the luxury of a teethy grin, something that his own minions are rarely graced with. "It seems that you will have to back up your words, usurper. There will be no thieving into the night with that which belongs to me. Show me this filthy power of yours...and know that it is inferior!"
COMBATSYS: Igniz has started a fight here.
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Igniz 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Vega has joined the fight here.
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Igniz 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Vega
COMBATSYS: Igniz calculates his next move.
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Igniz 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Vega
While Vega /looks/ toward Igniz, it's hard to tell if he's really looking /at/ him. Devoid of pupils as he is, not to mention the fact that he's fully two feet above the other man's golden head, what else could he possibly be doing? In fact, it only appears that the sudden 'assault' against his prize is what grabs his attention. Without needing to look over, his momentarily-bored features scrunch into a most terrible frown, brows furrowed and lips tugging downward as though weighted.
And then he's gone.
The air just behind the truck shimmers as Vega appears once more, nearly a story above the ground. His posture, his poise, both are still perfect with his folded arms and tucked-in heels. The floating cape just makes him seem all the more majestic--or would, were the sight of him not so terrifying, his presence not so overbearing! Just as gravity seems to have taken comfort with the notion of the Shadaloo lord ignoring its natural pull, it suddenly overcompensates. The floating man slams straight downin the path of Igniz's path of chi-blades, his feet plastered in a protective plating of potent Psycho Power. The very ground around him shudders while the unbidden interruption is snuffed out, such force does he put into the display...and indeed, the man finds himself buried nearly halfway to his knees before he floats upward and out of the embrace of the terra.
"Some must be reminded of their station," he intones levelly. Though he may look muted and dormant on the outside, it's the slight wisps of chilled wind around him, the sparks of violet that bleed from the corners of his soulless eyes that tell of a scarcely-contained and growing maelstrom.
COMBATSYS: Vega gathers his will.
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Igniz 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Vega
Igniz's elation is momentarily stifled by Vega shielding his prize, but this seems to cause no end of amusement to the would-be God. A single gloved hand is lifted to his face as he breaks out in mocking laughter, his shoulders straightening as he regains his composure and grins at his adversary with a single covered eye. "Brave Lord of Shadaloo, shielding his minions with his own body. Somewhere in Hell, it is snowing." Brushing his hair back, he allows his arm to drop as he begins to advance, the unseen flows of energy that causes the edges of his garment to ripple doubling in effort. "You postpone their inevitable demise. Very well then, you shall join their number."
Extending his other gloved hand, crackling with blue light, a large sphere of energy is thrown toward Vega with a simple flex of the fingers. The effort is casual, but the scale of the chi sphere is greater than what most fighers are capable of with a lifetime of training. It seems not the slightest bit slowed for its size. "I grow tired of waiting. Are you stalling for time, for all this supposed power at your fingertips?"
In reality though, this does annoy Igniz. Showing up by himself is one thing, but putting Cartel resources to use for recovering those trucks will attract Zero's attention. It will do little good, but never gets any less annoying.
COMBATSYS: Vega blocks Igniz's Divine Arrow - Air.
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Igniz 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Vega
"Hah!"
Only that single notion of his helping /his men/ rouses a reaction from the great Vega, apparently! "They know the price of failure, just as I know the bother of getting more men out to retrieve what is rightfully /mine/. Your insults are as empty as your abilities." Little by little, the bulky man descends to the earth anew, but this time, gently. His shinguards creak as the joints shift to protect leather-wrapped joints. As he steps toward the blonde 'man', his steps sink deep in the dirt. With his arms now unfurled, the march he takes on is one familiar to many a corpse. Shadows cling to his features and form--unnaturally so, at that. The slinky strings of muted hues is only interrupted by the horrendous glow of brilliant blue chi.
"PAH!" Lord Vega's right arm rises up, hand and forearm coated in writhing violent energy. Not willing to divert his path for such a /trifling/ thing, he instead meets it head on, fist to to fireball. The resulting explosion is impressive indeed, chi swarming over his clothing and skin in powerful gouts. Truly, it would be something to worry about for someone other than one as great as he. "You expect me to waver from THIS?!" he bellows, anger now finally showing on his face quite clearly. His white eyes shine with a purple glow and a sheen of like-colored light further outlines his shaded tones. Both knees bend and, with but the slightest grunt of effort, the Shadaloo dictator vaults skyward. In midair, seemingly unaffected by the lack of any solid land to affect him, he flips upside down and comes careening back to earth, his right arm glowing with power and aiming to punch through the NESTS leader's head like the overinflated toy that it is.
COMBATSYS: Igniz reflects Somersault Skull Diver from Vega with Nega Genesis.
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Igniz 0/-------/-----==|======-\-------\0 Vega
Oh, Igniz knows full well that Vega only has his eye on the prize. It just doesn't make it any less amusing. "Such ignorance.", is his only retort, seemingly only taking a passive interest in the dictator taking to the sky. The attack is easily telegraphed, but the sheer force behind the attack drives it down quickly and would make most forms of defense difficult...and most heads pancakes. Igniz weighs his options carefully, narrows his eyes, and allows the folds of his robe to momentarily go limp as he redirects the flow of his power.
A gloved hand is shoved upward in Vega's direction with precise timing, sacrificing the safety of a larger time window in favor of maximized power output. It pays off. A large wall of energy fills the space between the two, greedy tendrils of chi lashing out across the surfce of the dictator's arm as he draws near. The impact itself is that of punching an unyielding wall made of painful energy, dedoubled all the more by the sudden backlash of the dictator's own energy against him.
With the success of the tactic confirmed, Igniz then throws his arm backward as hurling something distasteful over his shoulder. The energy wall is leveraged to throw Vega with it, though Igniz expects that he'll manage a safe enough landing on his own. He simply turns in place in preparation for retaliation, robes beginning to flow behind him once more. "So far, I see no reason to expend the effort."
It starts with a puzzled look. After that comes the befuddled, grunted "Hnn?!"
The lashes of chi sling around his extended arm and, for all of his trickery with gravity, seem to have no trouble with drawing him into Igniz's impressively-fortified wall of power. His expression distorts upon impact. His cloak ruffles and curls on itself. The metal pauldrons--meant for safety--hinder him with a brutal smashing of harsh steel against his thickened flesh. The backlash of mental energy is, by comparison, far worse. Bones mend, bruises heal...but the washing of corrosive powers on the mind are not so easily brushed off.
But that's not enough, no. Oh no. He then has to be thrown, discarded like some common bit of trash! He crashes through yet another build; a small one, nothing more than a shack and crumples down on top of him with further plumes of dust and dirt. The great Lord Vega, cast aside so simply! The few living soldiers in the trucks look on in simultaneous awe and horror. On one hand, it's VEGA, made to look like a plaything. On the other...he's the only one keeping them safe enough to do their job and, hopefully, not find their families served with bread and soup.
Behind Igniz, the noise of the shack debris being throw aside shows that the megalomaniac isn't going to just sit and take this. Indeed, the chilly aura has only grown stronger, thicker. With his own mind assaulted, the tenuous tethers keeping his rage in check have been shredded and torn. His entire body bears a coating of flickering violet flames and sparks, an effect that grows stronger as he makes his way back to his feet.
"You DARE throw me?! Pitiful little whelp!" Searchlights set sparingly around the site explode in brilliant white sparks whenever he steps too near with the melodic noise of shattered glass. "Do you forget that in this very soil, there lay trinkets to absorb your borrowed, fragile power?" There's simply nothing to keep that terrible, dark power from swelling, no need to worry about hidden runes keeping him from performing at maximum strength.
In a moment, the violet tint surrounding Vega explodes into a fiery gout, like that of a rocket igniting. A very apt metaphor, actually, as the crimson-adorned ruler starts screaming toward Igniz much like he did at first...only now, it's a more terrible, dangerous assault that he's certain is unstoppable.
COMBATSYS: Igniz blocks Vega's Final Psycho Crusher+.
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Igniz 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Vega
Angering an opponent into irrationality is a technique that has been around since the dawn of time, but it is a strategy that can backfire against a powerful opponent. Never is this truer than when facing an opponent such as Lord Vega, whose very hate fuels the dark seat of his psycho power. Showing Vega the fate that befalls anyone who challenges a God, no matter how mighty they are in comparison to other mortals, is perhaps the quickest way to ensure that power reaches its peak the quickest. But in the mind of Igniz, it's the only way to deal with such an opponent...to weather the greatest power they can muster, and break their bravado over his knee!
"To absorb, to shape, to amplify..." Igniz meets the angry, pupil-less gaze of Lord Vega head on, raising his forearms to either side and clenching his fingers. "In your hands they would be but chains of enslavement, but in mine...so much more." Even as the conflagaration of sinister power erupts behind the master of Shadaloo, so too does the master of NESTS rise a foot off the ground, robe whipping behind him with a sudden onslaught of hurricane force winds. "If you think you can prevail over NESTS, the Masters of Darkness, and ME, its highest authority...then by all means come and try!"
Igniz is a God! He has no need for the "safety protocols" built into this suit by necessity of inferior engineering...if he only crushes the foe before him, such needs will be completely antiquated! The mental command to disengage the limiter on how much of his own unstored power the suit can draw from him is the cause of the sudden surge of wind around him, and it's with this added power that he throws himself toward Vega with an outstretched hand.
The two titans of the underworld clash against each other once more with their fullest power behind them. The force of the meeting causes the ground itself to split, a chasm torn open by their unrestrained powers cascading off of each other. In Igniz's case, the only thing keeping him from having mind, body, and soul turned into a cinder by the terrible power of his opponent is the very power he himself wields now, emptying the battery of his own stored power in one burst and tapping into his own to supply the rest. All four chi projectors in his robe feed into the awesome barrier erected before him, as well as a gloved hand feeding into it in the same fashion as the barrier Vega failed to shatter moments before. Even so, Igniz himself is effected by the onslaught of dark ripples of psycho power washing around the edges of his chi, invasive tentacles raking across the edges of his mind and seeking a weakness in his mental armor. It takes its toll, but only seems to unhinge his deranged mind further, convincing him of the necessity in smiting down this wretched unbeliever!
[CRITICAL: Maximum output cannot be sustained. System overload in 3...2...]
Igniz is certain that Vega's own surge of power has to be near its breaking point, but he just can't risk it. Feet touching the ground once, he kicks off of it again and forces himself upward and over, the matrix of protective energy allowing him to surf over the wave of psycho power. A good thing too, because no sooner does he pass over Vega, than an observer would note that the energy abruptly gives out not but a moment longer. With his system overloaded, he'll need to buy himself just enough time for his chi capacitors to refill. So it is that Igniz twists around in midair, seeking to lash at the flanks of his foe with one of the bladed whips from earlier. Continuing to spin even as he lands, it comes around for a second pass on Vega, hopefully before he rides the Psycho Crusher out of attack range.
COMBATSYS: Vega just-defends Igniz's Sagital Edge Slice!
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Igniz 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Vega
All the rage, all the hate in Vega, it's all evident on his face. He scowls terribly at the man before him as he dares to slow--to STOP him. His right hand clenches, yearning to punch through that barrier...but it's strong. Incredibly strong.
And that just makes Vega even more pissed off.
The man is like an enormous battery of mental energies himself. It bleeds off of him, mimicking forces of nature: licks of flame, arcs of lightening. It swirls around him in a horrible vortex, ripping up the ground...and yet it can now pierce the defenses of this one, single, blonde man. But even he must have limits. None can escape the pull of destiny forever.
So it is that the dark Lord is freed from the stalemate, but not at all in the fashion that he'd prefer. As Igniz pulls to the side, he screams past, but not far. Ten? Fifteen feet, perhaps? His feet sink into the ground, cracking it as he slides to a halt. The coating of violet rage subsides as his back is turned, as he recuperates. He's open now, apparently; defenseless. Tender flesh, waiting for the bite of those bladed tendrils...
"What manner of god are YOU?" With the bellowed query, Vega whips around. His armored wrist bats away the surprise assault, and then again. "Wholly dependant on your tools..." The last lash wraps fully around his bracer, gripped in the palm of his hand. He yanks upon the lash, an attempt to bring Igniz crashing into the ground. Crawling, even. It's more than he deserves, to skitter about upon the earth like some bug.
But even without waiting, without spending time to gloat, the Shadaloo leader is gone from sight. He shimmers into existance high above, tilting forward as he rockets down from on high. His fists glow with his renewed rage, the emotions fueling him as well as any machine that his scientists might create. If the NESTS godling can not avoid this, then he had better have the resources to grow a new spine for him.
COMBATSYS: Igniz endures Vega's Psycho Fall.
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Igniz 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Vega
"Simpleton..."
The speed at which the Lord of Shadaloo is able to reorient after his powerful assault is somewhat remarkable, but not surprising. Igniz himself was forced to attack without relying on his godly power, and Vega defends it much in kind. For a moment they remain locked in position, Igniz's boots grinding against the ruined earth beneathe them as his arm strains. Only so much can be done to stand his ground with this much debris on it. "What, then, is the Psycho Drive?" Vega hauls, and still Igniz resists. But there is something to Vega's strategy that even he mmight not realize. "To what nutrient vat do you owe you continued existence?!" As Igniz is hauled forward, he stumbles forward along with the momentum, refusing from pride to allow himself to be dragged through the MUD, or FORCED TO HIS KNEES.
When Vega comes down from the sky behind him, his fists are allowed to smash into the back of the supposed God. But he does not find the impact crushing the back of a mere mortal man. It's like punching ten feet of concrete. The dictator is a powerful man however, so much like that concrete, so too does Igniz crumple forward slightly with the blow, yet not giving way entirely.
The God of NESTS turns to regard Vega, his expression twisted in a grimace of pain and madness, single eye wide and gleeful.
"You wish to experience MY power?"
It's all the warning Vega is allowed. Igniz uses his flight system to hurl himself backward violently, torso twisting in midair so that a single gloved hand can be driven into Vega's throat. With that force he will continue, dragging him along with his aerial momentum until they reach a building that was ruined before the two arrived. Managing despite all odds to retain a semblance of its structure despite the last catastrophe to grace these grounds, it soon finds is foundations buckling as Igniz slams into it - with or without his quarry. Should Vega be dragged along for the ride, all four corners of Igniz's robe will immediately go to work stabbing vital points in ruthless succession. Unhesitating, all four chi emmiters in the battle suit unload geysers of raw power at maximum output, depleting what reserves of energy had been recharged in the short window of time following the Final Psycho Crusher. The building is already gone at this point. "Disintegrate..."
It's not over. Igniz's arm extends upward, a veritable sun of indigo tinged chi forming in his palm, a sphere of godlike proportions unmatched but for one fighter in this world. This amount of force is drawn entirely from his own body, taxing it well beyond the safety parameters designed into his suit. "WORM!" That sphere will then be slammed forward into Vega's chest, retaining its form for a few precious seconds as it seeks to anhilliate his very existence before exploding, leaving a deep crater in their wake and spraying remnants of the ruin in all direction within the nearest mile.
...*Hopefully* there weren't any shards of the detonated super weapon in there.
COMBATSYS: Igniz successfully hits Vega with Brutal God Project+.
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Igniz 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Vega
That...THAT felt good. To feet his own fists dig in against the NESTS agent--leader, what have you, brings a sick pleasure immeasurable. The collision is such that the ground gives way beneath the man's body, adding to the number of craters already littering the area. The rebound from the skyborn assault sends Vega back a few yards, the man landing on his feet, both thick arms crossed over his chest.
"Do you see it here?" He speaks casually now, as though his superiority has already been proven. After all, he felt that; he KNOWS it hurt. One arm sweeps out, gesturing to the bomb fragments littered throughout. "And you, with your coat, supplementing your pitiful power, surrounded by these relics. It is clear who has the tactical advantage." He starts taking steps. in a wide circle around the blonde man. His chiding is interrupted, however, by the sheer madness that faces him! That look; it's one that he's seen a number of times. One he usually seeks for some of his most trusted fighters. But to see the man before him, the supposed greatest god losing himself to his emotions like that? Why...it simply exhilirates Vega like nothing else. "Then finish me!" He sweeps his arm to the side, the other clenching a fist before him. "Lose yourself to your anger, O Perfect Being!"
Ask, and ye shall receive, indeed.
As Vega stands his ground, he faces an incredible power. Though not psychic in nature, its depth is felt clearly, like staring into the very sun itself. The light is bright--painfully so--and the impact is very much like being thrown into that very star.
And yet, he weathers it. The crimson uniform tears and shreds, the skin beneath bared only to be burnt under the horrible assault. Even the dark Lord has to grit his teeth and will his knees to not buckle, though as time passes, his posture, his hips, it all dips lower, ever lower...until finally, as the glut of chi finally subsides, the /lack/ of force causes him to tip forward, one hand planted on the ground. His cap is gone, revealing the jet-black, slicked hair with many locks now blown far out of place. But he's not dead! He lives, he breathes, and he /seethes/. He also...vanishes. It's easy to see, now, how his form grows transluscent, giving way to a voilet shade that dissipates in the wind. The man's hand reaches out of the very air behind him, the arm following afterward, trying to grab Igniz's head from within the very ether!
COMBATSYS: Igniz blocks Vega's Psycho Vanish.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Igniz 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Vega
Even in his maddened state, Igniz knows better than to underestimate *this* of all opponents. Maybe if it were possible to exert twice this power, he could erase the Lord of Shadaloo from this plane of existence with a sufficiently negligable probability of survival...but persuit of that very power is why is here right now. For all he knows, Vega is just trying to ensure that it *doesn't* fall into the hands of his enemies. It's of little consequence either way. The dictator stands in his way...
[TARGET LOST] Or at least he was standing there.
Immediately following the attack, Igniz sags briefly, the unseen wind animating his robe faltering and the garment hanging limply at his side. It's a moment of weakness, and one best capitulated on. He has little opportunity to absorb the pleasure of seeing the Shadaloo regalia burnt away. Fortunately, he need not spend energy searching for where his target has strayed to, as a proximity warning alerts him to the presence of a threat. Swinging around, he's forced to use his own hands to grapple with the powerful grip of Vega, his countenance grim as they wrestle for supremacy. "You split hairs over methods? Then drink your fill of those reassurances."
Having bought yet more time, his attire begins to animate once more at last, two corners of his robe extending forward into Vega's stomach. "Seek company in the recesses of an alley, where your broken ilk belong."
With those words, Igniz would simply blast Vega right back out of his immediate vicinity.
COMBATSYS: Igniz successfully hits Vega with Divine Arrow - Ground.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Igniz 0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1 Vega
That's the problem with travelling through realms beyond and shifting back into real space. It's difficult to do, even for someone of Vega's incredible power. The control has to be perfect, his concentration impeccable. That leaves little mental capacity to guard against such a wily counterattack, apparently.
As his hand grips Igniz's head, mental energies pour into the godling's mind. It's a grueling experience, how reality can shift and warp so easily, colors melting into senses not meant for sane consumption. And yet, just as the earth and sky begin to meld in a whorling, bubbling mass of screaming fluid...it snaps back into place. Reality once again obeys the laws of Order. For Vega, his time has stopped. Even as he continues to shimmer into existance, he already bears the force of that cloak driving into his flesh, fresh red blood once more flowing. He IS mortal, despite his boasts.
Mortal, but not weak.
The blank, surprised look quickly melts into one of contempt, of pure, unbridled hate. His muscles tense and try to contain that cloak, to keep its owner from running away, much as he did with the whip-strikes earlier. There are no words here; he needs none. There is simply the man and his insurmountable--his PERFECT power! Even if he fails to properly wield it, even if he still has anything to learn, there is no power more potent, more terrifying, than his own Psycho Power.
In an instant, the seemingly mortal man once more gains an aura of psychic might; a thin violet shell encasing him. It's far from the incredible readings of energy before. It's all he can muster...but it had better be enough. Still gripping Igniz's head in his hand, he attempts to encase the NESTS leader with corrosive tortures, a fire that doesn't burn and yet sets every nerve ending aflame...and then the world begins to spin as Vega himself starts rotating. Instead of reaching out into nothingness, he aims to grind the blonde pup before him as far into the earth as he can like a twisting, purple drill.
COMBATSYS: Vega can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Igniz 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Vega successfully hits Igniz with Psycho Crusher.
! VENGEANCE !
[ \\ <
Igniz 0/-------/=======|
Repeatedly depleting his capacitor in his fashion leaves little room for error. Clearing Vega of his proximity was an absolute necessity. The Lord of Shadaloo is an entity who can erode at your strength and will through sheer proximity. Even as blasts of chi emerge from the raiments of Igniz, his opponent refuses to be dislodged from the killzone. Teeth bared in defiance, chaotic trauma flashes through his mind, something that will not fell the mighty will of the God of NESTS by itself, but still interferes with the nervous system integration of his battle suit. Redundancy programs quickly begin taking over, but...
It's enough.
The distraction is long enough for Lord Vega to exert the full bore of the Psycho Crusher against his form. The corners of his robe thrash madly as if alive, desperately attempting to orient in some formation that allows the creation of an effective barrier. But the necessary angles...the additional reserves of energy compensation...the brilliant mind of Igniz, more efficient than any routine designed by his research teams...none of these are available. Those who might watch from the distance would be treated to yet another dazzling light show, Vega's rippling psycho power against crackling forces that would serve to act as force fields.
Eventually both of their powers give out, and Igniz finds himself heaving, backside embedded in the rubble, blonde hair matted with debris, lances of electricity occasionally tracing their way along his form. His tactical link has returned, for what good it does him. His opponent? On the verge of collapse. Himself? On the verge of collapse. The bombers that were on their way when this conflict began? ...Nearly on top of them.
"...Enough."
Stumbling to his feet, what limited capabilities his damaged battle suit has left being used to extract himself from his resting place. "I will not be buried here with you for company." It's irritating to admit to himself that he's having to direct the greater portion of his energy to simply walking at a normal pace now, but he will not be seen to hobble away like a coward. "Even if I do not have all of the pieces that you made off with...it should still be enough for my purposes."
Laughing in spite of his apparent loss, Igniz continues to tread off into the coordinates he had flagged for pickup at. True, he did not accomplish what he set out to do originally, and that is one form of defeat. But he got something that he *hadn't* come for.
That something is data that comes from direct combat with the Lord of Shadaloo.
And the NESTS Cartel...can do many things with data.
COMBATSYS: Igniz takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Igniz can no longer fight. Is this the end of lovable Igniz?
As Igniz starts walking away, there rings in the air a dark, chilling sound. The Shadaloo Lord is chuckling, and even as spent as he is, it still manages to sound so terrible as to incite fright in lesser men. He props himself up on his hands and knees. The embrace of both chi and earth have all but eradicated his uniform, leaving naught but the steel segments and an amazingly resilient scant few strips for modesty's sake. The holes in his midsection continue to leak blood, the fresh pains bringing a sudden halt to that insane mirth, replacing it with an awful, pained groan.
"Perhaps not, but the nightmare has only just begun." NESTS is not the only organization that thrives on data. Sure, Shadaloo may use it differently, but there are...other methods to to use information. Gritting his teeth, he stands upright in the pitted earth. By now, the one or two trucks that actually had bomb fragments on them are hauling ass away from the area as fast as their hearty motors will take them! Vega himself has no way of knowing this, for once; the fight has drained him of far too much power, he can't reach out and feel for who's nearby. His radio transmitter, destroyed in one of the blasts. A hand rests on his chest, putting pressure on a puncture wound. "All of the technology in the world won't help you resist what's coming." He' smade threats like this before, of course. He's sent armies out to try and capture the world...but what use could he possibly have for chi-absorbing fragments when he claims his Psycho Power's superiority?
"And..." Even as he speaks, Vega's form flickers away. He may not be able to teleport far, not right now...but his pride will not let him stumble away either. No, when Vega leaves, it's on /his/ terms. Though the body made fade, the words linger behind him: "You should tell your toys to watch their backs..." The gang war is on!
Log created on 18:59:23 09/05/2010 by Vega, and last modified on 19:28:03 11/19/2010.