Description: Two young fighters return to the scene of their previous battles, a windswept cliff wreathed in black feathers and forgotten memories. Ibuki, champion of the Taizhou tournament, and Alma, survivor of its mastermind's worst excesses, encounter one another unexpectedly, pursuing entirely different goals, only to learn they shared a certain cackling opponent in this place. Whereupon a friendly battle ensues to determine once and for all: who is the greater of these two victorious fighters? Who is the true Queen of Crow Cabin?
Perhaps it was curiousity or a just a desire to prove to herself she wasn't afraid, but Ibuki had found herself back here at the Crow Cabin just wanting to make sure to herself that it was indeed a set for the the Neo League, instead of the creepy haunted place she'd thought it was at first during her match against Adon. The crows still un-nerve her a bit but she figures someone comes out here and feeds them to keep them coming around...right?
The early evening sun definitely adds to the place's atmosphere, the sinister qualities of the place brought out in the half light as though the dying of the light brought the cabin to some sort of terrible life, but that was all in the teenage ninja's head right? Of course, it was silly to think otherwise, there was the ikea table that they'd broken during the match, the fake spider-webs, and the places for the camera...
With a flap of wings and a shrill caw, Ibuki straightens up in surprise then relaxes, "Y-yeah! Totally a fake, hmph don't even know why I bothered coming back." She says a bit shakily at first before she dusts her hands off and starts to head out of the building.
Alma remembers how it used to be.
When he and Adon had dueled viciously atop this cliff's edge before, half of what remained of this old place had been sundered to the ground, torn from its very foundations by the explosive forces at work there. He could tell that some of it has been replaced since then, made slightly more feasible as a battleground -- but as location scouting goes, he's impressed that they went out of their way to find this place. Long ago, it was picked clean of whatever old memories used to haunt this place. Still, as he said to that girl--
~ Meanings fade, and are forgotten, and then arise anew. ~
Smiling softly to himself, his fine features gentle but serious, the Scarred Beauty of Southtown emerges from the shadows of a copse of trees, treading silently up the darkened path that leads to this place, while making no real effort to disguise his presence.
~ Should I be gratified? Should be sad? Or-- ~
Maybe she'll be here again.
~ Should I seize the opportunity? ~
The young man once known as the Radiant Angel knows it is a long shot, but he is compelled to return to this misbegotten cabin for reasons other than the obvious. When he unexpectedly encountered Cammy on this lonesome cliff, the psion's empathy and intuition keyed him into the tainted origin of her stunted aura, of her identity as a Shadaloo agent. A hero who had once fought to change the world in order to save it, humbled forever by the scars his nemesis wreaked upon him, he had hoped to wander freely a moment longer, and assumed that this would be the confrontation that would bring him back onto the world stage. Instead, to his surprise, individual met individual: a man and a woman who, though opponents and even enemies, did not need to seize the moment to do battle for their beliefs.
~ I could keep living like this. ~
To go from person to person, soul to soul.
~ I don't have to shape societies to be myself. ~
The Risen Phoenix's destiny has become only more unclear.
But as he ascends to the edge of the cliffside, taking in that sharp chill breeze, his tailored coat and slacks -- highly unlikely hiking wear, an ex-model's unthinking unwillingness to abandon one's personal style for mere utility -- rippling about his tall, lithe frame, Alma Towazu's second sight detects no other presences. He allows his eyes to flutter close, inhaling deeply. Ah, well. No one here but himself and the ghosts of memories past--
"Mn?"
It's rare that Alma hears what he does not feel.
"Is someone there?"
Is that the flicker of a shadow? But he does not detect a presence. Which means-- despite himself, his body tenses, his eyes narrowing. He only knows of a few with such training. Which means it is either Crimson, or--
"...Did Kagero send you?"
Well, last time's guess was correct.
Stepping out of the Cabin's interior, Ibuki takes a bit of the evening air into her lungs. It was going to be a good night, she had put her fears of the place aside and had plenty of time to get back to civilization, maybe she'd take in a movie yeah that'd be a good plan...
Her initial response to the man's question is just to blink her warm chocolate eyes at him before it registers that he'd asked her a question, "Who?" Is her intelligent reply. She seems to wrack her brain for a moment seeing if she's somewhat familiar with that name...but for the moment she draws a blank. Next she tries to see if she recognizes the man in front of her but again her mind has nothing of import to give her.
Raising her hands and waving them, "Umm, well sorry if I interrupted your thoughts Mister...I'm just going to go now. Maybe watch a movie you know the normal sort of thing. Sorry again." She takes steps backwards as she speaks hoping this winds up just being one of those throw away weird meetings that people have all the time.
Wh-What's with all the villains being cute girls these days?
"Oh, um... no..."
They're not even femme fatales, or anything, more like these innocent-eyed--
"I'm sorry, I thought you might be... someone else."
Alma Towazu reaches up to run a hand through his blond hair, the ruby-tinged tips of his bangs shifting over the burnished-bronze skin of his brow, one of the few parts of his face that were not marred by the burning fallout of the power Seishirou Ryouhara sealed inside him. His disfigurements would be grotesque, all the more so given that clearly, from his bone structure, he was once a very handsome man -- but even in this moment of surprise, he holds himself with the effortless poise and understated elegance of a person with self-possession and charisma that has long extended beyond mere attractiveness. He smiles, a little embarrassed at his mistake -- some psychic he's been lately -- and the result is hardly disturbing.
"Actually--"
But while his words and reaction have been sincere, at the same time his mind's been racing. Not just anyone is trained to naturally disguise their presence, especially not young girls. Doesn't he recognize her face from somewhere? But where? He's never met her before, definitely. So it must be-- and then his clear hazel eyes widen, his brow furrowing in recognition.
"The PDA," he mumurs to himself, and then, louder, "Pardon me, Miss, but weren't you-- a participant in the battles in Taizhou?"
She was in the roster, in the data. He's sure of it.
Relaxing a little as he goes from hostile to merely embarrassed, Ibuki takes a few more steps back, "I don't usually get people doing that, I look unique enough in this get up most people don't confuse me for others." She chuckles slightly as she rubs the back of her head. And while the disfigurement may normally bother people Ibuki neither seems to acknowledge it nor seem even bothered by it. The ninja teen has long been taught that appearances mean little, in the world of the ninja such things can be faked easily enough it is its character that is important. Beneath her mask Ibuki finds herself smiling back at Alma the slight change in her mask fabric's position and the crinkle in her eyes the only clue as to this change.
"Hmm?" Ibuki tilts her head slightly as he begins to question her, "PDA?"
Then he asks about Taizhou and her eyes widen slightly, "I...yes I was there." She pauses for a moment before trying to recall the details from her own PDA but she never met him during the fight, and she didn't really study anyone she wasn't immediately going to face she counters, "I'm guessing you were there as well?"
She warily slips her hand closer to were she keeps Shiraha hidden, should this turn ugly.
Alma nods in acknowledgement, lifting his hand to rub his chin as he notes the-- unique composition of her outfit. "I see what you mean," he murmurs mildly, without further comment or insinuation. He's not certain what the utility of bared hips are, but as a fashion statement, he's impressed.
At least his second guess is better than his first. Rose-sensei wouldn't be pleased to hear his psychic intuitions have decayed so utterly during his travels. The tall young man lowers his hand to slip in to his pocket, his body relaxing as he continues to regard this unusual girl. "Yes, that's right," he affirms, inclining his head as well, even as his eyes never leave her own. "I was not an-- official entrant in the tournament, but I participated for my own reasons. I did my part to help end the ambitions of the man who designed that diabolical tournament." She's not Kagero; she'll hardly hate him for that. Even if she did, he'd rather know now than later. Beyond that-- enough said.
"I wonder why this place seems to attract strong fighters," he says, his smile returning, widening. Clearly, this is just a chance encounter. It's nice to see another participant of Jinchuu has survived to live well, though. "The last time I was here, I encountered a minion of Vega who called herself 'Cammy'. The time before that, I defeated that Adon character again..." With that, his shoulders slump slightly, the otherwise self-possessed fighter adopting an unusually wry expression. "...not for the last time, I am sure." That guy never gives up. He's probably off plotting somewhere even now.
"I'm sorry," he says suddenly, after having momentarily drifted off into that brief reverie of whatever is the opposite of nostalgia. "I failed to introduce myself." Given that they remain several paces apart still, he simply raises a hand in greeting. "I'm Alma Towazu, professional martial artist and vice president of the Young Fighters' Community Center. An honor to meet you, Miss...?"
Nodding slowly in reply, Ibuki keeps her eyes locked on Alma's not letting herself look away even for a moment least he should spring forward and attack. Well at least until she finds out that he doesn't seem to have anything against her from during the tournament like that Tenma jerk did, it's not her fault she was the better fighter. Her expression sours for a moment while thinking about him, then returns to a more neutral position.
She listens quietly as he explains why he was involved in the tournament and the fact he wanted to end it, now she relaxes a bit more her hand moving away from Shiraha, "Yeah it got pretty crazy didn't it? I'm not entirely certain that they weren't trying to kill us with some of those matches or with that Katsuten thing." She shakes her head for a moment. Her gaze flicking to Alma again at the mention of Cammy as that was a name she'd heard very recently herself, "A minion of Vega huh?" She's heard of the tyrant but is only vaguely aware of his reputation only recently joining the fighter community at large and having no direct interaction with him as of yet.
Then he mentions Adon and she suddenly chuckles, "That's somewhat ironic, in my last Neo League match, I fought against Adon at this very spot and managed to beat him as well." She pauses, "So he's the vindictive sort hmm? That's gonna suck but not all that surprising given his personality while we fought. At least you don't have to worry about him plotting against you in the near future, he's probably somewhere recovering."
The ninja girl grins beneath her mask again and folds her hands behind her back, "Ibuki, Ninja Trainee." She says simply, "It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Towazu, I apologize again for surprising you like that. I was merely checking the place out after noticing some stuff here during my match with Adon." She isn't going to admit that the place had creeped her out.
Well, that's impressive.
"You must be a skilled warrior indeed, Ms. Ibuki," the phoenix says judiciously, inclining his head respectfully, his ruby-tinged eyebrows lifted, "to overcome a man such as Adon. Despite his cruelty and insecurities, I know he can be a formidable foe." His smile widens into a speculative grin, and once again he reaches up to rub his chin. All uncertainty or suspicion has faded smoothly and utterly from the psychic's face and mind, the subdued Hiten-Ryu scion regarding his fellow Jinchuu competitor with genial warmth. "And, of course, you survived Taizhou intact, which is no ordinary feat."
He can't exactly say the same for himself.
"Well--"
Even in Japan, his travels continue. What did he expect?
"I hesitate to waste your time, but--"
Even here, he can continue to pursue the answer he seeks.
"It's a rare and fortunate encounter, stumbling across a warrior of your caliber." So he's flattering her just a little. It's not insincere; she must be powerful, though he can't gauge the strength of a ninja's fighting spirit by his usual aura-reading means. But an ex-idol does have some small experience persuading teenage girls. "Would you do me the honor of a duel, here?" His smile returns, though his eyes are serious. "My memories of other battles here are much darker."
He extends a hand, as though to offer or to beckon.
"Your contribution would be much appreciated."
Now that's a line he hasn't had a chance to use in a while.
His smile expands into a grin. Yeah, he'll return to the YFCC soon.
Just a little bit more.
"According to my teachers I still have a long ways to go." Ibuki admits humbly in response to Alma's flattery, "It was a very close fight, and could've gone either way." It appears she's very honest about her abilities and skills. She waves her hands obviously getting a bit embarrassed by all the flattery, "It...it was all the training my teachers gave me that let me walk away unharmed."
As she's about to continue denying her skill level, Alma challenges her. She stands there a little stunned by that fact, then she slowly nods, "If you're sure about this then, I'll be more than willing to fight you..." She pauses for a moment, "But my fighting style can be a bit rough and I don't hold back, I just want you to know that before we fight."
With that warning given out she adopts a fighting stance, "If that's fine with you, let's begin!" Her voice cheerful and suddenly confident.
COMBATSYS: Ibuki has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Ibuki 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Ibuki equips Wood Miraiin.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/-------|
"Of course."
Alma's smile grows gentle again, his eyes softening once more. He's used to instinctively getting hints at a person's attitude via his aura sense, but it doesn't take an empath to see that Ibuki is fundamentally a nice girl. It's rare for a person to come so far and maintain a personality like that. The phoenix is impressed, in his way, particularly by her humility.
"I would never ask you to hold back."
Seeing how her confidence grows as soon as the fight is about to begin, Alma's smile mostly fades, supplanted by a focused if not unkind gaze. He cannot read her in the usual way, but by now he is experienced with this style of fighting too; if anything, he is all the more inspired to push himself to the limit. Besides-- if he ever meets Ms. Blanctorche, or Ash Crimson, again--
"So please, Ms. Ibuki, do your best."
He'll need to be as strong as he can be.r Even now, when seeking the answer to new questions--
~ Heh... some things never change. ~
Alma Towazu looks to the future, where his dreams will be realized.
His stance shifts subtly, his subtle movements adopting the slightest rhythm. At rest, his motion is minimized. But the spiritualist reaches out for the flow of battle, for what the tempo of his fight will be. This girl-- what will arise when their souls clash?
The Radiant Angel yearns to know.
COMBATSYS: Alma has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Alma
Ibuki nods once then her bare feet propel her forward with surprising speed, it seems she's going straight into the fight. As she closes the distance she snaps her leg up as though to kick at Alma's face but instead she pulls the leg out of the way to through a fist towards the ex-idol's gut.
COMBATSYS: Alma blocks Ibuki's Medium Punch.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Alma
Moving swiftly, Alma steps back to allow Ibuki to advance, careful of his distance to the cliff, and sways his head back in an initial dodge for what turns out to be a feint kick -- a mistake he would never make could he detect the surge of her violent intent -- but, because he has given himself more room, remains able to snap his arm up to neatly parry the ninja girl's opening punch with his right forearm. His right hand then snaps open, and sparks fly as the white fire of his Soul Power manifests, bursts immediately from his fist like a bird set free. That swirling dart of concentrated energy seeks to slam against Ibuki's body and drive her back so that Alma can step in, the psychic energy hammering as much against her will to fight as her physical form, to shift the momentum of battle.
COMBATSYS: Alma successfully hits Ibuki with Sacred Wave.
Glancing Blow
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Alma
Ibuki tsks under her breath that her fist was easily deflected away from its target. Then she finds herself exposed to a sudden energy based attack that comes screaming at her chest, she contorts her body as she's over balanced from the feint kick she can't quite manage to evade the attack but she does manage to let most of the attack slip past her, "That was close..." She mutters then grins, "Here we go!" She springs upwards with impressive strength and tries to bring her feet down on Alma's head before she bounds away to create a bit more space for the moment, should she manage to hit home that is.
COMBATSYS: Alma dodges Ibuki's Hien.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Alma
Perhaps Alma's intuition works in ways even he does not fathom -- or perhaps his experience in battle truly has taken him to another level. Whatever the reason, the striking psychic is one step ahead. Though Ibuki survived the majority of his blast unscathed, she has given the time he needs to seize the moment and gauge his action well. The very moment she leaps, he is dashing /forward/, toward where she stood; when she brings her feet down, she is a second too late, and he is behind her, having moved past where she lands. "Ha!" Seeking to act before she can spring away, the tall Hiten-Ryu fighter grunts with exertion and attacks even as he turns, snapping out to tag the back of her knee with a short kick before blurring into a swift series of punches, driving into her back and side. Faint afterimages are left in his wake, vestiges of the Soul Power that illuminates his mind and spirit.
COMBATSYS: Ibuki parries Alma's Spring Shower!
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Alma
%Well her plan to gain distance didn't exactly work like she'd hoped. Ibuki finds her landing to be a tad bit harder than she'd have liked but she's prepared herself for the counter attack she figures is coming, if she'd perfectly dodged an attack like that then she surely would've prepared to take advantage of the situation and launched a nast follow up while her opponent was off balance and it seems he's done just that. Standing straight and tall she allows Alma's kick to pass right past her leg as she raises it above then she spring upwards as the flurry of blows wiff through where she was a split second before, now it is her turn to counter..."Here we go!" She roars as she pumps chi into her legs, now that she's behind him, she whirls around to launch a roundhouse kick then another and another, whirling faster and faster leaving streams of blue white chi in the wake of each kick.
COMBATSYS: Alma interrupts Tsumuji EX from Ibuki with Divine Intervention EX.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Alma
Alma can't help but be impressed by the alacrity with which Ibuki avoids his 'surprise attack', his eyebrows lifting as his blurring punches meet nothing but air. Naturally, a trained ninja is more than able to escape his assault -- but though her evasion is particularly precise, still she's sacrificed some swiftness by focusing on evading his storm of blows, and the Risen Phoenix remains grounded and poised to intercept her counter-attack. Though she's switched places with him in response, he doesn't need to look to know where she is; that sudden surge of chi she emits cannot be disguised. "Uraah!" He spins and with a single motion deflects the first kick, knocking the second roundhouse blow askew and allowing him to open her up halfway through her combination for a sudden blast of piercing light, a beam that emerges from his open hand to cut through her defenses and fling her away. He exhales, eyes fluttering as the sudden drain of psychic energy forces him to take a moment to regain his focus. Still-- even without his aura sight, he now knows, he has certain advantages he can continue to leverage.
This was not going how she'd hoped at all, Ibuki finds her attacks blocked, dodged, and otherwise countered at every single turn. She grits her teeth and focuses on the task at hand, as she is flung awa by the beam she uses the momentum to swing herself around smashing into the ground she rolls with the impact, springs back up and instantly rushes back towards Alma at full speed, he seemed dead set on knocking her away which made her desire to be close in. She suddenly drops as though she fell over but continues to slide...should he not think quickly she'll slip through his legs, stand up, wrap her arms around his neck, and give a vicious twist. Though it seems this killing move against most trained fighters is a nasty inconvenience.
COMBATSYS: Alma fails to interrupt Kubiori from Ibuki with Blaze of Glory EX.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Alma
Alma intended only to compensate for his opponent's tremendous speed by controlling carefully the distance between them, but his ability reaches his limit as Ibuki soon becomes aware of his basic strategy. His hand ignites with foreboding power, the scarred beauty's eyes gleaming with purpose as he steps in, that surge of flame aiming to once again catch Ibuki as she plunges forward. But she is simply too swift. "Huh--?" The psychic hero is startled to find the nimble girl slipping between his legs and wrapping her arms about his neck, and his eyes widen in surprise to find her behind him once more -- reversing positions yet again -- and pressing against his back. "Urgh--!" Forced to twist with her movement lest his neck be seriously injured, the flames about his hand extinguishing in his hesitation, Alma is flung to the ground, and he swiftly rolls again to his feet, shaking his head to clear it.
Ibuki finally finds some leverage against this guy so to speak, he was a tough nut to crack that was for sure, there was a terrifying moment where she thought that he was going to unleash that weird energy on her again and she was going to be sent flying for a second time, but she cleared that hurdle once she slipped past his defenses. As he twists with her attack and rolls away, she follows closely on his heels reaching out to try and grip his clothing, she attempts to slam her hip into his, flip him over her, and bring him back to the earth with a large amount of force.
COMBATSYS: Ibuki successfully hits Alma with Power Throw.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Alma
Alma rises only to find that the slippery girl is upon him once again; still in a crouch, pursued and caught before he could finish recovering, he raises his arms instinctively to guard, but it is too no avail against her grappling attempt. Despite her small stature, she is able to use his weight against him and unbalance the taller fighter, lifting one of his feet off the ground as her hip collides with his and then flipping him to the ground, where the Radiant Angel lands with another resounding grunt. Finding that the momentum of battle has turned against him, the young phoenix rises to the occasion, surging to his feet with renewed strength, his eyes gleaming once more with the unwillingness to relent. He shouldn't be surprised that this swift girl is pushing him to his limits, but unless he is able to control the timing of this fight, he won't be able to overcome her speed. "You move well, Ms. Ibuki!" But his compliment is just as much a battle cry; even as he's getting up, he thrusts out with a hand blazing with a lance of Soul Power, a penetrating stab against her fighting spirit to just maybe flag her indefatigable offense.
COMBATSYS: Alma successfully hits Ibuki with Self Expression.
Grazing Hit
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Ibuki [E] 1/------=/=======|=======\==-----\1 Alma
Ibuki finds the fact that she slams him into the ground rather satisfactory for that move and then he compliments her on her ability to move as he launches another of those weird energy attacks at her, she can tell it's not chi as it feels nothing like that at all, but it has some similarities she feels the energy stabbing into her but slowly spins with the attack from its point of impact, windmilling around to continue closing the distance with Alma, "You're still hitting me fairly often Mr. Towazu, despite my best efforts." As she speaks her right hand is surrounded by a blue glow, she launches it forward in attempt to drive it into his ribs, where if it strikes she'll unleash a spike of chi into his chest then explosively releasing the energy to send him flying.
COMBATSYS: Alma blocks Ibuki's Raida.
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Ibuki [E] 1/------=/=======|=======\===----\1 Alma
Alma grins despite his injuries and fatigue as the slip of a girl drives toward him again, once again his attack only glancing off her. Still, he doesn't contradict her own compliment; he knows that the mere fact he's able to touch her is an achievement of his own, and has no doubts about how skilled his adversary is at evasion. The striking psychic is clearly thrilling at the opportunity to face this unexpectedly fierce opponent, and even though he cannot read her intent, he is certain he can feel her sharing his sentiments, and feels the clash of their wills inspire him to yet greater heights. No matter his destiny, no matter his path, these moments will always fulfill him, remind him of who he is, no matter where he belongs. "How could I hold back?" he asks rhetorically as he twists against her, deflecting the full force of that burst and digging in his polished dress shoes, sinking back to absorb the force of her strike to avoid being flung away. Immediately he responds by weaving back, stepping out to tag her knee with a short kick before snapping out with two swift punches and a sweep kick in swift succession, all the while seeking to maintain his carefully poised stance.
COMBATSYS: Alma successfully hits Ibuki with Combo Attack.
> Determined Hit! <
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Ibuki [E] 1/---====/=======|=======\====---\1 Alma
Ibuki is disappointed that her Raida failed to penetrate his defenses but she takes it in stride, this fight wasn't over yet, she grins underneath her mask enjoying the fight despite not normally enthused about using her ninja training, but he was pushing her limits far more than she'd like to admit. Then her knee is struck and she tries to spring back but it's too quick as she takes a hit to the face then a kick to gut she almost doubles over after that last hit but manages to keep her shaky legs, "Good...I don't like it when people hold back on me." With that her eyes blaze and she focuses on Alma and his movements, adopting a similar stance to the one he just blocked, a much larger ball of energy wrapped around her hand this time, "TORA!!!!" She roars as she tries to grip his clothes so he can't escape while slamming the other hand into his ribs, should she succeed in this the very air will tinge blue white as her chi explodes around them and then be compacted down into explosive force throughout Alma's body...but he'd avoided most of her attacks so far.
COMBATSYS: Ibuki successfully hits Alma with Yoroi Doushi.
- Power hit! -
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/-------|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Alma
So much for his expensive clothes. Alma believes himself to be prepared for the swiftness of Ibuki's strikes, but she rebounds with incredible tenacity, cutting in hard to grasp his front and slam a powerful burst of energy into his ribs. He sags from the force of the blow, his breath leaving him in a sudden burst, his eyes widening as the girl knocks the wind out of him. Then her power erupts all at once, flinging him to the ground and tearing his tailored jacket apart, his fine dress shirt underneath partly shredded with the raw force of that blow. "Didn't see... that coming..." he murmurs to himself, stating the obvious as Alma, despite his injuries, rises to his feet again, the resolute young man as determined as his young opponent. It doesn't stop him from taking a moment to regard with obvious regret -- or, more strangely, a kind of sympathy -- at his damaged outfit; his jacket has already fallen away. "Ah... I liked this shirt." Without thinking much of it -- he used to be a model, after all, he's used to states of undress -- Alma tears away the tattered remnants of his top so they do not impede his movements, revealing the Seal of the Ryouhara Ninja Clan permanently scalded upon his chest, in case any still did not know who had burned him so.
"Now then--"
Unpreturbed by either pain or his current state, Alma Towazu, soul surging with energy, eyes flashing with purpose, suddenly flashes forward, literally flickering through the air, making his movements almost impossible to read, before stabbing out with fingertips ablaze with light. If he makes any physical contact, he will send the fullness of his being manifested as a mental assault against the girl's strong will, aiming to crush it once and for all and end this confrontation.
COMBATSYS: Ibuki blocks Alma's Absolution.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Alma
"Perhaps wearing clothes you like isn't a good idea when you challenge someone." Ibuki says a tad playfully as Alma takes it off, while her training prevents her from doing so, the teenage girl in her totally wants to blush and watch this more, though her eyes instantly go to the Ryouhara Ninja seal on his chest. She vaguely wonders at it but doesn't comment. Then he's coming at her fast and hard she widens her eyes trying to follow his moves but she can't quite do it. But as he launches his attack at her she knocks his hand away with her wrist guard, which protects her from a great deal of the force of Alma's mental assault on her, her own will more than handling the rest so that she barely keeps standing, "That...hurt..." She flips back shaking her head as she gathers her wits and breath after that last attack.
COMBATSYS: Ibuki gains composure.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Alma
"Fair enough," Alma murmurs in response, the older youth smiling slightly, clearly not holding her responsible for the unfortunate collateral damage. "But how was I to know?" He's half-joking; as a psychic, he of anyone would be most poised to anticipate such a consequence. Nevertheless, the ex-model is clearly perfectly comfortable in just slacks, seeing as he does not hesitate to drive that powerful blast of Soul Power home against the ninja girl. Though he cannot read her aura, still he can sense that she partially deflected his attack, and by instinct he plunges further in as she retreats. "Forgive me," he announces breathlessly, even as he unabashedly closes in as swiftly as he can, seeking to give her no time at all to catch her breath, and lashes out with a kick wreathed in white flame, "but we are, after all, not holding back!" With all his might he seeks to drive that kick against her midsection and then spin into a series of two rising follow-up kicks, lifting them both off the ground, the phoenix rising like his namesake. Can he catch the nimble girl and crush her defenses once and for all?
COMBATSYS: Ibuki dodges Alma's Rising Fury.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Alma
The girl uses this time to catch her breath completely she stares at Alma as he talks listening and at the same time watching the little motions in his muscles for when he is ready to strike at her, so that she'll be ready for it, as he asks her to forgive him she's already moving towards him as she leaps over the first kick she then grabs onto his leg with her toes and vaults over his head to relative safety where she turns to look back at him with a grin hidden by her mask, "No need for forgiveness Mr. Towazu, no harm done." She winks then she adopts a fighting stance and begins to focus her mind on a risky possiblity as she pulls forth a number of Kunai and charges one of them with her chi, "I'm not going to hold out either!" She yells as she rushes forward and tries an powerful slash at the man across from her with one of the blades!
COMBATSYS: Alma blocks Ibuki's Aggressive Strike.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Alma
"Ugh--" Alma winces slightly in resignation -- he should have known better than to think he could catch this ninja unawares -- as she nimbly escapes his aggressive assault, gauging his attack well and vaulting over him. And indeed, she doesn't hold back in the slightest, rushing at him with blades drawn. "Ha..." The young leader of the YFCC gets a funny smile on his face as the masked girl winks at him, flattered as much by her friendly good humor as her willingness to go all-out against him. But whether this is sincere or its own subtle manipulation, the ex-idol does not allow himself to be distracted. This has not been the first time Alma has faced a kunai, and likely it will not be the last: the Scarred Beauty of Southtown is not fazed, deflecting the charged blade as best he can without injuring himself too badly, the knife-like weapon slicing slightly across his chest but failing to take the courageous phoenix down. "Ha!" Doing his best to once again regain control of the distance between them, he emits a burst of light once more from the hand with which he blocked, seeking to catch her before she can retreat as he himself creating some space between them. If he impacts straight on, his dart of Soul Power may be able to catch her right under the chin.
COMBATSYS: Alma successfully hits Ibuki with Sacred Wave.
Glancing Blow
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Alma
Ibuki has not had an easy time of it, her attack deflected once more and she's feeling the effects of being hit hard again and again, which is catching up to her she stares at Alma as he tries to impale her again on that strange energy of his her eyes almost glowing from her determination she stands her ground and at the last second spins out of the way the energy dart tearing a hole in her mask, which she pulls down revealing her features completely, the wide grin on her lips practically screaming...I'm going to win!!! Her eyes having been tracking Alma for a while now she sets her stance she's not fully ready to strike just yet but soon she will be.
COMBATSYS: Ibuki focuses on her next action.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Alma
Alma's eyes widen as the girl pulls her mask away, revealing, even though he's noticed her good cheer, hardly the kind of expression he expected. Despite himself he grins in return, further inspired by the other girl's determination to be victorious. There's no way he can hold back against an opponent like this. Though she is calculating her next move, and may be poised to strike, still the incandescent passion that burns within him demands that he express it. Through sheer force of will, the striking psychic's fatigue melts away, his movements resuming the fresh precision they possessed at the beginning of this confrontation, and he plunges in at full bore, lashing out with all possible haste in another flurry of swift jabs, those afterimages he leaves in his wakes helping to confuse and disguse the true nature of his assault, giving him a further edge in seeking to penetrate Ibuki's defenses.
COMBATSYS: Alma successfully hits Ibuki with Spring Shower.
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Ibuki [E] 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Alma
Ibuki's focus is rather keen but instead of his muscle movements she was paying attention to the way his body moved in response to her fighting stance, so that her next strike would be sure to land home, and it's due to this that his attack catches her completely by surprise she lets out a pained, "Agh!" She knows her body has had it and she can feel her consciousness fading fast but her will demands she go all out even in defeat, "Ahhh!!!" She rights herself in mid air chi swirling around her suddenly as her eyes focus one last time on him, "One last go!!!" She roars pulling a kunai and hurling it at Alma's shadow hoping to pin him in place with her chi then mulitplying her speed so much that there appears to be four of her as she rushes from every single angle to assault him and perhaps at least snatch a little victory by knocking him down as well!
COMBATSYS: Ibuki can no longer fight.
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Alma 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Alma blocks Ibuki's Yami Shigure.
[ \\\\ <
Alma 0/-------/----===|
"Wh--!" Alma has never encountered a technique like this before. His very shadow is pinned to the ground, immobilizing him. The Scarred Beauty's eyes flutter in surprise once more -- as they have, so unusually, many times this battle -- before he turns to realize that in a final burst his adversary has rallied to attack him from all sides. Taking a deep breath, Alma steadies his spirit and prepares himself for the last clash, his heart going quiet and mind going clear. Unable to move, still his arms sweep about to deflect the assaults of her clones. Three of them he knocks askew, but the fourth knocks him to his knees. "Urgh..." Slumping, the phoenix shakes his head wearily, seemingly pushed to his very limits by the determined ninja girl...
COMBATSYS: Alma takes no action.
[ \\ <
Alma 0/-------/----===|
But with a surge of raw passion, his eyes flaring and shining with light, Alma, seemingly restored all at once, is driven back to his feet. Several moments pass as he stands alone, but he does not seem to waver. Through sheer resolve, he has continued to stand. "I... I did it," he murmurs to himself, before smiling gently and running his hand through his hair. "You're very skilled, Ms. Ibuki," the shirtless ex-model remarks softly, sounding completely exhausted but highly satisfied. "That was close."
COMBATSYS: Alma has ended the fight here.
Log created on 19:02:20 11/07/2010 by Alma, and last modified on 01:08:45 11/08/2010.