Description: It's the mountain versus the wind in this surprisingly long Neo League battle at Oxford University. (Draw Match)
Maki arrives from elsewhere.
Welcome to England, or the United Kingdom if you will. Either way, England is known for many attractions and scenic places to visit, no matter where you're going. Here we have a case of a fighting spot at the Radcliffe Science Library, a place where the Neo League has chosen another one of their matches to be hosted.
One of the fighters happens to be the Metro City heroine Maki Genryusai, who is a well known name on the Neo League circuit. Maki enters to the cheers of the crowd and begins to warm up a little, getting herself ready for yet another exciting Neo League fight.
Rock arrives from elsewhere.
While the Japanese side of his ancestry often gets a workout, Frei doesn't usually have time or opportunity to reflect on his British roots... though in reality, his 'British' father was the London-born son of a French expatriate father and an Irishwoman, which explains how the red hair and the last name 'Renard' are, as it were, 'British.' Thus when the Neo League mentioned they had a fighter who could use an opponent and Britain was to be the venue, Frei decided to go despite the various interests pulling him in different directions at the moment. A need to train, a desire to keep watch over various... forces. If you can't take time for this, what can you?
Of course, he got distracted. It's OXFORD. How could you not wander around? Of course, all things considered, among the students and the rather stately buildings, someone in jeans and a Chinese shirt with a wooden sword slung over his shoulder cuts a very strange figure indeed, especially when the freckles and red hair don't match the clothing. Thus when he enters the Library from the ground floor, there are people craning heads around and looking at the either oblivious or unperturbed Frei, who is directed by a stranger to the cordoned-off Neo League area, where Maki is already warming up, it looks like.
"Ey there," he says, genially, twirling the bokken around and slipping it through his back belt loops, a sort of impromptu scabbard. Maki gets a smile, and Frei taps the tip of his sneakers on the ground one or twice before nodding at his opponent. "Nice day for it, by British standards, I guess. Shall we?"
No sooner has Maki finished her warm-up, then she gets the word from Frei. She turns to face him, and then a slight smirk forms on her face. "I've never been to England really, so honestly, I can't testify. But I can tell you that I am ready for our fight." She adjusts her tonfa slightly, and then gets into her fighting stance.
"I'm gonna warn you, though, that I'm not in the mood for any pulled punches today!" Maki adds, her smirk disappearing. "I want a good fight today!"
COMBATSYS: Maki has started a fight here.
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Maki 0/-------/-------|
"You know, surprisingly, my dad was British..." Frei starts, and finds himself thinking about his father for the first time in a while. Dana Renard was also freckled, red-haired, and smiled more than he frowned; as Frei himself heard from his mother's own mouth, it was his resemblence to his now-deceased father that made it difficult for his grieving mother to deal with him as a child. Clearing his throat -- and pushing those memories aside for the moment -- Frei smiles absently at Maki. "But I haven't been here many times myself. To be honest, it might be a little too grey and overcoast for my taste."
And then the blonde indicates she's ready to fight and in the mood for a challenge. Frei doesn't know Maki terribly well, but the Genryuusai ninja is certainly a common sight in the mass media when it comes to the fighting world, so he knows OF her... for a moment, he tilts his head to the side and looks at Maki appraisingly for a moment, as if trying to remember something, which indeed he is... maybe they've been in the ring together before? Hmmm. Must have been a long time ago, if they were.
"I wouldn't insult you by holding back," he says, to reassure her, before dropping into a fighting stance himself. Hmmm... well. The best way to do it is just to dive in and get going, Frei presumes, and so once it's clear Maki's not distracted by pre-fight thoughts, he takes the initiative, driving forward and thrusting an open-palmed punch at Maki's stomach, his hand suddenly ablaze with swirls of scarlet flame. "Hyah!"
COMBATSYS: Frei has joined the fight here.
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Frei 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Maki
COMBATSYS: Maki dodges Frei's Fierce Punch.
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Frei 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Maki
"Honestly, I hate it when people hold back on me. They don't realize that even though I'm a girl, I'm still capable of holding my own in a fight!" Maki replies, carefully adjusting her tonfa into a defensive stance. She prepares to defend the incoming attack, but then gets a better idea.
The punch looks tough, but Maki is able to see it coming from a mile away literally. She narrows her eyes and crouches down swiftly, avoiding it completely. But that's not the only thing she does. As soon as the punch is completed, Maki attempts to come back up quickly, grab the outstretched arm, and throw Frei to the ground.
COMBATSYS: Frei endures Maki's Quick Throw.
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Frei 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Maki
Well. At close range, there's not a lot you can do when it comes to grappling... but thankfully, Frei's built tough enough that a few hits or two aren't such a terrible thing if they can help him *stay* in close, where he can retaliate quickly. Maki is quick and has good reaction time; Frei has decent reflexes, but isn't particularly speedy, so trying to get away from Maki when she makes a grab for him doesn't even enter his thoughts. Instead, he goes with his gut, tries to relax, and lets her take hold.
There's a loud *WHAM!* and a slight cloud of dust as Frei drops to the library floor... but he doesn't stay there long. In fact, the second Maki lets go of his arm, Frei tucks and rolls backwards a foot or two, then surges to his feet with his hand already on the hilt of that wooden sword in his belt loops. With a swift drawing motion, the redhead slices the wooden weapon through the air between himself and Maki in a parabolic arc, a glittering trail of silver-gold light in the air arising in the path of the strike. If it hits, there's a brief sound like a struck tuning fork.
"Nobody raised by a mother like mine would ever underestimate someone based on gender," Frei says conversationally, as he makes the attack.
COMBATSYS: Maki blocks Frei's Houken.
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Frei 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Maki
"Perhaps I should meet your mother sometime?" Maki says half-sarcastically as she brings her tonfa up perpendicular to her, ready to absorb the incoming strike. When it does come down, Maki raises her tonfa slightly to deflect Frei and the attack away from her. She does stumble a little, but doesn't falter really. Instead, she simply shakes it off and looks at Frei. "I guess I can say that you're going to put up a good fight for me then." Maki says, offering a slight smirk again.
Maki then fakes to the right and then goes left, before attempting to come in quickly with a swift jab.
COMBATSYS: Frei interrupts Weapon Jab from Maki with Quick Punch.
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Frei 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Maki
There's a sort of dull slapping sound as Maki makes a quick, seemingly unavoidable strike with her own weapon, but Frei's free hand suddenly comes up and effectively (if inelegantly) slaps it aside at the last second. This is not a defense without cost; he winces a bit as the impact rings through his wrist and forearm, but the result is far less troublesome than if he'd just let her smack him in the jaw, for example. Meanwhile, his 'sword arm' -- blade held backward and away from Frei's opponent -- comes up, fist shimmering with that same silver-gold energy that surrounded his blade just moments before and using that brief opening to pop Maki one in the jaw herself. Tit for tat, it looks like, to the spectators hovering around the cordon, watching the battle go on.
The wooden sword twirls in the air a moment before Frei slips it back into place, taking a few steps back from Maki... and shaking out both hands, like a certain secret agent boxer lady might. "Uh, well. I wouldn't say she's the type for unexpected guests or anything..." Frei responds, scratching his cheek for a moment in either embarassment or distraction. "But she knows how to use a sword. I mean, really really knows."
"Owww!" Apparently, Maki's a bit sensitive on her jaw, and it shows as she staggers backward, her free hand coming up to hold her jaw in pain. She rubs it a few times before looking to Frei, her smirk now replaced with a sarcastic look. "I never said I intended to drop in unannounced... or that I intended to see her at all!" She shakes her head at that comment. "Then again, I didn't see that one coming from you either, so I suppose it's just as well."
As soon as Maki finishes speaking, she stares directly at Frei while adjusting her tonfa briefly. She doesn't break her stare in the least bit.
COMBATSYS: Maki focuses on her next action.
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Frei 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Maki
There have been people who've wondered if there's a mass murderer somewhere inside Frei's head. The reason may be because he has the ability to smile pleasantly under the most ridiculous of circumstances, which contributes to him being effectively impossible to stare down. After all, once you've looked the likes of Sagat or Igniz in the face and smiled at them, you can pretty much feel like you're flying in any other situation. Thus Maki's intent gaze on gets a smile back from Frei. He certainly seems to take it easy. "Just giving you fair warning, if you do," is his reply.
Actually a little glad for a break in the rapid back and forth of the fight's beginning, he slowly breathes out, pushing his hands out in front of him with his palms facing outward, and then pulls them back in, closing his eyes during all of this and opening them once his hands are back in ready position. The air around him livens a bit; pages of nearby books flutter in an unseen wind as the chi sage centers himself, drawing on the ambient chi around him and steeling himself for the battle to come.
COMBATSYS: Frei gathers his will.
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Frei 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Maki
"You're a skilled fighter, taking the time to utilize your inner power," Maki comments as she watches Frei carefully. "But the question remains, are you skilled enough to use it efficiently?" She smiles a little as she approaches Frei, but then stops abruptly, almost like she's thinking about something else.
Without missing a beat, Maki jumps onto a nearby object and propels herself off of it... and directly at Frei, with her foot outstretched in a very intense looking jump kick!
COMBATSYS: Maki successfully hits Frei with Hassou Kyaku.
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Frei 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Maki
Well.
On the one hand, Maki lands a clean hit on her opponent, her kick slamming into Frei's FACE as she flies past him to deliver it. There's no doubt about it; she really did tag him good, despite his attempt to push the kick gently aside. However, the disconcerting thing is that, all told, it doesn't actually appear to bother him that much. Sure, he felt it -- and with a jaw hit, he'll feel it tomorrow, too -- but once Maki is past him and the attack is done, he doesn't fall over or stumble; he brings up a hand and rubs his jaw, squinting a little, before turning to the blonde with a shrug. "Not to sound arrogant, but... yes, I think I do."
"Allow me to show you."
There's a moment while Frei holds his hand in front of him, palm up and out, glowing with a bright white light. He then sweeps his hand down, palm toward the ground, as seven orbs of light materialize around Maki and sink into the ground... before he then raises his hand again and clenches it into a fist, causing seven pillars of pure white light to erupt from the ground, looking to consume Maki in a burst of blinding radiance.
COMBATSYS: Maki dodges Frei's Hokuto Rekkoudan.
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Frei 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Maki
"I trust you on that," Maki comments as she watches Frei prepare his attack. In fact, it looks like Frei has a good grasp of his chi as the light orbs start to form. It looks like a solid attack, but Maki isn't sticking around to see what it is. She takes a quick step and then somersaults out of the way. When the pillars shoot up, Maki brushes her hair aside with a smirk.
"Sorry, but that's not going to do much good against me if you can't hit me!" Maki says. "Let me show you how it's done instead." As the last words are spoken, Maki's already rushing towards Frei, and then drops down and starts spinning around on the tip of her tonfa with her leg outstretched, literally becoming a human whirlwind!
COMBATSYS: Frei blocks Maki's Bushin Senpuu Kyaku.
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Frei 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Maki
Now this time is something quite different. That she could evade that attack is impressive, but Frei doesn't let his guard down; when the spinning kick comes, Frei interposes a forearm in front of the first blow and himself, then pushes himself back so that the remainder pass harmlessly by. That first strike stings, of course, but again: better than nothing. He doesn't seem perturbed by missing, at least; he's still wearing that pleasant-enough smile. "I'm not much of one for trash talk. I like to keep it to things about myself and leave it at that."
But he also doesn't want to waste the chance to counterattack, himself, either; he snaps a hand forward, hopefully before Maki can retreat, and attempts to wrap it around her extended kicking leg. If Frei can get that grip, he suddenly 'pops' Maki up in the air, effectively tossing her straight upward, before he then heaves his whole body forward, looking to grab the girl before she can come all the way down with both hands and then accelerate her trip down to the ground, both with a throw... and a wave of crushing force that accompanies it from above.
COMBATSYS: Maki dodges Frei's Strong Throw.
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Frei 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Maki
Nice try, but no cigars. Maki's too quick for that. She rolls away before Frei can even have a chance at grabbing her leg. Not to mention, she suspects he'd try making a comment about her legs as well. But that's not the point here.
As soon as Maki lands on the ground, she looks to Frei and shakes her head. "It'd seem I have the upper hand right now, but that can easily change. Not like I'm gonna let that happen," Maki comments as she leaps into the air and attempts to deliver a harsh flying kick.
COMBATSYS: Frei fails to interrupt Strong Kick from Maki with Reiki.
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Frei 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Maki
Hm. Maki may have caught a lucky break; apparently Frei was holding most of that concussive energy in reserve in case he couldn't quite land his earlier attack. At least, that might explain why when she leaps at him to deliver that flying kick, she can feel the edge of that energy bursting JUST behind her as her leg connects with Frei's shoulder, and this blow is heavy enough that he does stumble a little, grimacing. "The wind is unpredictable," he says cryptically, taking a deep breath. "Trying to tell which way it's blown until it does is usually not worth it."
"Good point," Maki says as she watches Frei get back up. "You never know where it's gonna go. Which is why you need to be prepared for just about anything." She frowns a little. "Although it's funny, since I learned that not through the traditional means of martial arts, but rather when I was out street fighting in Metro City. That's what's really sad to some, but I honestly don't care."
Maki turns to Frei and says, "Don't get too comfortable! If you don't pick up the pace, you're gonna be flatter than a Metro City punk who's met my tonfa personally!" And Maki intends to prove that with a swift strike of her tonfa.
COMBATSYS: Frei blocks Maki's Genkou.
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Frei 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Maki
There's a dull *thwack!* as Maki's weapon slams into Frei's guard, his arms crossed in front of him, his face unperturbed by the blow. "Patience is also a virtue," he says evenly, dusting himself off. If anything, the red-haired fighter is stolid. He doesn't seem to let Maki being relatively untouched get to him; instead, he weathers each blow as he must, and attacks when he can. "A mountain is patient. Perhaps in the short term, it can wait out the wind. Or in the end, the wind can erode a mountain to nothing over time. Nature has a lot of those little lessons for us." And speaking of nature, it seems as if Frei has all the forces of it at his beck and call; so far he's shown Maki fire, force, light, and many other things. Now it's time for frost; with a wave of one hand that flares with blue-white light, a swarm of ice crystals glitters into being, looking to swirl around Maki with bone-chilling cold.
COMBATSYS: Frei successfully hits Maki with Hatsuyuki.
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Frei 0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1 Maki
When you're hot you're hot, and when you're not you're not. And Maki, unfortunately, is not hot today. The ice looks like it's easy to avoid, but it's quite the opposite. Maki's hit hard and is given quite a chilly reception from Frei. This sends Maki reeling backwards and down onto one knee. In addition, one of her arms is bleeding from where the cold really got her.
"Owww..." Maki says to herself as she looks up at Frei, her eyes narrowed big time. "That was a really good one, but you can't cool me down that easily!" She glares at Frei some more as she gets back into her fighting stance, breathing deeply as she tries to get herself focused again.
COMBATSYS: Maki gains composure.
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Frei 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Maki
Should he press the attack, or stay as he is and recover a bit himself? In the end, Frei chooses the former; he'd rather not turn this into a war of attrition, seeing who can tire the other out first. If he loses, he loses; at least he'll have gone down giving it his all in the end. "Puns... not sure how I feel about the puns..." he murmurs to himself, watching the blonde fighter gather herself. She's quick, but Frei is very, very patient. He can wait for the right opening as long as he needs to.
Hopefully this is one such opening; hand crackling with an aura of blue-white electricity, Frei attempts to duck in and, with a quick, snakebite-fast movement of the hand, shove Maki off-balance. It's not the most elegant of grappling techniques, and certainly not the most complex that Frei knows, but every now and then it can be really quite handy.
COMBATSYS: Frei successfully hits Maki with Fast Throw.
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Frei 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Maki
Elegant, no. Effective, yes.
Maki's shoved off balance and actually goes staggering backwards and onto her side. This has her really regretting taking that moment to catch her breath. But sometimes even the best of the best make mistakes. In this case, Maki is groaning a little as she finds herself landing on her tonfa arm, which is rather painful and annoying. At least it's not broken, just sore.
"Striking like a snake, I see," Maki comments in regards to how fast Frei struck. "I admire that. But tell me, can you keep it up on your defense?" Maki rushes towards Frei and attempts to clothesline him with her tonfa. "I don't think so!"
COMBATSYS: Maki successfully hits Frei with Medium Strike.
Glancing Blow
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Frei 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Maki
'Clothesline' is such an ugly word. Frei prefers 'gently clip'; despite the length of the fight, he seems as quick on his feet now as he was at word 'go', and Maki's strike catches him only a light tap against his shoulder rather than a full-on smack to the face. As he pivots to a stop, the sword-sage gives his opponent a wan smile. "There's more to defense than simply avoiding damage," he says evenly, taking another solid stance. And it's true. Maki may keep hitting him all she likes, but Frei is bizarrely tough for his size and build. It's going to take more than love taps to put him on the mat.
He doesn't wait around to keep things moving, either; driving forward, he suddenly thrusts both hands in front of him, causing a burst of wind to sweep up from the ground around Maki. If the windburst can disorient her, it's the perfect opportunity for Frei to step in and, with a quick hooking kick, trip her right down to the tile library floor.
COMBATSYS: Maki blocks Frei's Improvised Throw.
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Frei 0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1 Maki
A valiant effort on Frei's end, but Maki manages to thwart it. As soon as the wind comes up, Maki brings her arms up to protect herself, meaning that all the wind does is shake her up a little. It doesn't do much to move her really.
"I see you've really got this wind thing under control," Maki comments. "I admire you. But the fight is not over yet!" Maki rushes in and leaps into the air, attempting to grab Frei by the neck. If successful, she'll literally turn one-eighty in the air and throw him onto the ground!
COMBATSYS: Frei blocks Maki's Tengu Daoshi.
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Frei 0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1 Maki
Getting the grip on Frei is easy enough. Making it turn into slamming him on his head, now that's the hard part. That little burst of energy happening *before* the throw gives him just a split second more to get ready for whatever follows, and once Maki grabs him, she only makes it into the air before Frei wriggles free. Of course, that's a long drop down to the ground; he grimaces as he lands hard on bent knees, feeling the impact spread up his whole body, but that's better than being bounced on his head.
And when Maki heads back toward the ground, she has to deal with Frei waiting for her, both hands raised to the sky and gathering tendrils of crimson fire, which -- when the Metro ninja comes close enough -- he detonates in a close-range explosion of flames.
COMBATSYS: Maki dodges Frei's Reiki.
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Frei 0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1 Maki
Tendrills of flame rise from the ground, but Maki's not about to let them catch her. As soon as she lands on the ground, she jumps away in anticipation of something like this happening. "You're predictable in some ways, I've noticed," Maki says, breathing a little heavier as her fatigue starts to show. "Perhaps if you're a little less predictable you'd be more of a challenge for me.
"Although, really," Maki adds after a moment of taking a few breaths, "I think the punks in Metro City are more challenging than you." Maki moves towards Frei and drops down, attempting a swift foot sweep.
COMBATSYS: Frei dodges Maki's Light Kick.
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Frei 0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1 Maki
Well. Now his smile has cracked.
In an almost trance-like state, Frei hops backwards a foot or so, Maki's sweep sliding harmlessly under his feet until he lands opposite her, wearing an... well, it's difficult to call any expression Frei's usually-smiling, typically-guileless face as 'upset', but he's clearly not Mr. Happy Cheery Face anymore. Instead, he's giving Maki a look somewhere between boredom and disappointment. "This is why I don't do trash talk," he says evenly, looking at the young woman. "If you don't feel secure enough in your ability to beat me, then prove it with your actions. I haven't done you the disservice of implying your skills aren't up to par."
With that, he takes a deep breath and settles into place. Maki may be the wind, but he's going to be the mountain, it would appear. In the natural cycle, the wind might wear down the stone of a mountain to nothing... or the mountain may stand long after the wind's last howl is expended. In the long run, only time will tell which happens here.
COMBATSYS: Frei gathers his will.
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Frei 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Maki
"Go on, do what you will," Maki says as she watches Frei gather his power. "But know that I am not going to wait around idly for you." Maki says. That may sound like she's going to take the opportunity to strike him. But she doesn't. Instead, she just stares at him with her eyes still narrowed.
COMBATSYS: Maki focuses on her next action.
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Frei 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Maki
That gets a non-commital shrug, Frei shaking out his hands and getting into stance. The air in the Library is now extremely tense; observers who before were enjoying the give and take are now looking not quite so sure they want to stay, and perhaps they can't be blamed. When communication between fighters goes sour, it often means that slightly more brutal attacks than before are sure to follow... and while the cordon technically keeps them safe, you never know when a stray tonfa hit or burst of energy is going to his someone in the crowd! People start shuffling backwards, looking wary.
For his own part, Frei resumes the attack, bringing one hand up. A sphere of pure white light glows there, shining with eye-searing radiance, before he sweeps a hand out and lets it fly toward Maki in an erratic arc... and midway there, the single shot breaks into seven smaller ones, the swarm of white light looking to surround and entrap Maki in an erratic -- if perhaps slightly slow -- pattern.
COMBATSYS: Maki dodges Frei's Seiya.
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Frei 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Maki
It's bright and almost blinding. But it's not good enough to faze Maki. She moves away in the nick of time, and then turns to face Frei.
"This fight needs to end sooner or later, and I intend to finish this once and for all!" Maki gathers her will for a moment, and takes a deep breath. As soon as she blows it out, Maki takes off in a run towards Frei, and then suddenly flies at him with her leg outstretched. She flies at him faster than one could imagine. And if he doesn't do something, he's gonna get hit hard!
COMBATSYS: Maki successfully hits Frei with Tesshin Hou.
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Frei 1/------=/=======|==-----\-------\0 Maki
Once again, it's strange. Maki strikes home, the empowered kick slamming square into his stomach. He grimaces from the force of the blow, but doesn't exactly fall over; rather, Maki shoves the redhead across the floor, the tile the only thing preventing his feet from dragging grooves into it. In the end, clean hit or no, she bounces off of Frei to her own standing position to find him hurt, but still standing by a long mile indeed.
Slowly, he lets his eyes grow heavy-lidded, and lets his right hand hover over the hilt of his bokken for a moment.
"It's a shame," he says quietly, a purple-black haze of inky darkness starting to spread in his palm, then leap outward onto the wooden blade. "It's likely you'll walk away from this the victor. But I think if you do, it's just going to encourage some bad habits you seem to engage in."
And then he strikes, with no real other preamble; the second the last syllable has left his mouth, Frei sweeps forward, drawing the dark-infused wooden sword through the air swiftly, looking to catch Maki unawares with one swift sudden strike... but he doesn't stop. Seven such strikes are made in total, each flowing seamlessly from one to the next without stopping, the blows of the bokken enhanced by that black aura, a chill energy that feels like numbing cold when it connects.
COMBATSYS: Maki blocks Frei's Ashura Ressenjin.
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Frei 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Maki
It does feel cold. Even when it's blocked. Maki feels the chill stabbing her literally. She grits her teeth and manages to bear it entirely, but not very well. In fact, she doubles over a little when she recovers. She's not about to throw the fight though.
"Bad habits? Well, it's true that we all have our flaws, but does it really matter?" Maki asks as she takes a deep breath and blows it out, trying to breathe through the stinging pain in her arms. As she breathes, she picks her pace up a little and attempts to catch Frei off guard with a swift tonfa strike that, if successful, will allow her to move in and toss him to the ground.
COMBATSYS: Frei blocks Maki's Armed Combo.
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Frei 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Maki
He may be falling back, comparatively, but Frei still has it in him to block Maki's attacks, apparently; her tonfa smacks into his raised forearm with a dull thud, and he leaps backwards just in time to avoid being sent to the ground, where he's not sure he has the energy to get back up again. "Well, yes," he says to the young woman, seeming surprised at the question. "I'd like to try and rise above my flaws, if I could. Or at the very least, understand them." But now is the heat of the moment, and there isn't much time to be exchanging thoughtful comments or breaks in the action, anymore; Frei can feel fatigue starting to set in, and in more than just body. So he doesn't stop to assess; as soon as he's clear of Maki's attack, he turns right around and attacks right back, snapping a quick high kick to the ninja's shoulder, his foot surrounded by an aura of ice crystals to give it a little extra chill.
COMBATSYS: Maki fails to interrupt Light Kick from Frei with Bushin Senpuu Kyaku.
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Frei 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Maki
Seeing how Frei intends to chill things out again with his kick technique, Maki thinks she can outdo him by using her signature maneuver on him. But that's a case of arrogance getting the best of her in low temperatures.
Instead, Maki gets hit and knocked onto the ground. In fact, it's a miracle that she manages to get back up. She's bloodied and bruised, and it's a wonder that she hasn't passed out yet. She continues to stare at Frei and waves her tonfa at him weakly. "I admit, I got cocky there. But don't think you've won yet!"
"No," Frei responds calmly. "I haven't." He's agreeing with her, but it must hardly feel like it. For some reason, the normally placid young sage is on the offensive, not giving the ninja even a moment to rest. Even as she falls back to prepare herself, he's driving forward toward her, hand raised in the air. He sweeps it downward, a trail of fire cutting the air between himself and Maki... but the fire is actually a bit short of the target. This becomes apparent when Frei's downward arm sweep brings his hand to the hilt of his wooden sword, which he then spins and swings through the fire, a few of the flames clinging to the blade as he tries to slam it right into Maki's stomach.
COMBATSYS: Maki dodges Frei's Feinting Draw.
[ \\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Frei 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Maki
Even in her weakened state, Maki still has the ability to spot an incoming attack. And while it's a good effort on Frei's part, it's no good as Maki gets out of the way in the nick of time. Meanwhile, she takes an extra moment to come back at him with her tonfa coming at his side swiftly.
COMBATSYS: Frei dodges Maki's Weapon Jab.
[ \\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Frei 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Maki
Though he doesn't know it, at this point Frei is subconsciously spinning his aura through the generation cycle of the Five Agents. Even as Maki ducks around the flame-feinted strike, Frei's hands start to hum with an invisible, concussive force, the chi of Earth generated by the chi of Fire. Moving in a relatively tight circle, Frei pivots to the right, Maki's tonfa strike going wide in the process, and then surges forward *again*, looking to use those force-empowered hands to shove Maki off balance, then sweep her to the ground with accelerated gravity. And as for Frei, well... apparently he's off in a lala-land-like trance, now.
COMBATSYS: Maki dodges Frei's Medium Throw.
[ \\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Frei 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Maki
Looks like a major whiff-fest is going on here. First Maki misses and then Frei misses. Who will actually fall first? That depends on who manages to hit who first. However, it seems that Maki's more intent on taking the time to actually catch her breath to give herself a fighting chance.
COMBATSYS: Maki gains composure.
[ \\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Frei 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Maki
Maki might be; Frei certainly isn't. She falls back, and he keeps pursuing, moving his aura through the cycle and letting it guide him, letting intuition be his guide for now. The concussive force fades away; as Fire consumes Wood to enrich the Earth, Earth bears Metal... and so that silver-gold, metallic-looking chi erupts back into existence around Frei's right hand, which he thrusts forward for a stiff-armed, open-palm punch at Maki's shoulder, the strike intended to continue making her fall back as Frei lets himself move through whatever force is guiding him at the moment.
COMBATSYS: Frei successfully hits Maki with Quick Punch.
[ \\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Frei 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0 Maki
Being weakened and weary means that defending isn't always easy. And Maki proves this as she tries to knock the punch away with her tonfa, but goes a little too slow and gets hit directly in the shoulder. This causes her to yell out and mutter something in Japanese, most likely inappropriate to repeat here, and then glares at Frei. "You can't beat me that easily!" She mutters, attempting to put all her force into the incoming strike.
COMBATSYS: Frei blocks Maki's Medium Strike.
[ \\\\\ < > //////// ]
Frei 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Maki
Tired and injured he may be, but it's still not enough to send him to the floor just yet. He does look like he's moving on autopilot, but even that appears to be enough for him to casually throw up one still-glowing hand, the tonfa slamming into it and being deflected with a surprisingly reverberant ringing noise, like a struck tuning fork. But then the silver-gold light is gone, and Frei's sword arm glows blue-white as Metal turns to Water, the cycle almost complete. Pivoting on one foot, he ducks low and attempts to sweep the wooden sword through Maki's legs... but the icy glow on his hands becomes a slippery coating of frost that also starts to seep up from the floor, hopefully making Maki's footing uncertain in the process.
COMBATSYS: Maki fails to interrupt Unbalancing Draw from Frei with Light Kick.
[ \\\\\ < > //// ]
Frei 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Maki
COMBATSYS: Maki has reached second wind!
[ \\\\\ < > ////// ]
Frei 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Maki
Maki attempts to deliver a swift kick in hopes of knocking Frei out, but it backfires and she's hit. She goes staggering backwards, and looks like she's about to fall down... But then she regains her strength and looks up at Frei again. "Let's go one more time, shall we?"
Finally, however, after that last attack, Frei's finally moved from Wood all the way back around. Stepping back from Maki, barely even seeming to register that she nearly kicked him in the face, he stops and takes a deep breath, centering himself. His eyes go from half-lidded to actually open, and he looks at Maki evenly, waiting for her next attack... whenever it comes. "I'll keep going until I can't anymore," he says patiently, continuing to take slow, deep breaths. He could do something reckless, charge at her full-bore for no good reason, but now he feels like he has a point to make.
COMBATSYS: Frei gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Frei 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 Maki
"If that's how you want it," Maki says, her energy slightly returning to her. "I'll gladly oblige you." Maki staggers towards Frei and attempts to grab him. Of course, it's rather slow, but then again so is Maki in her weakened state.
COMBATSYS: Frei interrupts Strong Throw from Maki with Shindou.
[ \\\\ < > / ]
Frei 0/-------/--=====|=======\=====--\1 Maki
Grab? Sure. From there, though... Maki is a strong fighter. She has a good grip, overall. But Frei's hands suddenly lock with hers. What results is, more or less, a good old-fashioned wrestling match. For Frei, this is not without cost; fighting back against Maki's attempts to slam him into the ground are forceful, and shoving back against them makes muscles and sinew that would rather not be doing anything at all burn with effort, sending sharp spikes of pain down his arms, and into his legs as he digs into the floor, refusing to move. And then, well...
...he gets the upper hand. Hauling *upward*, he twirls Maki's body through the air and then extends both of his hands upward, palms out, releasing a burst of concussive force that catches the blonde ninja before she hits the ground, sending her flying and separating the two fighters at last. Will Maki have it in her to keep going a third round? Who can say. From the way Frei ducks low, clutching at his knees and breathing deeply, it doesn't seem as if he is going to be able to pull that off.
Maki's taken one hit too many. She's gone down to the ground and it looks like she's done for... untill her energy surges forth again, and she rushes at Frei, attempting to deliver a swift flurry of attacks in a last ditch effort to come back. Either way, this is truly the end...
COMBATSYS: Maki can no longer fight.
[ \\\\ <
Frei 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Maki successfully hits Frei with Bushin Gou Rai Ha.
- Power hit! -
[ <
Frei 1/------=/=======|
You can really only give so much. But as far was Frei is concerned, his point is made; perseverance and persistence are worth as much, if not considerably more, than bravado when it comes to fighting. Even had he been at his best, that strike would have been quite powerful; tired as he is, it really hits him a lot harder than it should, and alongside all the other little hits and dents and strikes Maki has made, it's a little too much. Gritting his teeth, Frei stumbles back a few steps, slumps backward against a library information desk just off the cordon, and sits on the ground with his back to it, one hand on his stomach. He might not be completely out, but in terms of fighting, it looks like the wind and the mountain will have to settle the score some other time.
COMBATSYS: Frei takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Frei can no longer fight.
Log created on 21:31:07 12/01/2010 by Frei, and last modified on 01:58:59 12/28/2010.