Description: Wolfgang Krauser is a somewhat reclusive figure, so it's a welcome surprise to get his participation in SNF. And Kyo has been chosen as his opponent, because Kyo has two kinds of fans. Those who love him, and those who love to hate him. People will either cheer to see Kyo beating up a stuck up nobleman, or they'll cheer to see Kyo get his punk ass handed to him. Krauser, for his part, gets to take a sample of the current state of power amongst the movers and shakers of the fighting world. Everybody wins! Except for whoever loses. (DRAW MATCH)
MASTERS STADIUM
RED ARENA
SATURDAY NIGHT (FIGHT)
Things have not exactly been ideal lately for Kyo Kusanagi. There's been a higher than usual number of people trying to murder him, although the count is probably skewed on account of 'evil cults' and 'that time Kain turned into some kind of Black Hulk', and the tournament... Did not go so well. It would be bad enough, of course, if it was his own fault; arrogant though he might be, overconfident as he generally is, Kyo isn't the sort of person to duck blame when it's legitimately his. No, this is the worst case scenario: He was eliminated from the King of Fighters because of /other people/.
And after he fought off Vega when the Omega Chin jumped him before the match, even!
This vexing turn of events has not done wonders for the Kusanagi heir's mood, to the point that he's almost disappointed nobody else has come gunning for him since Kain in Brazil. It would be pretty satisfying to beat up some actual bad guys, and he /knows/ there's no shortage of violent psychopaths or scheming would-be supervillains in the world. But at least there are other, more socially acceptable, ways to salve his irritation: And so, Saturday Night Fight.
For once, Kyo isn't late. He doesn't hang back to make an entrance, or to piss anybody off, or because he took a nap. No, it's a rare occasion when the flamewielder is actually the first one present, already standing in the midst of the Red Arena, ready to go. Some people probably aren't sure what to make of it. Maybe it's a hallucination? Mass hysteria?
"So where's this guy, anyway?" Kyo wonders out loud, of nobody in particular. "I hope he didn't fall and break his old man hip."
It wouldn't behoove someone of Krauser's stature to be late for a fight, so it's not long before the Strolheim head strides into the arena. The expression on his face as he looks over the facility doesn't seem particularly positive, but in Krauser's case not sneering is probably a sign of approval. After a moment of looking around he focuses his gaze on Kyo and walks over. Despite the golden armor on his arms and legs, there doesn't seem to be any clanking as he walks. Apparently it's extremely well fitted.
He stands perhaps a bit too close to Kusanagi, crossing his arms and looking down at him. "So you're my opponent? Well, perhaps this won't be too disappointing, then." That was... probably praise. Of course, if one were to just look at the two fighters, they might well think that Krauser wouldn't have much trouble here. With half a foot of height advantage and a great deal more muscle, the German fighter strikes an imposing figure. And the lack of a shirt makes it clear just how much muscle there is.
Then he uncrosses his arms and turns his back on Kyo, starting to walk away. He heads for the spot designated as his starting location. Although Krauser can certainly be quite good at public speaking when he chooses to do so, he's not generally one for small talk. Particularly in a fight, he prefers to let his fists do the talking.
With the appearance of the reclusive master of Strolheim, all in his golden armor and his air of reserved dignity, Kyo tilts his head slightly to one side, studying his approach as Krauser gets right up in his proverbial grill. With some fighters this would be when the indimidation routine starts, when they begin butting heads like a pair of majestic elk, and hurling colourful insults and allegations as to their opponent's mother's romantic habits, but... Well, not these guys. Kyo is far from above the judicious use of trash talk, but he still has /standards/. Instead, he looks up at Krauser, and lets out a faint snort at the taller man's remark.
"Guess we'll see, huh?" the Kusanagi heir replies, adjusting his gloves while Krauser turns and walks away. This would be a perfectly good time to jump his opponent, if Kusanagi were the type, but he reaches the designated spot unmolested, and by the time Krauser turns, Kyo is summoning his bloodline flames with a snap of his fingers, dismissing the sacred fire with the same contemptuous ease. Other people have to work for years, if not decades to master chi manipulation.
People like Kyo? Not so much.
By the time the announcer has finished introducing the two fighters, and finally - /finally/ - signals the beginning of the match with the traditional shout of 'FIGHT!', Kyo springs into forward motion, crossing about half the distance between himself and the big German before skidding to a stop on the Red Arena's sandy beach, swinging his right arm in a lazy arc that releases a 'seed' of orange-crimson fire; the flame blossoms when it hits the ground, streaking along the sand towards Krauser to get things started.
COMBATSYS: Kyo has started a fight here.
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Krauser has joined the fight here.
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Krauser
COMBATSYS: Krauser blocks Kyo's Yami Barai.
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Kyo 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Krauser
Krauser watches calmly as the Kusanagi flame races along the ground toward him. He waits until it seems that he's not going to have time to react, but then he suddenly moves. One armored leg snaps out, kicking into the oncoming blaze. There's a burst of flame at the impact, but the armor seems to have absorbed most of the damage. Krauser brings his foot back to the ground and rubs his chin for a moment. "Hmm."
Whatever he thinks of Kyo's attack, though, he doesn't dwell on it for long. He quickly takes several long strides toward Kyo before taking a short leap. He brings his right leg sweeping up off the ground, spinning about and sending the limb scything toward Kyo at chest level.
COMBATSYS: Krauser successfully hits Kyo with Leg Tomahawk.
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Kyo 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Krauser
There's a definite advantage to being 'a really tall guy' like ol' Wolfgang Krauser - those long legs are useful in a myriad of ways. A long stride is good for crossing the distance between the two of them quickly, and even better, he doesn't have to get quite as close to actually bring down the hammer, or in this case the Leg Tomahawk.
As the German's leg comes down, Kyo puts up his arms to intercept the strike... But his timing is off, coming a half-second too slow, with the result that Krauser's scything leg crashes through the Kusanagi heir's half-formed guard, hitting him solidly instead; the impact draws a grunt from the reigning World Warrior champion, though he luckily only staggers a little bit, his control sufficient to the task of keeping him from ending up dumped on his ass.
"Ehhh," Kyo says, holding up one hand and wobbling it from side to side. Diss!
But then the Kusanagi springs into motion again, sweeping his right fist around in a hooking punch aimed upwards at the side of Krauser's head. As one might expect, a guttering trail of flame follows the motion of his fist, and an eruption of Kusanagi fire detonates at the intended point of impact; if he manages to land the first punch, then Kyo steps in to punch a second time, mirroring the first strike with his left hand, right down to the fiery explosion... And then, he'll finish things off by whirling around, bringing the heel of his right foot to bear in a quick spin kick.
COMBATSYS: Krauser endures Kyo's Aragami.
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Kyo 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Krauser
Krauser frowns at Kyo's appraisal of his battle prowess. Apparently he's not too happy to be judged in such a way. At least by Kyo, but probably by anyone, really. The man takes quite a bit of pride in his skills. He begins striding purposefully toward Kyo, even as Kusanagi prepares his next assault. Kyo's moving fast, and although Krauser can follow the movements with his eyes, keeping up with them is another story. But he holds his ground as a fist slams into his head. The explosion of fire causes him to rock slightly, but he regains his balance in time to weather the second blow, and then brace himself for the following kick.
Kyo's heel slams into the wall of Krauser's muscular torso and stops dead. The impact feels solid, but it doesn't appear to cause Krauser to move at all. And then Krauser gives Kyo a smile that shows a lot of teeth, but couldn't really be called friendly. He pushes past the leg, his right arm drawing back for a heavy punch aimed at Kyo's face...
COMBATSYS: Kyo blocks Krauser's Unlimited Desire.
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Kyo 0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0 Krauser
And after the first blow Krauser follows up with a rapid fire series of punches and kicks, his smile turning to a frown as he tries to break through Kyo's guard. He hammers in blow after blow, but eventually is forced to stop and step back to catch his breath for just a moment.
Being an individual of a superior sort, a fighter of a higher caliber, Kyo Kusanagi has some highly refined senses. For example, thanks to this rarified level of observational ability he's achieved, he can tell that something is definitely not quite right when his attacks land on Krauser; /hitting/ the large German is pretty good, but there's something subtly off about the impacts, which he takes for a warning sign. The warning, naturally, is that something really bad is about to happen.
Kyo, being Kyo, is always right.
As Krauser smiles ominously down at him, Kyo jukes backwards, giving him time to see that punch incoming; getting his arm in the way, the younger man blunts the impact of what would be a very punishing strike if it'd landed properly, and then finds himself the subject of a whole symphony of punches and kicks from the master of Strolheim, having to move constantly in order to keep up his defense against the punishing assault, stumbling back a few feet and kicking up sand with each footfall in the aftermath.
"Close!" Kyo notes, with the sort of helpful attitude that isn't helpful at all. But rather than press the attack, Kyo instead elects to stand his ground, adopting a stable wide-legged stance and raising his right hand, conjuring a flame in his upraised palm. With that flame comes the sense of /something/ coming closer, like something enormous and heavy just out of sight; the power of the Kusanagi bloodline builds and concentrates, focusing in the palm of Kyo's hand...
COMBATSYS: Kyo gathers his will.
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Kyo 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Krauser
Although Kyo can certainly be irritating, Krauser does have to appreciate the strength that he's displaying. The German gives Kyo a grudging nod of respect, which also serves to cover a moment while he tries to think of the best way to pound Kyo's face in. But when Kyo stands still and starts gathering energy, Krauser gets a bit suspicious. That's unlikely to be the prelude to anything good, and Krauser is experienced enough to sense that something big is coming.
But if Kyo wants to gather up energy, maybe Krauser can help. He takes a half step back, then draws back his right arm. His own hand is surrounded in a cloud of fiery chi, and with a pitching motion he sends a flaming sphere flying toward Kyo. Then he immediately follows it up with a similar motion from his other arm, sending another fireball flying after the first.
COMBATSYS: Kyo blocks Krauser's Double Blitz Ball.
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Kyo 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 Krauser
Suspicion is probably a good response right about now... After all, somebody gathering their power rarely precedes some kind of kitten hug festival, and especially not when they are guys who can toss around gigantic columns of fire and the like.
As it stands, though, Kyo's options for responding to Krauser's actual, literal fireballs are pretty limited; he can't move too much, lest he break his concentration. So, he does the next best thing, and hunkers down to brace himself against the impact, his own bloodline flames flaring around his right arm as he swings it down to intercept the ones hurled by Krauser. The impact pushes him back slightly before he stumbles, having been knocked slightly off balance... But slightly is more than enough to screw him up a little bit.
"They always copy fire," Kyo says, ruefully, as he breaks into an unbalanced run forwards at the German. "I mean, I get it, I do. Fire is pretty awesome, and it makes you more like me, which is an understandable aspiration. But come on, mix it up! What about earth, or wind, or water?" Once he's close enough to Krauser, Kyo skids forward on the sand and just aims to drive his shoulder into the larger fighter, in the hopes of actually taking the German off of his feet.
"...What about heart?!"
COMBATSYS: Krauser counters Strong Punch from Kyo with Phoenix Thrust EX.
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Kyo 1/--=====/=======|====---\-------\0 Krauser
Despite his size, Krauser moves fairly nimbly to get out of the way as Kyo charges a shoulder toward him. Before Kyo can turn around he lays one meaty hand firmly on the younger man's shoulder and grips him tightly. "I find fire serves fairly well." And then he uses his grip to lift Kyo bodily off the ground, swinging him up and over Krauser's head.
And then Krauser emphasizes his comments on fire as he plants his other hand on Kyo's chest, sending flaming chi out to engulf the suspended Kusanagi. He doesn't hang around burning in the air for long, though, as Krauser shifts his arms to pivot Kyo about, then slam him down into the ground with an explosion of sand and fire.
Well.
That's not good.
Kyo finds himself in an unexpected situation as Krauser manages to avoid getting shoulder blocked /and/ turns the whole attack around on the Kusanagi heir, lifting him up and then punching him in midair to set him on fire. This proves to be painful. It's not helped any, though, as within moments the German is smashing the fiery World Warrior champion into the sand underfoot, which does indeed kick up granules everywhere, and you just know both of these guys are going to be finding sand in unexpected places for a week.
But Kyo doesn't stay down for long.
Rising to his feet in a shallow sandy crater, Kyo is actually /still on fire/ as he gets up, watching Krauser through the artful fall of his somehow perfectly mussed hair. As he rises, Kyo slips back into the stance he'd used earlier, when collecting power, his right hand upraised, a brilliant flame balanced on his palm... And now energy begins to pour /out/ of him, the air shimmering and warping around him like heat distortion. "Yeah," Kyo agrees. "Me too."
Suddenly lunging forward, Kyo drops his right arm and then sweeps it across his body, unleashing all of that gathered power in a single wave of orange-crimson Kusanagi flame, the fire that burned on him peeling off to join it until what's created can only be described as a hellish firestorm, a roiling torrent of sacred flames that seeks to wash over Krauser.
"EAT THIS!!"
COMBATSYS: Kyo successfully hits Krauser with Orochinagi+.
>>> Punitive Hit!!! <<<
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Kyo 0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1 Krauser
When the sheer scale of the oncoming wave of fire becomes clear, Krauser brings up both arms in an attempt to defend himself, turning the armor plating toward the incoming blast. He just isn't able to form a solid enough barrier, however, and the blast knocks both of his arms aside before hitting him dead on. His hair streams out behind him as the blast engulfs him, and a moment later lifts him off his feet to send him sailing back before crashing down on his back.
After a brief silence there's a cough from the fallen German, then he shoves himself up to a sitting position. He's looking somewhat scorched, but it doesn't keep him from pushing himself back to his feet. But what's the burning smell? Oh. His mustache is on fire. He calmly reaches up and pinches out the flame, keeping his gaze steadily on Kyo. "You've got some real power. So why don't you try this out?" He spreads his arms wide, drawing both of them back. "Kaiser..." And then he sweeps both arms forward, unleashing a wall of chi that goes racing toward Kyo. "WAVE!"
COMBATSYS: Kyo blocks Krauser's Kaiser Wave+.
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Kyo 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Krauser
There are few things as sweetly satisfying as blasting the heck out of somebody with an Orochinagi. It turns out that is, in fact, the official motto of Kusanagi-ryuu Kobojutsu, or at least it has been ever since Saishu Kusanagi took over the family and turned out to be certifiably insane.
Go figure.
The massive expenditure of energy leaves Kyo feeling a bit winded in the moments afterward, but actually hitting someone with a gigantic wave of bloodline flames tends to buy you enough time to recover properly; the Kusanagi heir is, thusly, if not doing /super great/ by the time Krauser recovers and prepares to hurl his own gigantic attack at him - largely on account of having been hit a bunch by Krauser already, and Krauser being a big scary German who hits pretty damn hard - at least not suffering from the nature of his own attack. So, Kaiser Wave happens.
Kyo braces himself, and the Kaiser Wave smashes into his upraised forearms, tearing apart the leather of his jacket but /not/ managing to so much as scuff the mysterious material that makes up Kyo's black and gold Kusanagi gloves. The leftover force pushes him back again, but Kyo keeps right on struggling against it until the wave plays itself out, and then lurches forward after the German.
"Didn't you steal that from Rugal?" Kyo wonders, as he moves. Once in close enough, he throws out an elbow to try catching Krauser in the solar plexus, hoping to stun the larger man long enough to catch him by the throat and lift him /off/ of the ground - maybe an inch or two - before unleashing another massive explosion of Kusanagi flames right on Krauser's head/neck area, to physically hurl him away with the force.
COMBATSYS: Kyo successfully hits Krauser with Koto Moon Positive.
>>> Punitive Hit!!! <<<
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Kyo 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Krauser
Oh, Kyo did not just go there. Krauser's lip curls up at the mention of Rugal. He doesn't have long to be offended, though, since Kyo is swiftly moving in on the attack. Krauser tries to shift to the side as Kyo lashes out with his elbow, but he still gets caught in the center of the chest. This leaves him open long enough for Kyo to pull him off the ground. It's good for Kyo that he doesn't have to hold him for long, since between all the muscle and the armor, Krauser is pretty heavy. It's not good for Krauser because the reason he isn't held for long is that he takes an explosion in the face.
Krauser flies backwards, but he stamps down with both feet and manages to land in a standing position, digging a furrow before he finally comes to a halt. He opens and closes his left eye a few times, then reaches up to wipe away some blood. He flicks it off his hand, then charges toward Kyo, reaching out wide with both arms in an attempt to grab Kyo by the shoulders. Should he succeed, he follows it up by swiftly raising his knee while dragging Kyo down, aiming to bring them both together with a heavy impact.
COMBATSYS: Kyo counters Knee Smasher from Krauser with Nue Tsumi.
>>> Punitive Hit!!! <<<
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Kyo 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Krauser
Sometimes, a smartass remark is its own reward; they have to be when you follow them up with setting people on fire, you know? Can't really appreciate somebody's reaction to your glib insouciance when there in flames. Still, it's impressive how Krauser manages to recover mid-flight, ending up on his feet in a position to get back to inflicting harm on Kyo Kusanagi's person in short order... But now the World Warrior champion is ready, staying relaxed as a whole lot of scary German nobleman charges straight at him, seeking to grab him by the shoulders. This, Kyo thinks to himself, isn't something he wants to see just where it's going to go. Which means he needs an alternative.
Twisting to one side, Kyo slips past Krauser's grasp, grabbing him by one armored forearm in the process; the master of Strolheim already has plenty of momentum behind him, so it falls to the Kusanagi heir to redirect it a little, putting him in a better position to turn in the other direction. The funny part is that what he does here is actually sort of like Krauser's own plan: His other hand comes about in a heavy punch, using his own strength and Krauser's own momentum to make the counterstrike hit all the harder...
Of course, it also comes with another burst of flames, because that's how Kyo rolls.
As the fist colloides with Krauser's head he sees a flash of white. And with the explosion he can feel himself losing conciousness. Enough blows to the head will do that. But maybe, just maybe, by sheer force of will he can keep himself going. He starts to fall to the side from the force of the blow, but he slams down one leg and pushes himself back toward Kyo.
Spreading both arms wide, Krauser pushes himself off the ground with a roar. He spins around, each arm swinging through the air like an iron bar. And from his feet chi swirls up and around him, forming a slicing tornado that sends sand (and a bit of blood) flying up into the air as it slashes at everything around him. Unfortunately, that force of will was enough to get him that far, but not further. When he stops spinning, instead of a graceful landing, Krauser falls to one side and crashes heavily to the ground.
COMBATSYS: Krauser can no longer fight.
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Kyo 0/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Krauser successfully hits Kyo with Gigatec Cyclone.
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Kyo 1/-----==/=======|
Things Kyo Kusanagi was not expecting to happen: This.
Whatever might be said about Kyo, about his laziness, or his aloofness, or his being kind of an arrogant douchebag, he's still a /fighter/. Like most fighters who are not actually axe maniacs, he enjoys the pure contest of it, so even if he wants to pretend to be too cool for school (and he does, both figuratively and literally) he feels an undeniable sense of accomplishment and personal satisfaction at the idea that he's just brought Krauser down. And it's in this moment, this one thrilling moment, that Krauser proves he's still got a little bit of gas left in the tank.
"What the--" Kyo bites off his question as he jerks back, trying to get out of the way of the rising, spinning Wolfgang Krauser, but he can't quite make it, and is instead caught up in the German's crazy chi cyclone, tumbling towards the sand once the attack has played itself out... And from there, he gets about halfway back up to his feet before flopping onto his back again.
COMBATSYS: Kyo takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Kyo can no longer fight.
Log created on 16:28:53 06/04/2011 by Kyo, and last modified on 17:59:23 06/07/2011.