Match of the Millennium

The video begins with a dark screen that slowly fills with electric blue lines as a subtle dramatic musical swell rises. Finally, the lines connect and swivel to reveal a stylized new version of the NFG logo, before the number 2.0 draws itself on the screen to the right of it, and the NFG theme starts to play. More words flicker into view beneath the logo, resulting in: //NFG 2.0:\ -==WORLD TOUR==- ODYSSEY: ROUND 3 As the New Fighting Generation theme song kicks in, the view zooms out to show the logo on a screen between returning NFG commentators Tom and Lou. TOM: "Welcome back, ladies, gentlemen, and all of our other friends, to NFG two point oh World Tour Odyssey... Round Three!" LOU: "Which is the third and final round of this special themed event. I for one have found it fascinating to explore ancient myths and discover exciting and exotic locations." TOM: "That and see some fantastic fighting." LOU: "Well of course. Shall we start by catching up with this week's hot gossip, Tom?" TOM: "Let's. First up, we can report that Albert and Arisa have been spotted holding hands by the sun deck pool. Could they be the first couple of the new generation of fighters?" LOU: "The word is they were looking very close and cosy while checking each other out in their swimwear and there's already #Albisa trending on social media." TOM: "I'm definitely shipping them for a ship romance." LOU: "In other news, #hatedrwuzhere! has also been trending following a fun and flirty fight between Coco and Hated R. The purple haired fan fave shared a photo of her autographed butt and bikini bottoms with her followers that almost broke the internet. It's got hundreds of thousands of views already and only fifty of them were from me." TOM: "I suspect you're rounding down there, Lou but let's move on to look at the standings." (Continued in the next post!)

The screen displays the returning fighters' scores: ================================ Returner NFGP =============================== Chevy - 6 Points Kenzo - 6 Points Zarine - 5 Points Coco - 5 Points Hawksley - 5 Points Braun - 5 Points Buford - 3 Points Genie - 3 Points Iris - 2 Points Hated R - 2 Points Buck - 2 Points Sarah - 2 Points LOU: "Chevy and Kenzo keep their perfect record in position at the top of the table, Tom." TOM: "While Iris, Hated R, Buck and Sarah bring up the rear. Iris has only had one match however, so it's no surprise she's towards the bottom of the table." The table then flips around to show the new fighters' scores: ================================= Newbie NFGP ================================ Roxana - 6 Points Max - 6 Points Tanwen - 4 Points Henry - 4 Points Albert - 4 Points Rodrigo - 4 Points Ishida - 4 Points Xander - 4 Points Homura - 3 Points Skye - 3 points Kahuna - 3 Points Arisa - 2 Points LOU: "Roxana is top of the table for the new generation alongside Max, who amazingly has max points without even getting to fight. " TOM: "While Arisa is propping up the table at the bottom. Giving that she didn't actually compete this week, it's no surprise that her standing has suffered." (Continued in the next post!)

-==RODRIGO=- versus -==ROXANA==- TOM: "Well, Lou, as we discussed when this matchup was announced, based on the limited footage we had to work with, I was favouring Rodrigo, while you were favouring Roxana." LOU: "What can I say, Tom? I'm a sucker for a great look backed up by good game." TOM: "Funnily enough, that's the same reason I like Rodrigo." LOU: "Well, I can agree that these two have both got style. This whole match coulda been a highlight reel, but this clip really shows the back-and-forth between these two." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- When Roxana's tail comes into play, Rodrigo quickly releases her wrist allowing the swordsman to quickly disengage once he realizes that his attack will bear no fruit. That was the only reason Rodrigo is able to bring up his cape to intercept the poison spray using his cape similar to how one would use a shield. The cape gets most of it though some of the poison gets on his hand giving him an unpleasant sensation. The matador that never was moves forward and at an angle to get around the scorpion tail before performing a quick slash at her back and then spinning at an angle to move to her flank. Normally, he wouldn't attack another fighter from behind, but when an opponent is clearly presenting a weapon towards you in spite of their back being turned, allowances are necessary. The use of the cape is clever. The red garment designed to draw danger towards it in this case saves the Spaniard from the sting of the scorpion's tale. The slash of the blade has Roxana swaying her shapely hips, sensing Rodrigo's presence behind her. She tries to throw her frame back at him with the intention of swiping him with her tail, but his speedy swordwork finds her flesh. COMBATSYS: Rodrigo successfully hits Roxana with Splendid Slash. - Power hit! - The stretchy fabric of her jumpsuit is easily sliced, stabbing into her and leaving a slash on her skin. She turns to face her foe sharply, letting out a hiss of pain. "Ouch" is her understated response. This is the sort of situation for why she tested her pain threshhold prior to the start of the NFG. Dropping down low, she slithers forwards, seeking to slip between Rodrigo's legs in a figure of eight pattern to try and disorient him. If she gets away with this, she will rise up beneath him and attempt to lift him into the air, before abrubtly slamming him fowards and face first into the ground. Before the NFG, Rodrigo was used to being the one with unusual movement in his fights especially with him incorporating bullfighting movement, baguazhang, and occasionally flamenco movements into his footwork, usually he would be forcing his opponents to react to how unorthodox he is. Between Homura pulling off some wuxia shenanigans by springing off of his sword, and Roxana's weird figure eight movement on the ground, is enought to make the blade dancer look normal in comparison. He doesn't react in time to get away from getting hoisted up and slammed down. Thankfully the Spaniard has the presence of mind to turn his face so that he doesn't get his nose broken but it still looks like it hurt nevertheless. COMBATSYS: Roxana successfully hits Rodrigo with Scorpion Slam. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "Rodrigo showing both deft footwork and deft bladework there." LOU: "And Roxana showing that she doesn't even need feet to turn you into street meat. Rodrigo thought he was fighting a scorpion lady, and instead he was dealing with a snake." TOM: "For someone who seems so straightforward on the surface, she certainly has some unusual moves." LOU: "And Rodrigo definitely impressed me. Roxana had him on the backfoot for the first half, but even I thought he was gonna pull it out in the end. These two fought right down to the wire." TOM: "A VOD worth watching for sure for those who want to know more about these two new contenders, Lou." (A link to the match VOD appears below: http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012382.shtml) (Continued in the next post!)

-==BRAUN=- versus -==SARAH==- TOM: "So here we have a public service announcement about the dangers of breaking into people's homes." LOU: "Or an inspiring message about seizing the day and taking every chance to party you can." TOM: "Perhaps we should let our viewers be the judge of who was in the right here. Let's look at some footage from the fight." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- Uppity Greek hero? Awful taste in music? Terrible DJ skills? The Beastman can't be referring to the young lady known as DJ Supernova, can he? Surely he can't be referring to Sarah Ashley Kuzumi, can he? If you guessed that he was referring to Sarah, you're right... well, sort of. The young DJ is going by the alias of Oddyssarah instead of her usual name. All part of the theme for this whole battle. But that's aside from the point. The young DJ is also wearing a toga, albeit one that's been modified to let her legs be able to move freely, and again she's not wearing her usual baseball cap. Hey, when in Rome- erm, Greece, right? As Oddyssarah arrives in the cave, she looks around and puts her hands on her hips before smiling. "Well, what've we got here? A mighty large cave that has to have some mighty great acoustics! I bet this would make a great place for a show!" Oddyssarah's smile fades a little when she spots what's supposed to be Polyphemus sitting on the throne and she covers her mouth as if she's made a faux pas. "Oh, dear me, it seems I'm trespassing, am I?" She giggles. "Then again, if you're livin' in a cave, you could probably use some good entertainment, right?" He was indeed referring to her. How rude! Though truth be told he's hamming it up for the recordings going on. He actually rather like's the work of DJ Supernova. But the idea of having his 'rest' disturbed by an impromptu party...why...that's something he wouldn't like under any circumstance so it's easy to stay in character with this scenario. "My cave isn' a cave for partyin' but for restin'! A person requires a certain amount of hours of sleep for good health and disturbing that with lights, noise, dancin' and bumpin' jams is bad news!!" Nevermind that he was wide awake... "So -now- I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson about trespassin' and partyin' in the wrong place and time!" He pushes up from the huge throne, towering up to his large height and then he springs forward, a great hulkish leap that catapults him towards the middle of the cave, facing Oddyssarah once he lands with a heavy thump. He then drops into his combat stance, shifting one leg forward and raising one arm up behind him while his other arm ifts, muscles bulging and claws crackling with hints of red energy as he grins at the DJ. "Time to shut yer party down!" -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "And that's before the action even got underway! Let's see a clip from the combat." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- Aggressive and energetic, Braun surges forward as the Butterfly manifests and brings both of his large furred arms up as he barrels into the discharge of brilliant energy. He grunts, grimaces but then gives a sneering grin as the power of the blazing energy ripples over him, burning and battering his form but not slowing him down just yet. Both of his arms uncross as he leaps, attempting to clear straight through the air overtop Sarah and land behind her with a heavy thudding *thunk* to his landing. Once there he reaches for her, trying to grab her before she can twist away and rumbling out loudly, "So waht're you waitin' on, darlin'!? Fire it on up! Yer gonna need that rock and roll if you wanna hang out in -this- cave!" With that he attempts to seize her and then leap. A successful grab will send both of them spinning up into the air towards the top of the large cavern and then back down again in a spiraling arc accompanied by scything arcs of energy in a sort of combo of a spinning piledriver and izuna drop! A miss would leave him rather vulnerable to a counter assault so one hopes he doesn't miss! COMBATSYS: Sarah parries Braun's Cyclonic Driver!! That looks dangerous. Real dangerous. But Oddyssarah's ready for her opponent! If he wants to get the party started, then she'll get things started! "Don't say I didn't warn ya!" Oddyssarah says as she watches Polyempheus come at her, and she's ready the moment he tries to grab her. "I don't think so!" Oddyssarah says just as he's about to make contact, twisting out of the way in the blink of an eye like it's nobody's business. "Hey, you said you wanted to get things going, so let's get it on!" As Oddyssarah is speaking, she drops down onto the ground and then proceeds to spin around while balancing on her hand. She attempts to deliver two strikes with her bare feet, one with the higher leg and one with the lower leg. COMBATSYS: Braun blocks Sarah's Tornado Warning EX. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "This was a very close match but in the end Braun took the victory and the moral high ground." LOU: "I'm still proud that Sarah was ready to fight for her right to party." TOM: "Watch all the action on the link displayed." http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012384.shtml (Continued in the next post!)

-==ISHIDA=- versus -==TANWEN==- TOM: "A treat for all our fans of dragons here, because Tanwen showed up to the fight already in her alternate form." LOU: "Actually Tom, Tanwen has claimed that the dragon is her real form and she just plays the part of a human." TOM: "Interesting, Lou. Speaking of playing parts, Ishida was looking very much the Disney hero here in his Hercules costume." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- Ishida didn't wear an Ajax costume to his last fight, due to a confluence of factors that basically revolve around the new fighter not realizing the expectations held of him. This time, he's received a bit of help from his NFG handlers. The Japanese man is currently outfitted in costume armor, painted bronze and trimmed in metallic gold. His feet are clad in linen, and protected by leather sandals. As an odd color contrast, the armor is coupled with a short blue cape. Aside from his distinct Japanese features and his very-not-an-hourglass waistline, the armored breastplate-and-skirt helps him look like a live-action version of Disney's 'Hercules'. His frown and creased brow shows that he's not even a little pleased with this look. The fabric is stiff. The worbla armor is uncomfortable. And not even the addition of black shorts can keep him from feeling vulnerable with that damned skirt. To make matters even worse, the Nara native was so aggravated by the costuming changes that he'd completely forgotten to get something to eat. There are, however, two things that bring peace to Ishida's unsettled mind. The first, of course, is that he has a chance to connect with nature on a beautiful sunlit day. The breeze feels nice, and the light aroma of apples is nice -- even if it is a bit fake, as apples are way out of season. The second is his pre-fight meditation ritual: squats. He may be in costume, but that won't stop him from loading weights onto a metal bar, resting the bar on his shoulders, and lifting. Everyone should limber up before battle, and right now, outdoors on a hill, is the time and place chosen by Ishida. After the tenth rep or so, his stomach makes an awfully loud grumble. The Nara man's frown grows a bit more, at that. Maybe he'll get to eat soon. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "He's also playing the part of being hungry very well. Tanwen was determined not to let him eat those apples though." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- "It is a very bad day for eating apples!" the Welsh dragonling declares with a combination of feisty menace and sincerity that contradicts its house pet-like stature, all the more so given the fact that it's wearing a little bathing suit. It lets out a threatening little puff of flame for emphasis, as if it might light all of the candles on Ishida's birthday cake if he does not comply. The dragonling drops down to the ground, whipping its tail to smack the fried apple to roll to the base of the tree, where it collides with a pile of what appears to be cosplay equipment - a shield and sword laid neatly next to the tree trunk. Tanwen trots over to the gear before standing up on her hind legs. As she straightens, she starts to stretch as well, her limbs lengthening and features reforming in a way that, at first, is actually rather uncanny to behold, the red scales sinking into her skin in most places as her body rapidly reshapes itself into the familiar figure of the youthful female. The green swimsuit expands as well - although, by the time that she's fully grown, the once-baggy one-piece strains to contain the feminine curves of the humanoid Tanwen, the fabric stretched taut across her tummy and riding up in ways that are surely uncomfortable. Fortunately, the gap that had been used before for her tail is able to stretch to accommodate it once it's achieved its full girth and length. "Oh! That's a bit tight, that is!" Tanwen says with a frown as the situation worsens when she bends down to collect her sword and shield from the pile. Kneeling to close the rest of the distance, she grabs the gear, then quickly turns around and straightens back up. As she faces Ishida, it becomes clear that she's also retained the horns at either side of her head, though the little wings have retracted into her skin for now. Her eyes also still have the narrow lizard-like pupils of her draconic form - but a blink later, those have turned humanoid in shape as well. "I'm Lady Ladon, the guardian of these delicious golden apples, and I don't like sharing, I don't! So, you're going to have to defeat me if you want to eat me! I mean, eat my apples! You're not allowed to eat me either way!" -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "Neither of them were giving up without a fight, which led to some spectacular scenes." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #3 -=*=- Ishida smiles! It seems the two are able to communicate, despite the odd little differences in nuance in their modes of communication. But, despite his good cheer, the Nara native's brow still shows a little befuddlement at the notion of 'hit points.' Maybe that's just one of those phrases destined to remain lost in translation. He is a little more sure of himself when it comes to the exchange that follows. Herculida holds his ground as Tanwen leaps in, raising his arms as she swings her buckler at him. He raises his forearms, letting them absorb the brunt of that shield slam. Bone and sinew show themselves to be sturdier than the paint on the costume bracers, which begins to crack and split under the pressure. He sacrifices a step to maintain his balance, but even then, Tanwen is able to start twisting him backwards. When she tries to get her thigh locked around him, though, Ishida's able to block that maneuver. Raising his pinned arms outward lets him pivot out of her grasp before she can complete the hold, at the risk of savaging his arms even further. Ishida draws back, breathing out through clenched teeth as he pushes aside the throbbing pains in his arms. Still -- the smile is close at hand. "These must be some good apples, for the Hesperides to employ such a formidable guard..." After that moment of preparation, he charges in again to close the gap, leading with a punch with his leading hand, then following up with a second punch from his trailing hand. Continuing to advance, he'd throw his shoulder into the fray with an aim to knock Tanwen backwards -- and then he'd give his upper body a break as he twists himself into a rolling sobat kick to send her flying! If, of course, all goes according to plan... COMBATSYS: Ishida successfully hits Tanwen with The Rock. - Power hit! - Things don't go quite to plan for Tanwen. Ishida manages to avoid her attempt at establishing dominance, forcing her to abort her plan to drop down and leaving her to stumble for balance instead as he breaks her grasp. "Oh! What a nice thing to say!" the dragonling remarks with widening eyes and reddening cheeks when Ishida mentions what a formidable guard the apples have. She's suddenly torn inwardly between an urge to reciprocate the kindness of Herculida and the duty to maintain her role as guardian and keep the thief from stealing the prize. "...But I'll never be a proper dragon if I can't guard a hoard!" she finishes her thought aloud, having forgotten to express the first half of it. Unfortunately, her inner turmoil seems to affect her defensive intuition - the first punch slips past her armaments to connect with her chest, the second smacking into her cheek. She's knocked into a flailing stumble by the shoulder slam, then kicked right off her feet - sent flying - "Ahhh!" *THUD* - straight into one of those half-pillars sticking up from the garden. "Oof... me head hurts a bit after that, like..." Tanwen says woozily as she pushes herself away from the pillar and dusts her back off with her buckler hand. Then, setting her face with a look of focused determination, she arches her back and flexes her shoulder blades. A pair of red, leathery wings burst forth from her back as she takes on her draconic aspect further, and red scales appear along her cheekbones and chin, as well as her wrists and shoulders. "I think it's time to get more dragon-y! Here I come!" And she leaps forward with a flap of her wings, sword arm extended, as if she's going to slash at Ishida with the blunted weapon - but she enters a spin as she goes, instead aiming to fly past Ishida and slap him across the face with her tail in passing! COMBATSYS: Ishida interrupts Evasive Strike from Tanwen with The Hard Place. 'I'll never be a proper dragon if I can't guard a hoard!' Ishida seems to be giving that matter some thought. It's just that the thought comes right on the heels of Tanwen slamming into that half-pillar, which draws a wince of sympathy from the Japanese fighter. "Forgive me..." is Ishida's quick response. In some respects, the perennial loner has yet to learn his own strength. In others... well, this -is- combat, and there's going to be some bumps and bruises as folks figure out the best way to advance their respective careers. He draws in his breath, giving the dragoness some breathing room for the moment. And, from this distance, he's treated to a better view of Tanwen's transition back into a more scaly form. He doesn't shy away this time; he grins, appreciating that Tanwen is showing him more of her true colors. "I am ready," he states, raising his hands in demonstration, his gray eyes locked upon Tanwen's. And when she swoops in, he proves that statement, stepping backward, preparing to swing his head and upper torso out of the path of that blade. But once the focused Nara native sees the tell-tale twitch of wing muscles, he considers otherwise. The dragoness' tail slams into the raised triangle formed by his elbow, shoulder, and cheekbone. It stings; he's forced backward a couple steps from the blow. But he's also moving his feet with the blow, in a calculated bid to keep pace with her as she blows past him. He deluges her with a rolling barrage of short, Wing Chun-style punches as she passes, one blow after another. Ishida knows, however, that she's moving too fast for even his quick footwork to keep up, though -- and before she can get too far away, he switches his strategy up into one last strike: a powerful headbutt to send her veering off-course! The young dragoness hadn't anticipated the fact that the Japanese teen would actually try and stand up to her swooping tail-slap, let alone return fire with his anti-air-capable punches. They collide with her thighs as she tries to fly past, sending her into a literal tail-spin - until Ishida slams his head into her from below and behind, causing her eyes to go wide with surprise. "Eeep!" The actual collision against a relatively cushioned surface is only a minor factor in the damage to come - it's the headfirst crash into the tree of the Hesperides and subsequent tumble to the ground that leaves Tanwen much worse for air, covered in scuff marks and dirt as she comes to a stop. As she picks herself up, twigs and leaves flutter out of her bronze hair, more lingering in her swimsuit. "Right," Tanwen pants, her wings flicking and body heaving lightly with each breath. "I think I'm gonna have to get even more dragon-y now." As she says so, the scales continue to spread further along her shoulders and decolletage and up from her wrists. Her wings flap hard, carrying her up into the air as they swell and strain against the limitations of her hybrid form. She raises sword and shield to either side as faint shimmering waves of heat begin to rise off of her form. "Alright! It's time for my secret attack!" she announces boldly, before dipping forward to drop into a dive down toward Ishida. As she flies down, flickers of flame start to burst from her person, giving the faint illusion of a shooting star as she plummets downward, aiming to pin Ishida to the ground through his armor using her sword as she'd crash her heated weight down on him. If she succeeds, she'll rear back with her shield arm before crashing it down onto the rocky warrior - which would unleash a massive fiery blast, sending the girl rolling away head-over-heels! COMBATSYS: Tanwen successfully hits Ishida with Dragon's Descent EX. ?!? Weird Hit! ?!? -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "Thrilling stuff there, Tom. Ishida took the victory but I think the viewers were the real winners here. The full footage can be seen by following the link on the screen." http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012381.shtml (Continued in the next post!)

-==ALBERT=- versus -==HENRY==- TOM: "A battle between two strapping swordsmen now. This was one I was definitely looking forward to." LOU: "Unfortunately the fighters didn't get their match description ahead of the action, so they were left to guess at the theme. Thankfully some brotherly love was on display. At least at the start of the fight." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- "Oooh! That almost makes me wish I'd managed to get enough money for a shield too! Thats stance looks so cool!" Yes, his eyes are even sparkling when he says that, with an utterly childlike glee. But having said that, he promptly hops over the edge of the ruined tower base, landing onto the ground a few paces away from Henry with an audibily *thud*, bending his knees to bring him for a second into a crouched posture before springing back upright again, stretching his arms out to the sides with his back arching in a nearly full body stretch. "Raaah! Yes! I'm ready! I'm pumped up!!" His weight all but swings forward after that, hard enough he has to stomp one foot to the ground to stop himself from just straight up kipping over. "Let's go!" "They're useful, if you get one I'll be happy to spar with you and give you some tips." From some that might sound condescending, but Henry is simply genuine in his offer, a friendly smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Though they've had limited interactions, he finds himself liking the would-be knight overall. He nods as Albert declares his readiness, then he starts his testing. This is the fighter who might be the most similar to him, most of the other sword users in the tournament seeming to prefer more agile swords than the longsword. He takes a few steps, moving in a partial arc around Albert, seeing how he reacts, either adjusting to follow or not, everything is information. But he only stays back so long before he quickly closes the gap, taking a few quick strides with his guarding shield still in front of him. Once close enough, he thrusts the tip of his blade at Albert, now prodding those defenses he was checking a moment earlier. There's little flash to the move, but not everything needs to be a spectacle, and the fans will get their show soon enough. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "Things weren't quite so friendly once the fight got underway however, as you can see here." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- "Eh?!" It's the flare of crimson light that brings out such a surprised reaction. It makes Albert outright panic, and damn near just flail his arms in front of the arcing of the blade. As if remembering only at the very last second that he is, in fact, supposepd to try to defend himself, he does turn the blade in his hand to spin it around and impose it in the way of the incoming sword. A fraction of a second too late, however. The blade sheathed in crimson chi slips right below Albert's own sword, and it strikes straight into his armored(?) side. "Gaaah?!" The boy stumbles to the side, hopping on one foot and wincing hard with his hand going to press against where he was struck. "Some kinda sorcery...?!" Has he... never seen someone wield chi before? The faux-knight lets out a heavy huff though once his other foot steadies down again. Though he's still wincing enough to squeeze one eye towards being shut, he continues to stomp on to the side and then forward. Trying to make a quick circle around Henry, making a wide but quick swing for the other man's side in turn, before continuign to bounce along in a sideward trajectory to maintain a relatively safe distance between them. COMBATSYS: Albert successfully hits Henry with Evasive Strike. "Sorcery?" Henry repeats, sounding a little dumbfounded himself. Has Albert even watched the previous broadcasts of fighting tournaments, or even the last season? Magic looks totally different, or so Henry thinks, but he's no magic expert. It's his turn to be distracted by a moment of confusion and he doesn't quite manage to slip out of the way of Albert's attack. Swords don't need to be "real" or "sharp" to hurt, they're still a few pounds of metal being smashed into Henry's stubbornly unarmored side. He hisses through his teeth at the blow, but he's used to getting smacked by training blades, so he doesn't let it bother him long and uses the pain to recover his composure. "Have you never seen chi?" Again, there's no condescention in the question, just genuine curiosity and maybe a note of surprise. He seems inclined to give another demonstration though as the glow remains on his sword as he swings it around in a backhanded swipe that first looks to be going for the faux-knight's feet. Instead he strikes the blade into a rock mostly buried in the ground, sending up a shower of red chi-sparks between him and Albert. COMBATSYS: Henry successfully hits Albert with Hound Couchant. - Power hit! - -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "Unfortunately for our Hollywood hope, things went downhill for him soon after and Albert went on to take the win. This was a turning point in the match." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #3 -=*=- "Didn't think you were. You're still standing." Henry quips back with an easy, though slight smile, hand still on the hilt of his sword. As Albert comes stomping in his direction, the blue-haired teen crouches to make himself a smaller target, bringing up his shield to intercept the kick. There's only a little give, braced as he is with his center of gravity close to the ground, only a soft grunt escapes him. That earlier blow to his side is going to be sore tomorrow. There's no time to worry about that though, and he's quick to retaliate, launching himself from his crouch into a backflip, pulling his sword free from the ground at the apex of his acrobatic leap, sending a clod of dirt flying at Albert just ahead of an upwards swing of the freed sword. COMBATSYS: Albert interrupts Evasive Strike from Henry with Mighty GUTSY Headbutt!. Albert is persistent. Even after the kick, he maintains his close, stomping approach for Henry. Even when the man backflips, he keeps coming forward. But when the dirt comes flying into his eyes in the middle of Henry's leap? That's when he stumbles to a stop, and his head actually reels back with a loud "Gah?!" His eyes squeeze shut by instinct. He probably cant even see the incoming followup swing from the sword. But then all of a sudden. He actually swings his whole body forth from that leaned back posture, to the point his head is thrusting out well ahead the rest of his body. His head actually collides with the very side of Henry's sword's tip with a dull sound. Just how thick is his skull?! "GUUUUUUUUUUUTTSSS!!!!!!" The shout is loud enough to echo well past the ruins. But only *almost* loud enough to drown out the shockwaving sound of impact when his body, continuing it's full-seight swing forward, actually brings the top of his head right into the top of Henry's before his feet even reach the ground from the backflip. It is an utterly absurd move without any regard for his own well-being-- and yet, somehow, despite the momentum, his body stops just shory of his forehead slamming into the ground, his forward-slid foot stubbornly pushing into the ground until he is swung back upright again. "Raah!" -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "To see the VOD in full, you know what to do." http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012383.shtml (Continued in the next post!)

-=HAWKSLEY=- versus -===BUCK===- TOM: "I'd like to start by pointing out that Professional Fighting Worldwide does not endorse its fighters showing up to their matches intoxicated. Especially in countries where drinking alcohol in public is illegal." LOU: "Look, Tom. They should've thought of that before they scheduled Hawksley Moore to compete on Saint Patrick's Day." TOM: "Out of respect, we will omit any footage of Hawksley being so drunk on the palace grounds that he fell into the fountain." LOU: "Clearly that's a safety issue on the palace's part. Why don't we focus on Buck's acting skills instead?" -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- The Irishman's dark brown hair seems black now it's wet and is slicked back from the tanned skin of his handsome face. As he tries to focus his eyes on his friend, he has to blink several times to do so. "So the story is..." He starts to slur. "You're supposed to be mad at me for waking you up. So mad you wanna feck me up or something. So, you know, we can go with that or we can just have a brawl. Whatever takes your fancy really." He takes off his boots, a brilliant birthday gift from Buck, before tipping the water out and then putting them back on again. Not that Buck seems to mind being wet, it's better in the Egyptian heat, though less desireably as the night time cold is just around the corner. Still, it's getting into that golden time between day and night where the desert temperatures should be just perfect. "And you're drunk." Buck states with a grin as he gives Hawksley and up and down. There's no accusation, he's just saying what he observes. "Well, we better make the higher ups a little happy." Stretching his arms over his head he gets to his feet and turns towards the Cork brawler. "Grr.. you woke me up, now I'm gonna kick your butt. That good?" All delivered with his characteristic smile and cheery tone. You really think a shapeshifter would be a better actor. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "And the Oscar goes to..." TOM: "Listen, Lou, they didn't hire these fighters to be actors. They're paid to entertain through combat, and that's exactly what we saw here." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- "So you're after some whiskey are you?" Hawksley questions Buck, bringing his hand down to reach into the pocket of the black pants he's wearing. A brief look of panic crosses his face as his hand returns empty. "Hold that thought!" He yells, backing up and reaching a hand into the fountain, causing the clear water to ripple. After fishing his fingers around for a few seconds, he raises his hand in victory, holding up his familiar silver hip flask. "Got it!" He grins, before taking off the lid and having a long swig. As he spits the amber liquid in Buck's direction, he uses his inner fire to ignite it, sending flames flying towards his friend's face! Yeah, it ain't spankin' I'm worried about. She won't send the brownies." Buck mutters, and the other man has had those brownies, so it's at least a relateable problem. He gives his fist a little shake, after the jaw blow. It's a good wway to break your hand too, but Buck knows how to throw his punches. He initially braces himself against the attack he thinks is coming, only for the heat not to arrive. He quizzically looks over his guard only to see Hawksley fishing about in the fountain. "Really?" He asks, still in good humor as he rushes in again, expecting a free shot only to get the delayed face full of flames. "Aw heck, I think some got in my eye." COMBATSYS: Hawksley successfully hits Buck with Hedonism. He's got one eye squinting as the flames clear. Twisting to the side, he grabs the edge of the fountain, pulling his legs up off the ground and into his chest. His legs bared to the knee, it's easy to see his feet twisting into the pair of hooves he intends to slam right into Hawksley with a donkey like kick aimed at his center, even as he plunks his head right into the water of the fountain. Probably to wash out his eye. Maybe.. "Oh no, not the brownies." Hawksley's look of horror is genuine. He has indeed tasted these sensational sweet treats baked by Mrs Finley and that would be as bad as him never getting to have his mammy's stew again. "You best behave then." He nods solemnly. Not that he's ever been one for behaving himself, as evidenced by the fact he's just breathed fire into his friend's face. "Did I get you in the eye?" He asks, his concern seeming genuine. The Irishman is about to move closer to inspect the damage for the cowboy but then he sees the hooves heading his way. "Ah, feck!" He cries out, as one of the donkey feet connects. Thankfully for the Irish lad, despite his drinking habit, he somehow has a solid core to take the strain. COMBATSYS: Hawksley blocks Buck's Hoofing It. "What are you doing down there?" He questions as Buck ducks under the surface of water. "Will you be washing out your eye now?" -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "Okay, we can both agree that it was entertaining." TOM: "And nobody got kidnapped." LOU: "Tom! You were getting on my case for mentioning what happened after the first time these guys duked it out." TOM: "Hey, I didn't mention that. All I said was that nobody got kidnapped." LOU: "Fair play. And even though his opponent has his own personal cheerleader show up, Hawksley managed to take this one." TOM: "I'm not one to invoke superstition, Lou, but even I can see that the odds were stacked against Buck, having to fight Hawksley at the height of his powers." LOU: "That's definitely invoking superstition, Tom, and I agree with it completely. I hope we get to see these two fight again soon - maybe on a full moon." (A link to the match VOD appears below: http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012392.shtml) (Continued in the next post!)

-=IRIS=- versus -===ZARINE===- TOM: "Things are about to get a whole lot darker as we come to the fight featuring our two queens of the underworld, Iris and Zarine, or should I say Hecate and Impusa?" LOU: "In the spirit of the event, let's stick with their character names, Tom. I loved the setting for this match. I wouldn't have minded visiting the club myself." TOM: "Well the season is still young, Lou. Perhaps you can make a trip there." LOU: "Perhaps so, Tom. Shall we take a look at the ladies of the night in action?" -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- There aren't too many people around with enough sorcerous knowledge to speak to Zarine on her level. While she isn't a dedicated practitioner, she knows enough to make herself incredibly dangerous. She would never call herself a sorceress or witch, though. She is merely a Vampire Noble, and magic is part of it. Usually used how she uses it, unless it's one of the mental manipulators. Those are arguably more dangerous. That has little to do with right now. Iris rushes back in, swinging the chain. Zarine buys the feint, lifting her arm to catch it. She grunts as the metal slaps her arm and winds tight, followed by Iris coming in close. This may be the screenshot of the fight, the two women bound together by a chain, faces inches apart. Until Iris reels back to punch, anyway. Zarine is caught, so she does what she can. In this instance it's call upon the power of her unholy blood to make herself tougher. This means that she absolutely feels it when Iris hits her in the face, but it does far less damage than it would have otherwise. Her smile is serene, almost gentle. Except for the glint of fangs. That adds a threatening aura to it. She stares Iris in the eyes for a moment, likely continuing the screenshot heaven. It's over fairly quickly, though, as her sword hand, not bound up in chains, ignites in black fire. She draws it wide and, using Iris's proximity, lashes out with a viscious pommel strike. She's aiming for the clavicle. Somewhere soft and where it will hurt, but also possibly do some damage. COMBATSYS: Zarine successfully hits Iris with Sunless. - Power hit! - Okay. This got very real, very quickly, and the smile is gone from Iris's face. Since the camera is already apparently in tight closeup on these combatants, people may notice that, as the chain disappears from Iris's hand and she processes just what it is Zarine is up to, the British magus makes a sudden and swift gesture with the index and middle fingers of that now-free hand, drawing a glowing shape in the air that flickers blue, then vanishes. Smart viewers, or those with a dictionary of the Elder Futhark handy, will notice the vaguely Y-shaped Algiz, the rune symbolizing protection and defense. It's not the pommel strike that's the real problem, though it certainly doesn't help any. For Iris, it's that despite being of a magical persuasion, her defenses against energy are not any better (or worse) than the average fighter. After all, the Brit isn't really a battlemage; she's an enchanter who decided to put her skills to work. Zarine's precision blow and black flame result in a really inelegant-looking backpedal and flail as Iris is sent backwards from the blow, rolling somewhat on the cave floor to get the fire out. When she gets back to her feet, burns and bruises visible, it is clear that a switch has flipped, for her. Running a hand across her mouth, the wizard studies her opponent very carefully. "Okay," she says, eyes narrowing. Guess I have to step it up a notch or two," she says slowly, shaking out her hands, never losing eye contact with Zarine. Then she vanishes. Appearing *behind* the vampire, Iris extends a palm toward Zarine's back, entire hand surrounded in a chill aura of blue-white. If the magus can strike her before she turns around, great; but all she REALLY needs is a moment of contact... COMBATSYS: Zarine interrupts Hagalaz - Ragnarok ES from Iris with This Corrosion. The point of the touch is to imbue the frost swirling around Iris's hand to her target, which manifests as chains of ice that will lock her in place... at which point Iris disappears AGAIN. Then she reappears, her truesilver replica of Joyeuse in hand, the rapier's length crackling with lightning, to strike from another angle. And again, and again, and again -- each new appearance is a new a weapon, a new aspect of the storm -- ice, thunder, wind -- and a new angle of attack, before at the very last, Iris would lash out with the same silver chain from before, looking to whip Zarine into the distance. Of course, if the vampiress is crafty, there are plenty of moments into which she could wedge her own counteroffensive, here... It's amazing. Zarine hasn't gone berserk once during this fight. She's being pushed, Iris is no pushover, but she seems much more comfortable with the state of her power, and she hasn't been driven into a corner of injury and rage. This could change, but so far, she seems to be holding herself together. She manages not to wince as Iris goes tumbling, she honestly didn't intend to hit her that hard! It was a fluke. An accident, but this is still a fight. Heartened to see the magus rise to her feet, Zarine prepares to meet her assault head on, but it doesn't come. Instead Iris pulls a trick Zarine herself has done many times, vanishing only to reappear at a different angle to strike. The bad news for Iris, is that the vampire bursts into a cloud of white mist, her hand passing clean through. The good news is that some of the chill still manages to get through, making the swirling cloud sluggish. So much so, that Zarine is forced to reform early and face off against the flurry of rapier strikes. Metal strikes metal as Zarine is on the back foot, pressured hard as she parries. A few thrusts sneak through, punching into unbleeding undead flesh, making her grunt. A mighty thrust is thrown, and the vampire pivots, the blade skimming inches in front of her chest. As Iris's blade pulls back, Zarine strikes. Her own long, thin blade whips forward, tapping Iris's blade up and away, only for it to move impossibly fast and slash back at the wizard's body, aiming to strike center mass with a staggering blow. Iris has no space to complain, being a weapons-based fighter herself, but as a vampirically-empowered sword sends her not quite flying, but definitely more than staggering backwards with a bloodied front, she might consider starting to use Nerf weapons in the future. The technique she used on Zarine -- who hits predictably hard -- was a calculated risk, for one important reason: as Iris has said to multiple people, short-range teleporting is mostly math. You have to predict, anticipate, and plan for where you AND your opponent are going to be, and if you plan on teleporting a bunch of times in a row, you have to absolutely commit to the bit. It's that necessary focus/commitment that, ironically, is what allows Zarine's precision strike to lever through and disrupt it all. When the Brit gets back up, she's clutching her stomach, feeling blood seep through between her fingers. Having picked up the pro fighter's typical resilience, she's not in any danger, but that doesn't make it pleasant. "Hm. Not how I anticipated that going, I admit," she says to Zarine with a faint, sardonic smile. "But I'm not out of this yet." This technique has served her well in her last few fights, but Zarine appears to be fully on her game right now. Expending so much energy in one go is a gamble... but considering her physical state right now, it's basically her only choice. For a potentially confusing moment, Iris takes her fingertips -- glowing with rainbow light -- and draws a line of runes in the air before her. For someone who can READ runes, they don't necessarily signify anything in particular, but when the 'sentence' is complete, there is a... palpable change in the air. The Brit raises her hand upward, before shouting "Come, Valhalla's arsenal!" She brings her hand down. On cue, the sky above Zarine in a relatively big circle suddenly becomes alive with shapes and motion. Swords, spears... medieval weapons of all kinds, seemingly hanging in the air -- many of them with blades coruscating with ice or thunder -- hover... and then fall. Vampires don't like the sun, but unless she does something about it, the rain's about to be nearly as bad. COMBATSYS: Iris successfully hits Zarine with Laguz - Rain of Blades ES. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "Magnificent stuff. Both these fighters have fantastic flair and it was wonderful to see Iris Osterlund back competing after her absence from the first round." LOU: "It was indeed, Tom. With this match too close to call, it ended in a draw. A fitting result in my eyes. You can see the rest of the footage in the usual way." http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012388.shtml (Continued in the next post!)

-=COCO=- versus -===HATED R===- TOM: "I'm sure all of you have probably watched the full footage of this fight already after it's gone viral across over the planet." LOU: "You've got to hand it to both competitors here, they know how to put on a show. I haven't been this entertained since our boy, Brian Storm took on John Doe in the funeral home." TOM: "Hated R may not have the best record in the competition but he is always a winner in the watchability stakes, as this clip proves." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- NFG's Pop Up Video Factoid: No. The 'R' hasn't always been there. Only since his most recent album, Capital R, has Hated R been sporting an R in his left eyebrow. Hated R makes one of those 'Sure Jan' faces when the backside viewing is denied and even turns to the side to give a little more of a profile DAT ASS. But his teasing and mockery is short lived as Coco has decided that there's been enough flirting and now is the time for some disaster. Hated R doesn't even realize what's about to happen as he's pulled in by her gaze once again. His own eyes distracted by the Cocolypso of her outfit once he's close enough, though. It only takes that briefest of no-attention-paying for things to go incredibly wrong for him in this next moment. Clinched with ease and completely faked out by the knee has Hated R in the perfect position for the obliteration as he shifts right down... Narrator: It was at this moment, he knew he messed up. Arms trapped and elbowed right into Dazedville (Population: R), The Most Humblest gets exactly what she promised as those hips bongo right into him! There's a grunt... and then a smile on Hated R's face. He got his hands right up at the right time. Maybe that's why there's a huge SLAP sound that comes from the impact. "Saaaaaay CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKS!" Hated R makes use of this close proximity to his opponent and twirls a Sharpie between his fingers. He flicks the cap right off, aiming it at the Coco's 'Bongo' to see if there is something to the whole 'bounce a quarter off of' adage he's heard about and seen on TikTok. His movements are probably faster than they should be because he aims that marker for a quick scrawl of 'Hated R Wuz Here' -- wait, was this planned?! Was he trying to get her sarongless for this reason?! Naaaaaah. No way, Hated R's that smart, right? Anyway, if he can pull off this scrawlful (hah!) autograph sesh, Hated R seeks to send her on her way-- away from him-- with a healthy 'Get Me A Beer Smack'... complete with Sharpie Stained Handprint? COMBATSYS: Coco blocks Hated R's Improvised Smack. *SLAP* Judging by the bemused expression on her face as her unstoppable hips meet Hated R's immovable hands, it's safe to say that Coco wasn't expecting her flow to be interrupted in quite such a cheeky fashion. Her expression then turns into a scowl when she feels the marker cap bouncing off of her backside. "Have you been watching my KickTock?" she's only just finished asking when her eyes go wide at the odd sensation that comes next. *squeak squeak squeak* It's an unfamiliar one, but only because she'd been very, very drunk that time she'd thought she'd met Ed Sheeran at a party. She hadn't realised her error (or remembered the event) until her friend Becky had asked her who 'Franklin' was in the tennis club's women's change room. Luckily, she'd had a name and general description to go by, allowing her to easily track the offender down on social media and get her revenge. They'd dated for two weeks. Coco only has a moment to reminisce before she realises that she must steel herself for Hated R's retaliation. *SMACK* While a handprint is certainly left (or right, depended on Hated R's handedness), Coco once again demonstrates her gluteal fortitude by audibly rebuffing the assault on the seat of her bikini bottoms, remaining standing. She scowls over her shoulder. "I did /not/ say you could sign my ass!" And to double-punctuate her point, she whips around with a slightly-sloppy but ever-so-angry roundhouse punch aimed to knock Hated R straight off of the pier if he's not careful! COMBATSYS: Hated R dodges Coco's Fierce Punch. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "And of course that simple signature has been one of the main talking points on our forums. I couldn't help but wonder what Hawksley Moore made of it all." TOM: "Someone was sent to interview him on the subject but unfortunately they couldn't understand what he was saying." LOU: "He'd been on the booze again?" TOM: "No. His accent is just that strong." LOU: "Coco went on to win this funfest in spectacular fashion." TOM: "Didn't she just kick him lightly, Lou?" LOU: "Yeah, but she looked great doing it, Tom." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- As she picks herself up off of the sand and starts idly dusting beach debris off of her backside, Coco herself appears to be slightly dazed in the aftermath. Normally, she's quite good at shutting out the emotional imprintations of those she fixes with her psychic stare. It's sort of the equivalent of a mental Rainbow Six raid: set the charges, breach, flashbang, unleash violence before they recover or you get a good long look at their faces. In this case, it was more like tripping through the bathroom door with the explosives in hand because it wasn't even latched, staring awkwardly for several seconds, then hastily scrambling out before the bomb goes off. The look in Coco's eyes is totally blank as Hated R starts to channel the power of a thousand superstars. Then, when he flicks the Sharpie top at her, she tilts her head to the side, allowing it to sail harmlessly past. Her head remains tilted as she raises an eyebrow. "Why is your mind full of nothing but hot babes?" she questions with a scrutinizing gaze, before looking down at herself, then back to Hated R. "Oh. 'Course." And with that, she brings up her fists, then steps up and pivots into a simple yet swift Muay Thai side kick at Hated R's middle! COMBATSYS: Coco successfully hits Hated R with Medium Kick. Hated R looks as innocent as he can when he's finally back up to his feet. He looks quite battered and doubly bruised, in a state of wobbly despair as he tries to remain as stylish as he started this while also remaining upright. It's a complicated juggling of positions but the question from Coco puts him in the right mental space to fight through the pain-- and the internal bleeding-- to answer. "What else am I gonna' keep up there?" is the response because of course he's focused on women as his number one priority. It likely used to be money but now that he has so much of it, there's just no reason to worry about that anymore. "Hey! You distracted me again!" Now, the fact that this is said is interesting because this is said after the collision of that side kick into his middle. His body was rocked with such vicious brutality that as far as he knows he was still on pier and sand. It wasn't until he came to for a moment did he realize he was standing on, well, nothing. And that's when he had the opportunity to throw out that last line of verbal defense. Followed by this one. "COLD AS ICE!" And now is when Hated R falls to the depths of the waters below to SPLASH! with the best of 'em. K! O! COMBATSYS: Hated R gonna' let that electric slide. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "And for the two of you who haven't seen the full fight yet, you can fix that here." http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012391.shtml (Continued in the next post!)

-=BUFORD=- versus -===KENZO===- TOM: "Here we have a real hate match with established enemies, Buford and Kenzo meeting in a match once again." LOU: "There was always going to be no love lost between these two but they couldn't seem to hold back their contempt, as you can see in this clip." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- Buford, himself, was making his own preparations. Certainly, his own account of his previous encounters with Kenzo were somewhat more sanguine that what reality might reflect. The large, towering Ronin from Canada certainly remembered how much of a hero he was in those fights, and how much of a wily and insidious ninja Kenzo was. Of course, he remembered the ninja's deep respect for his fighting style and particularly his general presence. And yet, as he comes out, dressed in what looks like a Roman toga or maybe even a bathrobe, the bristly-faced samurai shoulders his vapor blade lazily. Naturally, though it breaks the immersion of his costume, he wears his fedora on his head, and his hairy legs moving in and out of his robe as he strides out on the field. He looks to the sign, bragging about Ichika's points over Buford, before casting his gaze on Kenzo, his blubbery lips curled up in a smug sneer. And he loudly snorts. "What a ridiculous costume." Buford declares loudly, puffing his chest up against his toga. "And hardly in line with the actual history of what the real greek wore. Only truly cultured warriors like myself can recognize the correct ways someone like Odyssey would dress, especially in a proper Greco-Roman court." Buford chortles, shaking his head. "But I can understand, with your background, why you might have a somewhat distorted view on Western Culture's rich historical legacy. I will not fault you on that, Kenzo. For you see, I must tip my hat to you, old friend." Buford tips his hat to Kenzo. "For your noble actions in protecting those arcade cabinets. I may have thought of you as a lesser man before. But a true samurai spirit would sacrifice a fight, in order to protect both innocent people and innocent video games from unnecessary violence." Buford adjusts his hat back to normal. "Now. Enough praises." He gestures to his katana blade. "Are you ready to battle?" This right here was exactly why Kenzo did not want to fight him beyond the fleeting bliss of beating the Canadian wannabe samurai senseless. He has to deal with him letting his mouth run reckless. In a span of less than five minutes, he's insulted his research into the armor of Greek Hoplites, the effort of making it work while not interfering with the technology in his combat suit, his education in both high school and university, and he's pretty sure there was an indirect insult about him being a ninja in there. If it wasn't for that Corinthian helmet the frown would be very obvious. He takes a breath in order to compose himself. Kenzo's counter insult takes less than 4 seconds. "Old friend? Who are you, again?" The chain and sickle come out and the ninja looks at the official as he taps his foot to get across his impatience to get this fight over with. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "I feel like I need to put a jacket on after feeling that frosty atmosphere." LOU: "While the action may have warmed up, the relations between the two certainly didn't." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- The ninja draws back his weighted chain as Buford rages at Kenzo's refusal to recognize him much like Buford refuses to recognize why the words he says are often so abhorrent to women. When a somewhat socially awkward person like Kenzo can say, 'I can see why none of the women in the NFG don't like Buford,' life decisions need to be reconsidered. Getting back to the subject of the fight itself, Kenzo quickly stows his kusari-gama only to replace it with a tessen. Kenzo manages to intercept the blade with his fan, the attack driving into him and reverberating into his wrist. He manages to prevent the worst of it but still it was not a fun experience. A deep sword mark is left in the hard rubber but it is still in one piece. More of a testament of Kenzo's reflexes and the toughness of his war fan than the strength of his 'armor.' He remains silent as he shrugs but then returns to the business of fighting Buford. He steps forward into range with his fan and attempts to smack Buford with the fan before leaping back as he opens it readying himself to react to the weeaboo. Is a part of Kenzo enjoying Buford's anger? Yes. Of course due to the Corinthian helmet, his face is hard to read. COMBATSYS: Buford fails to interrupt Reaction Strike from Kenzo with Revengeance EX. COMBATSYS: Buford blitzes into action and acts again! To be fair, it's most of the men too. Buford brings his sword back to it's sheath, as he brings a thigh forward and braces down as Kenzo shrugs. The fan comes around, and he braces himself. The fan smacks him, and he slashes out, taking a brutal hit to his cheek. But the slash catches nothing. Kenzo's quick back dash slips out of range. But Buford does the unthinkable. He brings his sword back around, and sheathes it. In a single movement. Buford refuses to stagger. Once the blade returns, his quickly swelling, bloodied face curls into a sneer. Twisting his wrist, he defiantly stares at Kenzo, as he brings his hilt to his lips, with no sword attached to it. Free of the weapon, he begins to vape. And vape. And vape. A cloud of sharp smelling mist builds around him, mingled with the scents of gyros and yogurt, as he puffs and puffs. Soon, the fog engulfs him. And there, it stops. THere is a clicking sound, of his hilt returning to his blade. And the shadow of his shape remains. "Well?" Buford states from within. "What are you waiting for, Ninja?!" COMBATSYS: Buford furiously puffs up a sweet cotton cloud! If an analyst goes back to that moment where Kenzo had delivered the smack with his fan and put it in slow motion, they'll notice that as he was delivering the blow, Kenzo's free hand tugged on the toga to move Buford's shoulder back. It was tiny movement but it delayed the slash enough that Kenzo was able to escape unharmed. The giant cleaved Pikachu card left in its wake falls to the ground, the card cut at an odd angle due to Kenzo's subtle interference with the strike. Once again, it is probably for the best that Kenzo continues to wear the Corinthian helmet because he'd probably be betrayed by his facial expressions as he watches Buford puff on his vape and then ask what he's waiting for as if he hadn't been whacking him silly with two different weapons. Kenzo quickly exchanges the fan for the chain and sickle weapon then presses a button on his bracer to add a heat vision outline overlay on his combat specs so he can lower his chances of losing Buford in the vape mist. Suddenly, the ninja disappears in a flash of lightning and reappears behind Buford with his chain wrapped around the mall samurai's neck, sending electricity through it as he digs his knee into his back for a little extra pain. COMBATSYS: Kenzo successfully hits Buford with Shocking Ambush. - Power hit! - -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "Kenzo went on to secure his second win in a row but Buford didn't make it easy for him." LOU: "Although I doubt either of them wants to face each other again, as a fan I can't help but look forward to their next matchup. For more action from these fierce foes, check out the full VOD." http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012386.shtml (Continued in the next post!)

-=CHEVY=- versus -===GENIE===- TOM: "Now I had my doubts about Chevy being cast as a villain again but I have to say she more than stepped up to the mark." LOU: "I have to agree, Tom. I think I may have been put off eating barbecue for life after watching this match though." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- Circe Beaumont's eyes half-lid in response. "It ain't polite for you to be so judgy to someone you ain't even met." She tilts her head towards the pig to Odysseinie's left -- which, granted, the newcomer might not have even -seen-, but it's there all the same -- and stamps her foot on the floor. "... So I expect you might wanna apologize to Miss Piggy for that." .. Of course, the teasing was more of a Chevy response than a Circe response, but she's trying to have fun with it. She -wants- to sell the moment -- heck, that's why she spent so much time helping the crew with the setup for this scene. But, in another way, she really wants to cut to the chase and test her fighting spirit against Genie's. "But more than that, ma'am, I'm not sure I like what you're insinuatin'." Luckily, the cast and crew gave her one particular cheat code she could use in this instance: one that would certainly let her live up to Circe's reputation as a witch in the time of the mythical Odysseus. She turns her head, calling over her shoulder towards a device by the grill. "Alexa, close the doors." As the doors start to pivot shut -- which would, of course, -lock Genie inside-, she lifts the plate up for Genie's inspection. "I ain't done nothin' 'heinous'. All I'd done was take away the disguise that made these pigs an' sheep look *human*." She breaks out into a manic laughter, as she sets down the basting brush and reaches for the table knife. It's when she starts sawing into the chicken that she -really- starts to sound in-character. "The real crime," she insists while cutting, "is how -rude- everyone's treated me, despite my hospitality!" Setting the knife down, she turns back to Genie, with a piece of marinated chicken on the end of a fork. She reaches the piece out towards Genie with a macabre, and yet saccharine-sweet, grin. "So are you gonna dig in, or ain'tcha?" In that moment, Genie trembles. The intensity is building up. Chevy is leaning hard into the role. People might have said she wasn't really "fit" for the villain, but Genie is feeling it. Genie is definitely feeling it. She almost seems to be pick up on "Circe's" feelings and responds in kind, even if they aren't spoken aloud. "Their disguises...?" Genie looks back at Miss Piggy, and then-- Faced with the skewer, or rather, the chicken. Genie stares at it, intently. Both eyes are focused on that delectable morsel. She wants it so badly. So, so badly. And yet. Genie swallows again. "I--I think I am going to have to pass?" It sounds pained, but Genie is sticking to the script! Or what she thinks is the script. She tries desperately to hide the unladylike growl from her stomach, which is awfully outsized for Genie's petite form. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "As you know I had Chevy as a firm favourite to take the win here, which she did go on to do but Genie put up a formiddable fight and pushed her right to the wire." LOU: "You know I always love to see two lovely ladies going at it, Tom, so I am more than happy to watch this clip again." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- There sure are a -lot- of animals milling about! Chevy's not unfamiliar with this sort of chaos, thanks to her previous job at a hog farm -- but that helps only when she can work around that long, flowing dress of hers. There's a reason the tomboy usually wears overalls or jeans! 'Circe' is quick to close in as Genie finds her way back to her feet. There's an impish smirk on her face as she swings her hand sideways -- which, naturally, moves the bucket attached to Genie's hand. "Oh, don't fret none, I'd seen you fight before!" For a moment, Chevy -thinks- that'll be enough to discourage an attack... At least, until she sees that energy coalescing into the form of a spear. Her smirk turns into a surprised gasp as she leaps sideways, wrapping her arm around a top-hatted oinker -- which suddenly jolts forward with surprise! The terrified pig carries her just out of harm's way as the energy spear sears into the floor with a shower of sparks! Thankfully, no animals are harmed in the making of that splendid special effect! "Whew! I almost got flounder-gigged, right there...!" Though, by this point, the pig's carried Chevy close enough to take a swing with her pole. She aims to sweep low at the back of Genie's knee -- and if she manages to buckle the Swiss miss, she'd twist her into an arm lock and slam her sideways into the floor! "Let's see if we cain't take you for another ride!" COMBATSYS: Genie blocks Chevy's Weapon Trip. "F-flounder...gigged?" Genie seems confused, nay, even bewildered by this terminology as she tries to shake the bucket from her hand again. When the two engage again, Genie seems a bit more prepared for the exchange. She adjusts a bit from the kick, but the real reaction comes when she's flipped and thrown--and doesn't quite hit the ground as intended. Instead, Genie seems to redirect, perhaps a bit unnaturally, to slide across the floor. She's accompanied by a faint pink aura when she does before landing a bit more softly on her bottom instead of flat on her back. "I would rather not, Miss Circe!" Genie objects, pushing up to her feet. She resumes her fighting stance once again, resuming her stance. Genie sniffs, getting another whiff of the grill. She repeats the gesture, putting a hand to her middle as it grumbles. Shaking her head, Genie seems to be clearing her mind of thoughts of a post-fight snack and on the fight, but the desire still lingers. Genie is very accustomed to putting asider her wants, but perhaps she should have eaten before coming? But taking another deep breath, Genie seems focused--centered, perhaps, and drawing on a wellspring of internal power. The distraction is real. The sound of farm animals, the smell of barbeque--but Genie needs --focus--. She finds it, in all places, in a memory of her fight with Zarine and when she touched on her mind. Eyes snapping open and glowing pink, Genie surges with power. Her costume billows in a pinkish aura of energy as her hair struggles against the tie holding up her pony-tail. She launches forward--less leaping and more flying toward "Circe." "I too have a bit of magic of my own, Circe!" Genie says confidently before thrusting forward with a palm--- ---but rather than a palm strike, Genie's hand generates a much larger fist made of pure power. It extends where Genie reaches and expands--trying to grab hold of Chevy and give her a quick and powerful squeeze! COMBATSYS: Chevy interrupts Belles Mains EX from Genie with Marsh Slam EX. Thankfully, the next time Genie shakes her hand, the bucket flies off without too much difficulty -- it served its purpose for the time being, and Chevy will want it for some other purpose. In truth, Chevy's just gawking a bit at the way Genie manages to slow her fall. Normally when Chevy fights someone, she has some way of sensing, on a subconscious level, what just happened. But here, she's a bit flustered; Genie's energy isn't even on her charts. She can sense where Genie is, but the energy just doesn't even register. "Well, dang, that's pretty sweet..." She laughs faintly as Odysseinie demonstrates just how mouth-watering that barbecue is. One hand snaps to the back of her head as she approaches the discarded bucket; splashed water leaps back into the bucket as she loops it back onto the end of her staff. She might not understand Genie's powers, but she understands her own well enough. She had felt a little remorse. But instead of expressing it, she leans into the Circe act -- thanks to Genie's little reminder. "You don't have to keep fightin' me, Miss Odysseinie. We can quit any time you like, and you can get yourself some'a that delicious barbecue -- just say the word!" But... Well. Genie shows her answer to that. Chevy raises her eyebrows in surprise as that pink energy flares up again. The hayseed lowers her hips, raising her staff to shoulder height. Water splashes within her buckets. And she bares her teeth in determination... She rises at just about the same time as Odysseinie thunders forth with that larger fist. Though -- Chevy's a bit slower than she'd hoped -- the pole collides with the underside of Genie's extended arm! And even though she's still rising upwards, the pole starts to turn towards a vertical, even as that enlarged hand threatens to wrap around her! Normally, Chevy's intent would have been to freeze the pole into place just below Genie's chin, flip over her, and hurl her to the ground in a dizzying spiral. Indeed -- the water was already beginning to freeze in her buckets for just such a thing. This is where things turn a bit awry. With the pole redirected, Chevy relaxes her hold on the chilled water, which splashes out to soak both herself and Genie! She's still rising, though -- and that momentum is used to continue carrying herself upwards, as her left hand retains its grip on the pole and emptied buckets, while her right hand and the water make a grab for Genie's left shoulder... The entangled pair continues to rise into the air. Genie's hand continues to close its grip onto Chevy -- eliciting grunts of pain in the process as the air is squeezed out of her lungs. Genie's momentum continues to push Chevy backwards -- but the hog-wrestling veteran works against the giant hand's grip, turning that momentum into a corkscrewing spiral! As she flies backwards with Genie, she ends up on top, and slams her back-first into the floor! Thankfully, no hogs are harmed in the process... The water drips away as Circe pries herself free of that grasp, staggering sideways as she rises to her feet. She was wearing white -- and now the loose garment is practically see-through. (The Chevalier fan community would, of course, make a notation of her wearing white spandex underneath.) "Ugh... You really -do- know your magic, don'tcha? I cain't say I remember *that* from history class." "Oh--no no, I cannot do that! I have a fight to win!" Genie sounds fairly certain of herself---at least in that moment---power surging through her. When Chevy intercepts, slamming Genie's arm from underneath, she winces. It is only the beginning. The Swiss's eyes dart around as the water begins to freeze, then -shrieks- as she's splashed with pure, chilled H20 before the two of them are brought up together. Genie tries to retain her grip, putting on the pressure, but when she's slammed onto her back the hand suddenly lets go and dissipates as quickly as it appeared. "Well, of course," breathing heavily, Genie takes a moment to get back to her feet. "Perhaps it is the blessing of Athenie?" She laughs, but her face scrunches as soon as she does. The pulsing, surging power seems to be taking a tool on her, but it's still lingering. And Genie concentrates it, shaping it into what looks to be a greatsword, more defined than in previous rounds. Energy gathers steadily, billowing off of Genie as she seems to take her aura and extend it from herself to mould it into a weapon. She takes a swing, swinging loose paper and straw a flutter as it splits the air and cuts toward Chevy. Of course, the blade itself is not sharp--awful as though would be--but the sensation of the cut and the force of the swing is still very much there. And if she connects, shw follows up with swing after swing, unleashing a flurry of strikes with which certainly lack the finesse of a knight or samurai, even if the power is there. COMBATSYS: Genie successfully hits Chevy with Arondight EX. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "Stirring stuff there." LOU: "Indeed, Tom. If you fight fans have a hunger for more action, you can find it on this link." http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012387.shtml (Continued in the next post!)

-=ARISA=- versus -===MAX===- TOM: "Now this is awkward, Lou because we don't actually have any clips of this fight." LOU: "For those of you who don't already know, Arisa forfeited the match and refused to fight Max." TOM: "We'd love to provide you with further details but an unnamed NFG staff member was said to be so angry at the situation he destroyed the footage. He has been disciplined for his actions and Professional Fighting Worldwide would like to apologise on his behalf." LOU: "You really shouldn't have done that, Tom." TOM: "Very amusing, Lou. Now let's move on to the next match." (Continued in the next post!)

-=HOMURA=- versus -===SKYE===- TOM: "What a match this was, Lou and it was fantastic to see Skye putting in so much effort with her costume." LOU: "I'd expect no less from a wrestler, Tom. She knows how to please the fans. Let's take a look at her shall we?" -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- Skye arrives to the Centaur's Path in full costume. She is wearing a teal and black dress and skirt combo, with a long tabbard in the middle. It seems a bit out of place for a Grecian costume, perhaps, but it does seem well made and well thought out. Her long blonde hair is styled differently, and she's traded her usual pink and blue highlights for green ones for her bangs in the front. More strangely, Skye seems to have picked up a cat of cat ears that are poking out of her hair and a long, blonde cat's tail that seems to be attached to her or her wardrobe somewhere over her seat. She is carrying a bow but no quiver. "Ahem," Skye puts a black-gloved fist to her mouth to clear her throat. "I, ATLAN--ATALANTA, HAVE COME TO CLAIM THE TITLE OF BEST WRESTLER IN GREECE! I WILL DEFEAT ANY CHALLENGES, MAN OR WOMAN!" Skyelanta puts her hands on her hips. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "Skye was just as impressive once she and Homura got into the match." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- Charging toward Homura with a full run, the wrestler ducks low as she gets in close, shifting to the side only briefly to get a better approach angle before aiming to go in, shoulder first, with a spear. If she tackles him to the ground, Skye will when push Homura along before hefting him up over her head---weight does not seem to be an issue for her---and shifting into a tombstone piledriver: up into the air, upside down, then hopping to slam him down on his shoulders and back once he's inverted. COMBATSYS: Skye successfully hits Homura with Skyescraper. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "As was Homura. Look at him here." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #3 -=*=- The boy lands quickly, easily in the wake of the two of them crashing into and through the crates, the boy doing exactly one forward roll before stopping in a crouched position, his blade flicking back quickly and held at his side, the flat of the blade held even with the ground, hilt and guard balanced precariously in his hand and used as a brace to keep himself stabilized. "Ano---! Oi, oi!" Homura exclaims eloquently, as he leans back, finally lifting up his sword, and pointing at it. "Why would you mistake this for a prop?! It's so much better quality than the stuff that these guys have been sending! Even better than the best movies! Like, I bet you there's even an internet fanclub about it already! That Lyraelle girl had like twenty of those! And I bet she was only in the tournament for like four times as long! -- wait, was she in the tournament? .... I guess I'm still not sure who she is, actually-- WAH!" Of course, Homura got off on a tangent and apparently didn't notice the charging rhino attack headed his way. Interesting fact: It is -far- easier to run him over and grab him than one might expect. The boy, for all of his equipment and jewelry and things doesn't -actually- weigh a whole lot, if anything at all, like he's 90% clothes, truthfully. Flicking him up into the air results in mostly a cataclysm of white cloth and a warbling squawk of smashed shugenja. Seriously, it's like piledriving a whole memory foam bed, and the boy goes fluttering and bouncing off like a ball, seeming to remember he's supposed to weigh _something_ at the last second, only to eel up into something vaguely resembling an upright position as he thrusts a hand out. "Whhhoohhhh---! I can't compete with those kinds of moves! What do those Turkish oil guys do?? Hey, you stay back!" That selene power builds in the core of his hand, his fingertips and palm lighting up with a cat's cradle of silver light, before linking together in a circle, with the lines spinning rapidly enough that a spray of white/silver blasts the size of fists chain out, tracering after the well-dressed cosplayer's position, and woe betide any destructible terrain that gets in his way! -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- LOU: "I have to say my favourite part was the finale." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #4 -=*=- After the latest daredevil slam, Skye rolls back away from the shugenja, plants her palms on the ground, then flips through the air and back onto her feet in a daring display of agility and flexibility. Unfortunately, the same flexibility seems to be lacking in her costume, which creaks again as Skye bends her knees on the landing. The catgirl tail---still hanging on---swings back and forth. "ATALANTA!" Skye abruptly corrects. "That's my name! Ha ha ha!" She rests her hands on her hips. "Programming? Collaboration? Are you some kind of cele--oh, oh ho! I'm no baker, I'm the strongest woman in Greece!" Skye taps her chest with her thumb, holding her fist up in front of her. "Maybe it's Socrates?" She mostly definitely pronounced that wrong, and it's hard to tell if it was intentional or accidental as she boots a piece of an NFG-branded container out of her way. "Oh," Skye gets a little pale. "That looks scary," she says quietly to herself as the corona surges and then Homura gathers a miniature sun of power to hurl her way. "Oh, um, thanks! I made it myself. It was kind of a rush job but--aieeee!" She does not succeed at catching the miniature sun. Instead she is burnt, scalded, and blasted back through another crate that has the misfortune of being the crash pad for her backside before splashing into a small water feature to the side that erupts into a haze. She lays there for a moment, steaming from residual heat from the searing sphere of power, and does not get up. The water seems to be gone, at least. Her costume is not only heavily torn but also singed. Some of her wig seems to be smouldering. "Ow ow ow," Skye says, "HOT! Why is everyone throwing fire and like, SUN at me?" "AHEM," Skye clears her throat, trying to get back in character. "E-even the power of He--Helios (is that right). HELIOS'S POWER WILL DEFEAT ME!" Skye seems to have psyched herself back up, even if her knees wobble a bit as she tries to keep standing and she looks to be in quite a bit of pain. But suddenly "Atalanta" drops onto all fours--a runners-stance--then breaks into thunderous run toward the shugenja. "As a true Grecian, the marathon is also my specialty!" She proclaims, aiming to clear the gap quickly and looking ready to clothesline the man. Until she abruptly dives forward into a roll, tumbles toward Homura, then plants her palms and vaults up into a double-kick packing the power to launch him into the sky. If she does, Skye flips over and leaps after him, aiming to intercept her opponent midflight, grab hold, and twist him into a spinning piledriver! COMBATSYS: Homura interrupts Kiss the Skye from Skye with Gravity of Nagano. "Ano... sorry," Homura replies. "I guess it was just a half-caked idea...-- aa-- nmnh! I mean baked. Will editing issue a confection? -- I mean correction!! ano..." Is he blushing? It's actually a little inappropriate, because Homura is mostly chattering to himself in the aftermath of a solar blast, little embers that used to be an NFG crate curling in the air, and his fierce opponent mostly cursing at him. He does kind of notice that, really. "Oh -- it's because a lot of new fighters start out with fire, I bet! It's the easiest to learn, but the hardest to master, my teachers say... aaa, but-- oh!" He stares, kind of taken aback as Skye makes her declaration, eyes lidding and the boy cringing very slightly. Ginger, definitely more than a little concerned. "...did you mean, 'Helios' power will _not_ defeat you'...? Oh, I don't like Helios, though. Myo'ou is a much better role model to - hey, why are you crouching like that? Wait, if I'm King Peleus, am I supposed to be judging? Your, ah, form is great? ACK! Atalanta nooo--!!" The young man is certainly not going to stand for being treated like this. Most importantly, he's not going to stick around for a clothesline! The shugenja literally just turns and books it the hell out of there when Skye busts out in a full sprint towards him, the sleeves of his jacket fluttering behind him as he flees, with Skye in hot pursuit the whole way. What follows is the most fearsome chase in history, as Homura ducks under a cameraman, vaults a low-hanging boom mike, and knocks over half of a lunch table on the way to avoiding being attacked by a vicious tiger. Note. It does -not- work. -wham- "Augh!" Homura is -resoundingly- knocked sky-high into the air with a double piston kick, ragdolling end-over-end helplessly, his katana flipping end over end with him. And wouldn't you know it, just as he manages to pinwheel himself into getting some form of air control, so too does the brutal daughter slice in, gripping onto him and reorienting him into a perfect spinning piledriver. "Aaa.. y-you're so rambunctious..." the boy laments. And then slips right out of her grasp. It's not that he breaks her deathgrip, or eels his way out from between her hands. No, it's more that the boy whispers something that sounds suspiciously like a prayer, and simply decides to not be held anymore, no heavier or easier to grip than the morning mist. The sudden subtraction of his mass from the spinning piledriver interferes with the centripetal rifling of the move, and the boy doesn't -- truly -- seem to weigh anything at all in that wild moment. He catches the flat of his katana on the soles of his sneakers, and runs down the length of it as it whirls in the air, using it as a reverse springboard to reorient himself in midair. For a sick, twisting parkour moment, the boy is inverted and backflips downward, sending off a volley of selene blasts into curtaining rainfall circus after the young girl. "But don't calm down on my account...!" End over end, the boy grips both of his hands together and drops onto the wrestling princess, intersecting every neat line of his blasts with a double-fisted hammerblow to break her piledriver and send her careening back into the ground. Homura will hit the ground in a crouch, standing only when he can catch his katana as it finally drops to the ground. "...the kings of heaven shine proud light on those who give their best every day." "I didn't get to learn any fire," Skye says, almost sounding like a petulant child who didn't get her turn on the monkeybars. It's a feeling she leaves behind in the chaos of the charge and the assault on Homura's person, and it seems replaced by a bit more...satisfaction, when she nails her daring double-kick and goes into an aerial pursuit. But then he is slippery. He is out of her grip, and she's grabbing empty air like suddenly her handhold is abruptly -missing-. And as Homura descends back toward her to intercept, Skye's eyes widen. In that moment, she seems to have no idea if up is down or left is right. First he was in her grasp, and now he's not, and now she's being driven back down by a double axehandle and another line of that energy that feels like the sun's very reflection. Cratering the ground on impact, Skye lets out a low groan, taking several seconds to get her composure enough to even rise up. When she does she sways, staggers, and finally gets enough of her balance to make a fist and try to rear back and take a solid, haymaker swing at Homura. It's not especially well aimed. "That'ssss not how you take a bump!" she protests. And then, most likely, she falls flat on her face. COMBATSYS: Skye has reached second wind! TOM: "The match ended in a double knockout, with both fighters truly giving it their ass." LOU: "You should all check out the full fight on the link. You won't be disappointed. http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012389.shtml (Continued in the next post!)

-=KAHUNA=- versus -===XANDER===- TOM: "Do you know what time it is now, Lou?" LOU: "Could it be... BOTH: "TURTLE TIME!" TOM: "That's exactly what time it is, Lou, and Xander was there too." LOU: "He was indeed, and it looked like he was stealing Kahuna's boombox. It gave me flashbacks to the eighties when the same thing happened to me." TOM: "Xander was actually being responsible, Lou. Nobody wants their boombox to get drowned." LOU" "Well whatever the story, we got to see a fight between the karate kid and a teenage mutant ninja turtle, so what's not to love?" -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #1 -=*=- When he says he is kicking things off, Xander was trying to read the turtle. The problem was, well, he was -very- fast. His shape was all wrong. And when his instincts come, he actually goes to evade it instead of blocking. A terrible mistake, as he takes a soggy kick right to his abdomen. Staggering backwards, he focuses hard. Kick things off. As Kahuna laughs, the dutch boy smirks. "Ah, that's very funny." Xander says dryly. "You are kicking things off, with kicking. But there is no form! There is..." Xander squints, as he eases back into his karate stance. "Turtles have different proportions, ah ha!" "I will also be kicking this off as well, I like your humor!" Xander explains, as he crouches down. "I am going to be doing the Tobi Mae- I mean, I am going to be doing a jump kick. The appropriate reaction is to block it!" Xander jumps into the air, opening with the flying kick as he stated. Not a full on triangle style kick, mind you, but a swift and powerful front kick. He wasn't sure if he should try and kick the midsection as well. But well. He could split boards with those kicks, after all. Kahuna looks absolutely mortified at the words coming out of Xander's mouth. He actually drops his guard and everything. Because he cannot believe what's happening in this exact moment. "Wait, dude. DUDE!" Kahuna just /stares/ at Xander. "Are you tryin' to /teach/ me something? Against my will?!" Kahuna looks like he's about to throw up. He even gags an extra bit to really sell it. "Dude, too far." It is in this moment that Kahuna spots that flying kick aimed in his direction. He ducks... well his head ducks-- right into his shell to allow Xander to kick right over his body. He pops his head back out and turns around to face his fly kicking foe. "Sick move. Needs less lesson planning tho." Kahuna winks. "Like this!" And now he dives at Xander but spins in mid-air to sail at him shell first! "Shell Yeah!" COMBATSYS: Xander interrupts Random Strike from Kahuna with Ushiro Kakato Kin Geri ES. - Power hit! - -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "It seems the two did find some common ground over their love of Cobra Kai. Which I have to say is one of my own favourites." LOU: "Me too, Lou. I can hardly wait for season six to drop." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #2 -=*=- While the shell takes most of the impact, said shell is still part of Kahuna and that's enough to keep him in some pain. Contrary to some popular turtles of fiction, Kahuna can feel the flaming mule kick and when he smacks into the sand afterwards, there's a moment of rolling just to make sure he's not on fire. You never can be too careful, honestly. "Totally uncalled for, bro. I don't even like karate." Kahuna flips over and sits up a bit. "Okay, that's a lie. Cobra Kai is so choice. Love that show!" The quick moment of excitement comes with a fistpump and then Kahuna's rolling backward and up to his feet. "But not everybody's a karate kid, dude! Some of us are Surf Ninjas! Check it!" Kahuna whips out his board from Shellspace, the tattoos on his arms summoning the water from behind him. He hops on the board as the water surges and waves, surfing right towards Xander. Showing off his surfing ability, Kahuna aims the front of his board at Xander's midsection, aiming blast of water along with it for some extra sting! As he surfs, his trident (with the three point fork spearhead attached) is spun above his head! He aims to stab Xander into the sand below! "Surf's up!" COMBATSYS: Xander blocks Kahuna's Hit The Lip. "Cobra Kai is a great show!" Xander concurs as he rises up, a burst of ash and cinders blowing off him. "I like it very much, and it helps show the drama that is part of karate!" Kahuna comes at him, riding the wave with a surf board that wasn't there before. But Xander doesn't have time to overreact. He must karate. As he blocks it, he manages to fight with the trident, struggling with the unusual weapon. He manages to avoid the stab, but in exchange, is washed and crushed into the sand. Laying there, he is soggy and soaked. ANd there is a burst of hot steam from his body, as he surges into a stand. "You can still be a Karate Kid and a Surf Ninja." Xander explains. "Ninjas can use karate! You would enjoy the self discpline!" The dutch teen starts, as he tenses up. Another eruption of cinders come, this time with steam boiling off him. Hot and bothered, he comes at Kahuna, bringing a sharp punch with his right, a hand chop with his left, and a rising palm with his right again. "You decide for yourself what is the best defense!" Xander declares. He really liked this turtle's spirit. COMBATSYS: Kahuna dodges Xander's Strong Punch. -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "The fight ended with a win for the turtle but Xander put on a performance he should be proud of." LOU: "That's right, Lou. Check out this move." -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #3 -=*=- Xander is blasted down with the rush of water, and for a moment, his smoldering phoenix flames are smothered out. As the shell smacks him in the head, he is sent spiralling, hitting the sand hard. As Kahuna gets caught between the two volleyball poles, Xander is given a moment to be stunned. He can't bring himself up. He has to bring himself up though. He needs to break through. He has to. There is a burst of flames and ash, but it is choked down by the water. Another burst. Another burst. And the fourth one reignites him back on his feet. Rising up again, Xander seems battered, burnt, and soaked. But he seemed... happy? Clenching a hand tight, he nods. "Yes! Anybody who is willing and able to teach their art, is a true master! My sensai told me that. And I am learning some lessons on fighting on the sea and sand. He opens his fist, and lets the sand fall out. Striding at Kahuna he falls into his karate stance just long enough to belt out. "A front kick, into a second front kick to abdomen! Best choice is to block!" He declares, as he unleashes the one two kicks to try and get Kahuna to pop back out of his shell. He didn't have a turtle pun at the moment. COMBATSYS: Xander successfully hits Kahuna with Medium Kick. - Power hit! - -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "But this was the moment that Kahuna turned the tide." LOU: "Isn't that something Chevy does?" -=*=- FOOTAGE: HIGHLIGHT #3 -=*=- The battle between the water chi and cinder chi was becoming a rather aggressive mix. Lord knows Xander was getting steamed just as Kahuna was getting cooked. As Kahuna takes to the air, though, Xander realizes that the shell was coming down on him. The dutch teen makes his own attempt to dodge, but with a pop and a howl, it catches him on the leg. He slams into the sand face first. Immediately, he starts cracking and flaring up, bursts of fiery energy attempting to rouse him. Struggling under Kahuna, he manages to tear free. His leg hurt very, very badly. Was it fractured? The thought made Xander inspired. "Yes! Yes!" He states firmly, as he tenses up. "Downward Heel Kick! Try to dodge it!" He bellows as he attempts to take the injured leg, and -slam- it down on Kahuna, attempting to kick some shell. That was probably not a good idea to do with an injured leg. COMBATSYS: Kahuna interrupts Strong Kick from Xander with Wipeout. Being all shell and colliding with Xander is enough to make even Kahuna feel it a bit more than usual. As his limbs pop out of those holes once again, he's stumbling and still wobbly. The dizziness is there, along with the heated skin and singed limbs from the cinder chi. It has been a bit of a day on the inside of that shell, that's for sure. It's the crackling energy that gets Kahuna to pay attention and he starts trying to straighten himself up. He can spot that recently injured leg headed in his direction and Kahuna does what anybody trying not to get kicked would do in this situation... summons the water behind him. His tatts glow and he creates tidal wave of water that overtakes him and Xander and pretty much this entire section of the beach in such a way that even Kahuna is down on a single knee trying to recover from the aquatic attack. There's just a small smirk on his face as he looks up and in the direction that Xander is/was and just kind of goes: "Wipeout." -=*=- END FOOTAGE -=*=- TOM: "If you want to see the full footage, follow the link on the screen." http://motm.kicks-ass.net/log/idx/0012385.shtml LOU: "That brings us to the end of our roundups." TOM: "I think we can agree that we've had some brilliant brawls to enjoy there, Lou." LOU: "Absolutely, Tom. Now it's time to look ahead to what the next round has in store!" (Continued in the next post!)

Odyssey Round 3 Matchups (1/3) Chevy v Coco (Charybdis v Scylla) in 'Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.' Stage: Italy - Strait of Messina Daughter of Poseidon, Charybodiscan engulfs lands and islands in water and drinks from the sea thrice a day to create whirlpools. From the rock she rests on, she looks directly at Scylla on her rock. Scylla is a beautiful nymph who has been turned into a sea monster after the spring where she bathed was poisoned. Bored of waiting around on their rocks, these two fierce females want some action. With everyone else avoiding their equally dangerous presences, perhaps they will have to fight each other! TOM: "What a way to start off with a match between these two forces of nature, Chevy and Coco." LOU: "This is one that every fighting fan has surely been waiting for, Tom. After the explosive antics between them at the car lot last time, we're sure to be in for a treat." TOM: "Not to mention the whole chain of events that match kicked off, leading to a dramatic lead up to The Rumble." LOU: "Happy times, Tom. Of course circumstances have changed between this dynamite duo since they last fought each other. They are no longer competing for the affections of Hawksley Moore, given that Chevy seems to be happily hooked up with his buddy, Buck. Chevy and Coco have also been spotted sharing drinks and smiles at the karaoke bar on The Mermaid Cruise Ship." TOM: "All that could be swept aside though, once the blows start to connect." LOU: "Lets hope so Tom, for the sake of our ratings." Kenzo v Sarah (Lelantos v Dionysus) in 'Bad Influence.' Stage: Turkey - Suuctu Waterfall Lelantos' daughter, Aura has broken her curfew and he's heard she was invited to a dance party by legendary hedonist, DJ Dionysus. After visiting the scene of the party and finding only the remains of the reveling, he tracks Dionysus down at a waterfall to confront her for being a bad influence on his daughter. TOM: "Kenzo is unbeaten so far this season, so it will be interesting to see if he can continue his run." LOU: "I would say he has the edge here, being a clear four points ahead of Sarah in the standings." TOM: "These two fighters have never faced each other before but were actually both on Team Metal for the second half of last season." LOU: "Which means that unless they've been studying footage closely, they will be coming into this with fresh eyes." TOM: "I think we both know that Kenzo will have done his homework." LOU: "And Sarah is sure to have been practising her dance skills and disc spinning. I wonder if she'll take requests." Buford v Hawksley (Hector v Achilles) in 'The Ultimate Warrior.' Stage: Turkey - Hisarlik Seeking to avenge the death of his beloved friend, Patroclus, Achilles has sought out Hector in the ruins of Hisarlik. Let's hope when these two legendary warriors face off that it won't be too much of a drag. Nobody wants it to all end in tears! TOM: "Both Buford and Hawksley have expressed a desire to fight each other in the pre-season interviews, Lou." LOU: "Hawksley seems to go against popular opinion and actually want to spend time with the controversial Canadian." TOM: "Some of the activities Buford wants to engage in with the Irishman are somewhat questionable however. Drinking, fighting, beating annoying women, and enjoying unemployment." LOU: "I don't think that Hawksley will have any objection to the first two but he may have something to say about the other pursuits." TOM: "I have a feeling these two will either become bitter rivals or get on like a house on fire." LOU: "Since Hawksley is involved, my money is on them ending up in a bar whichever way." (Continued in the next post!)

Xander v Homura (Odander v Melanthius) in 'As Stubborn as a Goatherd.' Stage: Turkey - Ithaca (Fountain) Odander is walking into town, wearing a disguise so he is not recognised by those who may know him. Stopping to rest by a fountain, he is set upon by a former employee of hers, the goatherd, Melanthius. He starts to bully him with insults, stubbornly refusing to back down and not realising who he is. When he pushes things further by threatening to lash out with a kick, surely Odander can't let it go? TOM: "It's quite handy that they get to have their fight by a fountain for this match. There'll be instant refreshment available, should they build up a thirst." LOU: "We had Buck and Hawksley fighting by a fountain in the last round and the only things that got consumed there were whiskey and Absinthe." TOM: "It was Saint Patrick's Day, as we discussed earlier." LOU "Fair play." TOM: "Both Xander and Homura are skilled fighters and I'm interested to see what the outcome will be here." LOU: "No matter the result, someone is bound to end up soaked." Henry v Skye (Perseus v Medusa) in 'Off With Her Head!' Stage: Turkey - Ayvalik She is a terrifying yet beautiful monster with snakes for hair. He is a brave young swordsman determined to defeat her. After traveling for days he's finally managed to track her down to a cave in the Turkish seaside town of Ayvalik. Can they manage to do battle without Perseus being turned to stone or Medusa losing her head? TOM: "Well whatever happens here, what a lovely place to have a fight." LOU: "A cave?" TOM: "A cave in a beautiful seaside town, Lou. You know our fighters really are lucky with some of the locations they get to visit." LOU: "I spent most of my career in a wrestling ring, Tom. It would have been good to get out and about at times." TOM: "Well to be fair, Lou. You've more than made up for it in your social life." LOU: "True. Back to the fight though, we have a fantastic matchup here with wrestler, Skye against hot Hollywood prospect, Henry. Skye named Henry as someone she could see herself having a friendship with. Do you think there's a chance of romance here, Tom?" TOM: "There's always a chance of romance in the NFG, Lou." Albert v Max (Bellerophon v Chimera) in 'Show No Mercy.' Stage: Turkey - Antalya The fearsome Chimera with the fore of a lion, the middle of a goat and the hind of a snake has been running rampage and scaring the local residents and visitors of tourist town Antalya. Gutsy slayer, Bellerophon has been hired to put a stop to her antics before she can get any further out of control. TOM "I'm hoping and praying we get to actually see Max fight in this final round, Lou." LOU: "I'm with you there, Tom. It's a crime we haven't got to see such an exciting prospect in action." TOM: "This seems like a perfect part for her to play too. I can well imagine her running around the city with all that energy." LOU: "And Albert will be the man to try and stop her. He's not short of gusto and guts himself." Rodrigo v Tanwen (Apollo v Delphyne) in 'Consult the Oracle.' Stage: Greece - The Temple of Apollo Delphyne is described by Homer as "the bloated, great she-dragon, a fierce monster wont to do great mischief to men upon earth and to their thin-shanked sheep; for she was a very bloody plague." He said that "whosoever met the dragoness, the day of doom would sweep him away". Perhaps we should pity Apollo then, who wishes to gain control of the oracle of Delphi, which is guarded by the fearsome Dragon Delphyne! TOM: "Two thrilling fighters here and Tanwen gets to play a dragon again." LOU: "Meanwhile Rodrigo gets to be the most beautiful Greek god of all. I remember when I used to be considered a bit of a sex symbol in wrestling circles." TOM: "Didn't you win hottest heel two years running, Lou?" LOU: "It was three years, Tom. Glory days." (Additional information in next post!)

Genie v Braun (Odyssenie v Demodocus) in 'Story of Suffering.' Stage: Greece - Corfu - Acharavi Beach A feast is being held at the Hotel Alcinous in the beach resort of Acharavi Beach on the island of Corfu and Demodocus is feeling in a chatty mood. Unfortunately he's talking about one of Odyssenie's former matches and it causes her to cry as she's reminded of the pain and suffering she felt. She pulls her cloak over her head to hide her tears, only to have Demodocus grab it from her! TOM "Well this just seems downright mean, making Genie relive some of her painful memories of the NFG." LOU "I completely agree, Tom. Which ones do you think it will be?" TOM "Well I'm torn between the time she got double teamed in the rumble by Coco and Chevy or when she fought in a men's prison and got catcalled while failing to land a single blow on Djamila." LOU "It would be rude to remind her of that though, wouldn't it?" TOM: "Absolutely, Lou." Buck v Zarine (Stag v Odzine) in 'Jagermeister.' Stage: Stage: Italy - Cape Circeo Odzine arrives on the island of Circe late at night feeling in desperate need of a good feed. Seeing Circe's impressive estate she starts to make her way towards it but spots a stag on the way. Unable to resist her needs any longer, she moves to attack the creature, intent on draining his blood! TOM: "This is another totally fresh matchup. Both Buck and Zarine were late to the party with the New Fighting Generation, with Buck joining after the opening tournament and Zarine being added to the roster in Metro City, so she wasn't around when he secured his Rumble win." LOU: "I'm not sure what to expect here, Tom. Although Buck has been cast as a stag, we know he is capable of turning into a whole colourful cast of creatures." TOM: "While Zarine is a very convincing cosplayer, who plays the part of a bloodsucker brilliantly." LOU: "Whatever happens, this fight is going to be wild." Ishida v Roxana (Sisyphus v Rox) in 'Rox and Roll.' Stage: Greece - Geraneia Mountains Sisyphus has angered the powers that be (Professional Fighting Worldwide?) by somehow managing to cheat death twice. As his punishment he has been sentenced to fight Rox on Geraneia Mountains in Corinth. Can he continue on his roll and manage to overcome this toxic challenger? TOM: "Both these fighters earned a win in the last round but not without a battle." LOU: "Roxana in particular had a close call with Rodrigo, so she will be looking to prove herself again here." TOM: "Ishida has been overheard telling Rodrigo he would like to fight Roxana, so it seems he's getting his wish." LOU "I think there's plenty of people who'd like to get up close to the scorpion woman, Tom. Let's just hope for Ishida's sake, he doesn't get poisoned in the process." (Continued in the next post!)

Xander v Homura (Odander v Melanthius) in 'As Stubborn as a Goatherd.' Stage: Turkey - Ithaca (Fountain) Odander is walking into town, wearing a disguise so he is not recognised by those who may know him. Stopping to rest by a fountain, he is set upon by a former employee of hers, the goatherd, Melanthius. He starts to bully him with insults, stubbornly refusing to back down and not realising who he is. When he pushes things further by threatening to lash out with a kick, surely Odander can't let it go? TOM: "It's quite handy that they get to have their fight by a fountain for this match. There'll be instant refreshment available, should they build up a thirst." LOU: "We had Buck and Hawksley fighting by a fountain in the last round and the only things that got consumed there were whiskey and Absinthe." TOM: "It was Saint Patrick's Day, as we discussed earlier." LOU "Fair play." TOM: "Both Xander and Homura are skilled fighters and I'm interested to see what the outcome will be here." LOU: "No matter the result, someone is bound to end up soaked." Henry v Skye (Perseus v Medusa) in 'Off With Her Head!' Stage: Turkey - Ayvalik She is a terrifying yet beautiful monster with snakes for hair. He is a brave young swordsman determined to defeat her. After traveling for days he's finally managed to track her down to a cave in the Turkish seaside town of Ayvalik. Can they manage to do battle without Perseus being turned to stone or Medusa losing her head? TOM: "Well whatever happens here, what a lovely place to have a fight." LOU: "A cave?" TOM: "A cave in a beautiful seaside town, Lou. You know our fighters really are lucky with some of the locations they get to visit." LOU: "I spent most of my career in a wrestling ring, Tom. It would have been good to get out and about at times." TOM: "Well to be fair, Lou. You've more than made up for it in your social life." LOU: "True. Back to the fight though, we have a fantastic matchup here with wrestler, Skye against hot Hollywood prospect, Henry. Skye named Henry as someone she could see herself having a friendship with. Do you think there's a chance of romance here, Tom?" TOM: "There's always a chance of romance in the NFG, Lou." Albert v Max (Bellerophon v Chimera) in 'Show No Mercy.' Stage: Turkey - Antalya The fearsome Chimera with the fore of a lion, the middle of a goat and the hind of a snake has been running rampage and scaring the local residents and visitors of tourist town Antalya. Gutsy slayer, Bellerophon has been hired to put a stop to her antics before she can get any further out of control. TOM "I'm hoping and praying we get to actually see Max fight in this final round, Lou." LOU: "I'm with you there, Tom. It's a crime we haven't got to see such an exciting prospect in action." TOM: "This seems like a perfect part for her to play too. I can well imagine her running around the city with all that energy." LOU: "And Albert will be the man to try and stop her. He's not short of gusto and guts himself." Rodrigo v Tanwen (Apollo v Delphyne) in 'Consult the Oracle.' Stage: Greece - The Temple of Apollo Delphyne is described by Homer as "the bloated, great she-dragon, a fierce monster wont to do great mischief to men upon earth and to their thin-shanked sheep; for she was a very bloody plague." He said that "whosoever met the dragoness, the day of doom would sweep him away". Perhaps we should pity Apollo then, who wishes to gain control of the oracle of Delphi, which is guarded by the fearsome Dragon Delphyne! TOM: "Two thrilling fighters here and Tanwen gets to play a dragon again." LOU: "Meanwhile Rodrigo gets to be the most beautiful Greek god of all. I remember when I used to be considered a bit of a sex symbol in wrestling circles." TOM: "Didn't you win hottest heel two years running, Lou?" LOU: "It was three years, Tom. Glory days." (Additional information in next post!)

Greetings, doodz! You can now begin your final round matches of The Odyssey event! Stages named in the match descriptions can be found by typing stage/list NFG. Matches are due for END OF DAY, SUNDAY APRIL 7TH. As usual, there will be NO extensions given past the deadline and logs must be submitted by this deadline. Please get in touch with your opponent ASAP and contact me by @mail or on Discord if you've yet to have contact with your oppponent to schedule your match by Sunday March 31st. If a match is in progress but isn't finished in time, the result will be counted as a DRAW. If a match hasn't started, it will be considered not to have happened for one reason or another (to be discussed with me) and will not be worth any points. Three points will be given for a win, two for a draw and one for a loss. Thanks to Parasoul's player for creating the Odyssey theme. Thanks to Rafferty's player for matchups, match descriptions, stage creation and support with match rundowns!