Description: Mahuizoh, the cheerful and enigmatic Aztech from the G-KING's public fights, somehow tracks down who he claims is the second strongest person alive. The results leave Oro more then a little interested... something that is very, very rare in this century!
Niagara Falls is one of the major wonders of the world, attracting millions of visitors, and it is easy to see why. More than four million cubic feet of water flow over the falls on average, with peaks of six million, and it has become one of the iconic landmarks of America - even if it is also, technically, one of the iconic landmarks of Canada.
It is difficult to obtain permission to go over the Falls these days, or to walk across it, or any of the other myriad stunts which get people killed at the glorious natural site. But after being disappointed - if only a little - in what he had found in the Neo Development Project victor... the hermit known as Oro needed a suitable locale to determine his next course of action. The young Ayame had been interesting, but - perhaps wisely - she hasn't made any attempt to locate him that he knew of, which meant that her spirit was lacking...
Perhaps there is nobody left in this world who can master the elements he has failed to grasp. Perhaps his teachings will die with him.
Whatever the case, the elderly fighter is making quite a stir simply due to the fact that he is... standing in the middle of the raging waters. Situated at the exact midpoint of the cresting torrent of water, he is suspended on a small barrel. The barrel stands firm against the water, held in place by his will, and his eyes are closed. One foot on the top, the other crossed over at the knee, one hand raised with two fingers pointing upwards as he meditates.
"Ah." The old man says, as he opens his eyes, and looks off into the distance.
"Interesting..."
A few months ago, very few people in this world would have noticed an ominous stir in the very chi of the earth. It was a subtle twang, like the slightest veil of something distasteful. A touch of pollution. It almost immediately vanished in the aftermath, but Oro... likely more then anyone alive, is the most attuned to such mild things. And how ominous they could be. It would likely bring memories of Vega's somewhat violent disruptions from his excessive machinations, but -- ancient. Much more ancient then Oro, which is a feat in this fighting age.
What might come as a much more distinct surprise is how close Mahuizoh might manage to get before being detected.
The peculiar Aztech does not have a normal flow of chi. It is as if he is separated, floating listlessly in a cloud of energy. Most people would simply get the impression he is an incredibly powerful individual, and that would be the case... if any of that energy was actually /attached/ to him. The masked priest himself is... literally completely devoid of chi. Seeing that through the massive cloud is impossible. That means Oro can manage it with little difficulty.
A flash of movement, and then the apparently nimble Mahuizoh lands in a crouch upon an incredibly slick rock, jagged and constantly splashed by the torrents of the raging Niagra Falls. He also is not moved, a sign of technique and mastery. His merry pollution of dark, powerful energy settles about him once more. Yet there is no sense at all that he is malicious. In fact, he is grinning so broadly the jointed jaw descends enough to show his teeth.
In either hand is an exotic looking fruit. A rare treat, especially in America. A bite is taken out of his own, before the other would be lazily tossed in Oro's direction. A greeting; he did not come here for trouble, even if he is someone unusual. And, quickly confirmed, the cause of that momentary blip in the world months before.
"Hahaha!! You weren't what I was expecting to meet at all from your energy..." That seems to imply he was able to track him down. Something that should be all but impossible, if Oro did not wish it. "But you are..." After a few moments, Mahuizoh takes another bite. "The second strongest in the world right now... yes. I would say the second... the man I met before you... his potential for destruction cannot be quantified!!"
Oro doesn't move, even when the powerful aztec slams into the rock close to him. It is... interesting. At first, he had thought to compare the energy to that of Rugal; the machinations of King of Fighters tournament had roused him from his slumber, and that man's strength - or the strange device used by the Ryouhara scion - had been... similar. Perhaps the Orochi demon? Or, yes, Vega? All incredibly potent forces, but, the moment this one comes into view...
It isn't like any of them.
"Really?" The old man says, finally turning to face the Aztec full on. The dark energy isn't interesting on its own. The fact that he can't tell anything about the man inside it; that is interesting. There is a shape there, but it is a void. And not the same kind of non-energy that psycho power represents, if he is any judge.
"It is always interesting! I think I have seen everything, and then something I have never seen before comes along." He shifts, and his one unbound arm stretches outwards. There are only a handful of people in the world who can pierce the image, and see that he is, in fact, one of the strongest beings in existence. That this man can manage it is not surprising given his aura, but the fact that he can do it - find him in his meditation, AND claim to have seen better?
Mmmn. It would be interesting to have to fight at full power. Perhaps even to remove his seals...
But that is getting ahead of himself. The man could be lying, could not see clearly, or... well, it could all be incorrect. A strong man is no more or less likely to be able to master the perfection of the mind and the perfection of the soul than a weak one. He's probably in his last few decades! Does he have time to get distracted?
"What did you want with me?" He asks, "You've got my attention! That isn't easy."
"Hahahaha! I have never seen a fighter as ancient as you. And to lack nothing for the age... it shakes me to the core, had I been able to meet you a century ealier!!" He takes another bite of his fruit, munching in it conversationally. He is clearly someone who is malignant. Dangerous. And Oro would find it isn't the sort that goes across the world harmlessly; little storms of petulant prodigies like Rugal and Vega, who eventually fall into the past without issue.
This man... could /damage/ something. It is a sense as much instinct as personal assessment.
"When I was last alive... there were not any people this strong. I stood at the top of the world!! It is such a thrill... to meet people like you..." As for the purpose of the meeting, Mahuizoh seems to pause, as if he did not really consider that aspect. Then he looks at his hand, waggling the fingers. "Oh... I am just meeting all the people I feel are... unusual. The fellow before you with the beaded necklace... hmmhmm! There was another, near a *very* interesting energy. He was not friendly, not at all! Wasn't interested in talking, and just drove me away!! The colorful man had a nice chat at least... hmm. There might be two others in the world after you I'll visit."
Mahuizoh looks back to Oro once more. "That is what I want. A nice chat!! With someone who stands above me... as I used to be!"
Oro's face is inscrutable. When he doesn't wish it to show emotion, it tends to fall towards an exaggerated frown. His eyes flash momentarily from red to blue, before settling again, as internally, he debates with himself.
This is not *his* time. He is a relic; he has accomplished all he can accomplish in this lifetime, and he has made peace with that. In his experience - and he has much of it - men rise and shake the world, then die and fall silent. Demons rise and are crushed. Humanity endures, and it endures on the backs of heroes, or underneath the heel of villains. That is the way of things, as surely as one season turns into the next and time cannot be reversed. He had decided not to interfere directly in such matters - because doing so is ultimately irrelevant.
But every instinct he has tells him that this man is a threat not just to this generation or the next, but to the very natural order of all things. What to do...
"You wouldn't have liked me a hundred years ago." He says, at last. "I was an arrogant and foolish young man." He pauses, before nodding his head once more. "If there is one thing I have learned, it is that strength... is boring. To be the best that you can be is admirable; to seek perfection in whatever task you devote your life to is the only worthwhile meaning there is! But you..."
His eyes narrow. It is, perhaps, the first time in a hundred years that Oro has *looked* dangerous.
"You are not alive. What purpose is there for you here? Return to the grave and be still, that is my advice. It will save you a lot of trouble!"
"Yes! Hahaha! You understand!" Mahuizoh seems thrilled by this statement, taking the last bite of his fruit clasped between unusually charrged fingers. The cause of his two abnormalities is not clear, given that he lacks any proper attunement. But at the end, a flash of fire ignites the remnants, and they are discarded in the frothing white water. For just a moment, he resonated with the peculiar energy hanging around him as a result.
That look... is not lost on the masked Aztech. He holds his hands up, seeming genuinely nervous. This is not the act of someone arrogant and putting on a show, but a genuine sign of submission. "I am not dead... well. Not quite! My old practices were simply... frowned upon, by those I thought colleagues. So you sense it? That my body is empty?" This seems to both surprise and impress Mahuizoh even more. "Heehee... the truth is, when I was young and arrogant, too... my first dream was that there would never be a man stronger then me. Not in the past, and not in the present..."
And then... he holds up his bloodied hand. The fingers waggle invitingly.
"Come here..." he purrs, at the barrel floating Oro. "Punch me in the hand. Lightly, if you would. I can sense your power unsealed, after all... I only need you to not do it in jest. A lovetap. The lightest lovetap you can manage."
His grin stretches broader then ever before. "And I will show you something very, VERY interesting!"
Oro's expression softens somewhat. It is difficult to judge, as he is still in his neutral state of perpetual grumpiness, but... he can empathise with the dream. It had been his, in his youth. "I know too well that the path to perfection is often, forbidden." And there is truth in that. The men who had forbid Oro - who had frowned upon the techniques he required to obtain his current form, well, they are long dead now. But they had existed. Of course, it is also Oro's firm belief that all true strength comes from within - not from anything that can be given to you by another. This, ultimately, it what renders the flash-in-the-pan upstarts temporary. Vega's strength comes from the fear of others, Rugal's stolen from another, Igniz's from so-called 'science', a force that Oro knows little about and cares less for. All these things are not the man, but reliant on another!
The barrel steers itself closer to the towering Aztec, and he judges carefully. "You can sense all of it, hmmm." That alone has quirked his interest. Even HE isn't sure about the full extent of his unbound strength. He'd demonstrated it once, shattering a proud man's dojo... and ever since then he has kept it deep within. What point is there in strength that overwhelming? His current state is more than enough.
The strike which comes is carefully judged, and utterly perfect. He is intrigued; worried, but interested. It is a set of emotions he hasn't really had for many years. He wants to see what this man has to show him. And so the punch is short, quick, judged to be enough to impact but not do more than lightly bruise.
Mahuizoh seems eager, but not suspiciously so. At least, in regards to it being some kind of trap. But what kind of man, alive now or dead centuries, could possibly consider 'trapping' Oro? A peculiar notion, to say the least. "Yes... I'm afraid some even viewed what I did as... sacrilage." No further comment to that. He may have once been a man of personal strength, but that has been obviously stripped of him. "You are the second humble man of power I met... although I know you are much, much stronger..."
What happens next is certainly something that is brand new to even one of Oro's life, however.
The moment the punch begins at the most basic level. Before it even begins to move. The air erupts with a potency of energy that is monumental. Huge columns of thick, crimson chi rush into Mahuizoh in a heartbeat, but do not stop. He flares with a crimson aura, blasting away a plume of water from the pair that goes meters high. The ground rumbles, and stones nearby split. People shriek in surprise who have been viewing the spectacle from a safe distance.
That fist impacts a palm that does not move an inch. In fact, it quickly grips. Mahuizoh has visibly changed; his once blackened arm is roaring with intense fire. His left seems to be oozing blood now in spatters. Shimmers of red pour from his mask, and he seems to be shuddering now, doubling forward as he's overcome by the sheer strength Oro has grown accustomed to within an entire lifetime. But during this contact... he is indeed staring at a peer. And a peer at the most utmost, basic level; in terms of the energy at his hand, Mahuizoh is now, indeed his perfect, absolute equal. And, as he claimed, it without any self-imposed constraints; he did not seem to attune with that purposeful seal.
"Power... I didn't know mortals could have it to this level...!! You could crush the world to dust, if you wanted, couldn't you...?!"
Yet still, he does not seem to be trying to start a fight. But every ounce of the hanging 'cloud' of energy is inside him. In fact, he has more then that; he sucked out the very essence of the surroundings, bolstering up well above his maximum to reach Oro's level. If the fist was pulled away with no fighting spirit, there would be no attempt to stop it...
When it comes to fighting spirit, Oro may well be the least spirited fighter there is. Perhaps not in his youth, but now? Let the youngsters get energized about the fight. For Oro, there is rarely anything left to spur his soul.
Quite suddenly, Niagara Falls itself is forced to part as though cleaved asunder by the display of power, and Oro understands what it is that is being done. He does not understand HOW it is accomplished, but the fact of it is obvious. To wrench the world asunder to match the power of another... yes, that is interesting. And Mahuizoh's observation is correct; if Oro wanted to, he could cause unspeakable damage.
"You have taken the first step on the path of Enlightenment." Oro says. Sure, Mahuizoh had *stolen* that step, but it is the first time Oro has ever stood before someone who has the same strength as himself since he emerged from the jungle. It is a stolen step, but in this moment, Mahuizoh has reached the perfection of the body, and all the benefits that come with it are his.
"I am impressed! It would take most fighters forty years of training to withstand that strength and not be instantly consumed by it. I *could* destroy this world. But."
"I wonder... do you still realize where you are weak?"
As long as Oro does not try to pull back, then the benefits that seem to be thefted remain. Yet they are different; he doesn't seem to have the sennin ability. He is still the Aztech priest; only with an equivalent amount of power in his own personal strengths. It is clear he knows nothing of Oro's techniques, and the century of fighting experience remains a massive gulf. But to have been in a situation within his life to be able and endure strength of this level... an interesting and mysterious life he must have once lead.
"I don't feel enlightened. I simply feel... powerful?" His head tilts to the side, continuing to simmer with the open power Oro could bear if he felt the need. It warps the very surroundings, water swirling around in wild waves, stones nearby starting to randomly float, none of the practice in suppressing and controlling it intimately.
"My weakness? Why, the fact I have no experience with this kind of power, isn't that right? It is one thing to match you physically... but that will hardly compensate for your decades and decades of mastery, hahaha!! I am fairly sure you would still win, if you were serious..." But a dull sort of sigh follows. "Yet this kind of power is not at all what I am after. Nor do I want to destroy the world..."
And Oro is disappointed yet again. Tch! Now, he withdraws his fist. Perhaps overly pragmatic, he would have been eager to see if he could guide even this man, with all his danger, onto the path towards ultimate power. Mastery of the mind, soul and body which transcends all; the goal which Oro himself will never be able to achieve.
"A shame." He says, "But you grasp some of it. Strength is power... but power alone is worthless. You need experience. But, I have all the experience there can be for fighting, and I am still weak in two ways. Those two ways are what will stop me reaching perfection. That is simply how it is."
He actually smiles, crookedly, as he allows his hand to drop to his side. "You are an interesting one! I want to know. What kind of power do you seek? I sense that you are seeking change... and in a way which may upset things more than the mere destruction of a few countries. I hate to pry, but you've awakened this old man's curiosity."
The moment that Oro's fighting spirit is gone and the fist removed, there's another intense roar. Just as it first came, it is gone again; somewhat more violently this time around, and the disappointment evident in the now sulking Aztech remains. When the water again settles down, he collapses into a cross-legged sit on the spiked rock, ignoring the splashes of water upon his colorful garb. Once more he is that blank slate, with his latent energy clouding around him. It appears what he does is not a conscious attunement, but only reactive... he could not steal Oro's power and rampage around. That is probably a relief, to say the least.
"I wanted to be weaker then nobody, at first. And that is what I got, in the most technical aspect. The Devil's wish, hrrm? For that also makes me stronger then nobody. If I battled a kitten, it would be a skill of experience and technical battle. But then I realized in my arrogance... I missed out on what this unwanted curse can truly grant me."
Fingers scratch at the side of the mask idly. "Upset countries? Oh, what I want might upset the world. It is selfish of me... but my work, I confirmed, waited with me when I came back to this world. And... if you knew... you wouldn't approve."
Another tilt of the head. "But in that case, you might be able to battle someone stronger then you unsealed... might that be worth looking the other way...?"
As the world is returned to order, and the energy sucked out of it is allowed to return to a more stable state of being, the ancient hermit listens. As inscrutable as ever, he begins to comprehend some of what is going on here. Not all of it, still. Ah, but to have spent a hundred and fifty years training his mind! But such things are, pointless to dream about. Besides, in his heart of hearts, he would not want that. If he understood all, what joy would there be in life's few remaining puzzles? The ability to be surprised is one of the few things he has left!
"It might." He admits at last, nodding his head once. "It might. But a good fight is not all I want in life. I seek the being capable of continuing my work, who is worthy of inheriting my legacy." His smile has faded, and he sounds quite serious. "I can't do that if you've broken reality. It would be better for you if you were honest with me, I think. You ought to respect the elderly you know."
Mahuizoh seems to earnestly consider this. He can tell, quite clearly, that Oro is one of the few beings with the knowledge and means to interfere with his schemes. This was precisely why he took the time to visit people on the short list; although the man who fought kind of similar to the black gi'd fighter seemed to catch on to things, he feels nowhere near the oppressive worry from Oro. The idea of a being single-handedly stopping him is as terrible as it is fascinating.
"Well. What if we have a spar?" he suddenly states, with another pleased, exubrant laugh. "How often can you spar without holding back?! Let me taste your power a little more... it is the best a mortal can give me... then perhaps. I'll answer your question?"
It is a rather unique opportunity for Oro, to say the least. But doing such would also reveal the difference in power versus technique. Would it ultimately make Mahuizoh feel more confident in his mysterious goal, or much less? A question that would require that 150 years of mastery in the mind!
Oro seems to consider this as well. It IS a tempting opportunity, to fight without limits. But, perhaps this is where he differs most from the man in the black gi. For him, finding an opponent capable of giving him that ultimate battle is everything. For Oro? Fighting is a pleasure... but it is not a pleasure which overrules ALL other concerns, and for the first time in a very long time indeed, he has found a reason to set his desire to one side.
"If the answer was one I would like." He says, "You would simply tell me, and maybe I would even use my power to ensure that it came to pass." Those weathered features of his frown deeper, and he shakes his head slowly.
"But if you spar with me, then you obtain more knowledge about what I can do, and perhaps even how to counteract me. Your ability is formidable! It makes you far too dangerous to fight one on one."
A humble man indeed; whilst Oro would still bet on himself simply through accumulated experience, he would not bet that he could make it crushing enough to win with no chance of Mahuizoh escaping. Therefore... there will be no battle.
At least, not yet.
"You should go. Find the others you seek to speak with. Because I think I have heard all that I need to hear, from you. I am certain that this is not the last time we will meet."
"...hohoho!! You are a wise man, indeed. How interesting. If I attack you, as long as you do not defend yourself, I would be like a kitten... and you could simply abandon me in a heartbeat." But he does point a finger towards the venerable old man, and this time, some of the malice surrounding his energy comes forward on his face. "But I can find you again... you had best be prepared. I admire you and respect you with all my heart from this briefest of meetings. But all who oppose me openly... become nothing but sacrifices!!"
Again he leaps away, abandoning his cloud of chi and becoming nearly invisible to non-mundane perception, to skip across the water and reach the edge, vanishing from sight in short order. Without giving him exactly what he wants and attacking, there's not much to be done about it, if Oro even truly cared.
But it seems a demon in the past might awaken once more. It might not be Mahuizoh... but he doubtlessly appears to have the key. If there are only two people left that Mahuizoh feels are worth meeting, he can probably make an educated guess. Vega, were he not dead. And the prodigy of Heinlein blood, Kain...
Oh, but Oro does care. Identifying the weakness in Mazuiho does nothing to make him any less dangerous. There are very few things in this world which could spur the ancient monk to action. Even threatening to destroy the world means little until it actually seems likely that it will *happen*. There are plenty of men and women in this world motivated to stop such things.
But Mahuizoh is not destruction; he is change. And he is the harbinger of a power which might well dwarf even Oro's own unleashed strength. The implications are shattering. All that Oro has left is the legacy he will leave behind; or fail to leave behind. And this man strikes at that.
He doesn't say a word as the Aztec disappears. Instead, he simply nods. And when he is certain that he is gone... looks to the banks of the Niagara falls, and the vast array of media folk flocking there.
"Tch."
And rather than deal with /people/, the old man simply hops from his barrel, and disappears over the side of the falls. He has places to go, and people to talk to.
Log created on 13:15:41 07/31/2012 by Mahuizoh, and last modified on 16:10:25 07/31/2012.