18/01/06
Characters: Saishu, Chun-Li
Shrine
Odd. Placed in a small clearing of forest, almost in the middle of nowhere,
is a small Shinto shrine. It consists primarily of a miniature building and
the lengthy, stone walkway leading down to the stereotypical stairway. The
entire place, however, seems to be in disrepair, and isn't in the least
occupied...and hasn't been for some time.
[Exits : Northeast to North Outskirts, and South to Northwestern
Forest ]
Well. This week has been eventful.
First it's with the old nemesis making housecalls, right, and then the hot
secretary of the old nemesis jumping through car windows and trying to eat
children, and then if it's nothing else it's some big-foreheaded girl thinking
she can out headbutt him. Ha, big mistake! He's quite happy to sit out of the
picture and is perfectly content with the 'happily ever after' ending of The
Saishu Story, but of course, no matter how easygoing a guy is, real life is
never quite so simple. But then again, that's the point of being easygoing,
isn't it? So that even though your story doesn't really finish until you
yourself are finished, you know when to settle back and accept that you really
are living in the epilogue, and it's time for the heroes of the sequel to take
charge...
...but still, sometimes you just gotta slap somebody in the face.
And you never know when you might have to make a cameo.
And so Saishu Kusanagi reclines in an odd manner on his porch steps,
looking something like an especially poised rope ladder left in a pile on the
stairs, puffing quietly on a long-stemmed pipe as he gazes silently up at the
sunny sky, taking his sweet time admiring the sparkling green grass surrouded by
the small bamboo grove around his cottage, and listening to the merry burbling
of the brook that runs off to the side. People always see him like this, and
assume he just does this all the friggin time, which is not actually the case.
He actually spends a lot of his time watching soap operas and getting very
emotional over them, when he's not running around scaring young children.
He just has a very good intuition of when people are going to show up, and
he's very, very good at projecting the Old Master image, in his own bizarre
Saishu way. And if you haven't got your image, what've you got?
Effortlessly, Saishu blows out a perfect smoke ring, and grins.
Eventful isn't the half of it. From furious battle upon the windswept,
snow-soaked plains of Siberia to deep conversations held a mile above the
Pacific (with a gen-yoo-ine psychic no less), passing through an imprompu
dancefloor brawl and several other matters of import, Chun-Li has certainly been
keeping herself as busy as can be. Such is the difficulty of assuming a dual
role as both mild-mannered Chinese martial martist and asskicking military
chick. Life can certainly be a burden at times... so it's perhaps just as well
that one can learn to enjoy the rough right along with the good. Enjoyment comes
in many forms, and where it proves impossible? A retroactive change of
perception can always be employed.
'Enjoyment' is precisely the reason that a flash of golden filigree can be
glimpsed catching in the sunlight, attracting attention to the track leading up
to the Kusanagi homestead. The metallic decoration sits comfortably upon a blue
dress that comes into full visibility a few moments later, the accompanying
figure a familiar one - if not intensely so. The Strongest Woman in the World
has come in search of a friendly challenge suggested some time ago, cast in the
heat of battle with the dojo's youngest exponent. Existence has proven a tricky
customer, and so the Chinese beauty has been relaxing mind and spirit by
catching up on unfinished business in and around Southtown.
"Mr. Kusanagi!" The cry comes out once her analytical gaze has the proximity to
fully recognise the masterful warrior. His manner of seating and the
surroundings certainly do nothing to deny his identity, but Chun-Li had to be
sure - there's so many similar looking Japanese males. Though now that she
nears, that aura is unmistakable... a much refined take on that exuded by the
man's son, whom she has already proven herself against. But there's no cockiness
here, and as the woman comes to a halt scant feet away, she brings her hands to
her chest. Palms close together, and she bends at the waist into a formal bow.
"I apologise for the interruption, and hope the day finds you well."
Ah, yes. Japanese people all look alike. Yes, thank you, we've all heard
that before -- but seriously dude, does /anyone/ look like Saishu Kusanagi? Even
if someone was bizarre enough to have that same pointy beard and mussy hair,
even if someone was able to master the Seating Style of the Flipped-Over Turtle,
even if someone had the incredible aura and fighting spirit of the Kusanagi
bloodline and years of fighting experience, even if they had those penetrating
yet disarmingly warm dark eyes...
...does anyone *grin* like that!?
And grinning Saishu is as he sees the Strongest Woman in the World approach
his dojo. Ridiculously bushy eyebrows lift slightly as the old man twists neatly
into a straight-backed seating position for once; he's spent too much time
around his wife not to adjust his posture when a woman approaches. "Well, well,"
the Kusanagi elder says jovially, eyes twinkling warmly at the young woman as he
puffs out his pipe and lightly taps the ashes into the dirt by the porch steps,
"what a pleasant surprise. Miss Chun-Li. You fought extremely well in that
tournament. Good throwing arm, if I recall." He sounds very good-humored about
it, obviously, and there's that grin, but then again, there's always that grin,
and those twinkling eyes could be either innocent or inscrutible.
He rises, ambles down the steps, and his grin receding into an actual
genuine smile for once, inclines his head at her show of politeness. "Is there
anything I can do for you?"
/Does/ anyone grin like that? No. Chun-Li would agree only too readily that
there is nobody quite like Saishu Kusanagi - there are precious few she actively
seeks out for an informal challenge, at least without some prompting on that
person's behalf. The number of these excursions she has made in recent years
could likely be counted upon the fingers of a single hand.. but then, this man's
power is but one step away from being truly unique. And if Kyo insists on
remaining such an arrogant prescence? It might be hoped things remain this way.
As she straightens her back, hands drifting back to idle position at her sides,
the Tai Chi mistress returns Saishu's bright greeting with a similarly warm
smile; though it is rather more subdued than his wide grin. Nodding her head as
though to confirm her identity, she's prepared for the first half of the praise
that follows... and is then promptly blindsided by the second comment. Good
throwing arm? So much for being proper. A blush steals across her cheeks, gaze
flickering downward in momentary embarassment. That was, perhaps, one of less
sophisticated moments. "Your memory serves well!"
Recovering as she speaks, the beauty finally manages a laugh, shaking her head
and allowing her eyes to focus back upon the old master. "As for what you can do
for me... I suppose it's a little predictable. I've faced both your son and his
pupil in battle, and I came to issue a challenge to the man in whose footsteps
they tread." Her lips flicker upward once more, an eyebrow raising in question
to the elder Kusanagi. "At some point in the immediate future, I'd like to test
my strength against your flames. What do you say?"
"Mmn," grunts Saishu softly, his grin not letting up for a moment as he
nods his head thoughtfully, reaching up through his kimono sleeve to run his
hand through his scruffy beard like only an old master of the martial arts can.
Then his eyes begin to twinkle with merriment, and he moves his hands to place
them by the small of his back and push, eliciting a few cracks as he stretches,
wincing slightly. "Well," Saishu says, "it was almost time for my afternoon nap,
it being a couple minutes after noon and me having woken up quite almost half an
hour ago--" And he begins to pace away from the stairs, old green kimono
swishing around him as he steps through the damp grass to a slightly elevated,
slightly singed dry patch. It's fairly large (about the size of an Orochinagi
explosion, actually). "--but you know, my wife always says exercise does me good
and helps me work up an appetite, not that I need to work up an appetite for
Shizuka's cooking!" He adds this last bit almost triumphantly, even as he's
turning to face Chun-Li upon the grass. "You haven't met my wife, have you? She
should be home soon. She's out doing Modern Woman things. I don't quite
understand, but whatever Shizuka wants to do is alright with me."
"But first--"
His grin turns almost wolfish as he raises his right hand and snaps his
fingers, eliciting a plume of the Kusanagi flames.
"--you wanted to test my flames."
COMBATSYS: Saishu has started a fight here.
Chun-Li isn't fooled for one moment by the 'regular old boy' act.. though would
Saishu expect anything less? She watches his movements away with her smile not
fading, a gleam of amusement in her gaze along with a little glimmer of
intensity - whatever his demeanour, there's a lot to be learned simply from
observing the nuance of his motion. Spotting the strongest and weakest points in
his physical form is similarly advantageous; regardless of the friendly nature
of her challenge, she will aim to do her best. His lightly humorous ramblings
are responded to with a few nods of the woman's head, then another peal of
laughter as he turns around.
"Indeed I haven't." Chun-Li confirms, giving a single shake of her head.
"Perhaps you'll have to introduce me - if the Kusanagi cooking is as fine as its
talent in battle, that could be quite the treat..." Then the bloodline flames
ignite, and Saishu's grin is mirrored by a spark of enthusiasm in the warrior's
soul of his opponent. There remains something so primal and fascinating about
this talent, be it that wielded by Iori, Kyo, or the man before her.. a certain
intensity to the maelstrom that is found sorely lacking in 'lesser' techniques.
But regardless of this, it's very much this particular branch of the fire that
she desires to pitch herself against. Saishu's pup may be in his prime, but
experience cannot be valued too highly - this should be interesting.
Taking a few steps forward, the Strongest Woman in the World snaps her arms up
to assume a guard about her upper body, fingers extended and held rigid. Pacing
forward to stand just outside striking distance, she comes to a halt on the
scorched earth, booted feet crunching lightly upon the ruined surface. Finding a
solid footing, she assumes a relatively sturdy position before favouring Saishu
with a single nod. "Strike when you're ready - and please, don't hold back." Her
head tips to one side, a wry half-grin curling her lips. "I'm stronger than I
look."
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has joined the fight here.
"Oh, my," murmurs Saishu, "strike first then, shall I?"
The Kusanagi elder ponders for a few moments, and then grins hugely,
merrily.
"Well, if you insist. Just give me a moment t--"
WHOOSH.
That would be Saishu lunging forward immediately, leaping straight through
the grass with kimono whipping around him, both hands igniting lightly with his
surging fighting spirit as his eyebrows shoot up, eyes widening slightly and a
bit crazily. "HOU!" he shouts, and lashes out quickly with his right hand even
before he's reached his young opponent, and suddenly unleashes a monstrous gout
of wavelike flame, sweeping his hand up into the air to turn it into a rising
blast that rips through the air, sparking combustion wherever his fingers trail
-- and then, as soon as his feet touch the gground, the elder simply shifts and
lashes out with his *other* hand. "HYA!" he finishes, sending a terrifying
roaring blast in a wave down towards the ground this time.
"Ha ha!" he adds, cheerfully enough, waggling his bushy eyebrows.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li endures Saishu's Homura Gasane.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Saishu 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Chun-Li
"Take as much time as you n-"
Whoosh indeed. Chun-Li's eyes widen as the fighting master moves in a surprising
burst of speed, and for her time seems to slow - that split-second of tactical
planning granted as it always is when she finds herself properly focused and
prepared. It's clearly slow enough that she has time to move... but does she
have the inclination? A smile darts onto her lips, and the world's strongest
woman shifts forward a half-pace, flowing into the rising arc of flame. "NGH!"
Her teeth gritting with the force of the strike, Chun-Li is carried upward by
the blast, the next one juggling her higher into the air - but she is prepared,
and already curving about to come down for a perfect landing.
*whump* Both boots hit the dusty ground at once; she lands in a tight crouch,
smile broadening once more. "Impressive," she notes a little breathlessly,
ignoring the smoke working off her front as she pushes herself up off one hand's
tensed fingers. "Now feel /my/ strength!" Moving as the rapids, the Chinese
beauty streams forward, bending at the waist even as she stands, the opposite
hand reaching out to make contact with the floor and propel her into the flurry
of strikes that will be her own opening gambit. Launching herself into a
momentary handstand, she then uses the pressure from both applied palms to send
herself roaring toward Saishu, legs cutting a powerful storm to either side.
"SPINNING BIRD KICK!"
COMBATSYS: Saishu endures Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Saishu 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
"Ha ha!" rumbles Saishu, crossing his arms as Chun-Li does the deadly
splits and spins like a top through the air. "That doesn't look too--"
Kablamm! Bam bam bam bam!
"Haaaah!" shouts Saishu in an oddly jovial kiai as he just takes the hits,
not budging for an instant, and not even revealing any pain through that
monstrous grin; well, she *did* tell him to feel her strength. But finally,
after a few of those rapid spinning strikes, the Kusanagi elder, having not
taking a defensive position, is perfectly keyed to leap right in, cutting off
the tail end of Chun-Li's signature technique with a sudden flaming low punch...
a punch that arcs up into the air open-palmed as Saishu transforms his manuever
into a powerful rising uppercut, the spiritual flames of the Kusanagi lineage
trailing off his right arm in a myriad of vivid reds and oranges.
"HYAAAAAA!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Saishu's Oniyaki.
Booted feet, meet flesh in desperate need of a decent tenderising. Chun-Li is
aware though, that something is not quite right; her blows strike soundly, each
of them drawing forth a satisfying thump but each also sending a responsive
jarring up her legs that does not quite ring as well as might be hoped. It's
something the young woman has felt before in other opponents, and so she's quick
to speed up the final progression back to an upright position, hands extending
lighting fast to slap against the parched ground and send her into a sharp
spiralling motion around and downward. With another *whump* she sets back to
earth, instantly prepared to launch herself into a skidding crouch...
"Yaaaa!" The motion is strenuous enough to demand a kiai, soil throw upward as
her feet tear twin furrows. Watching that trademark flaming uppercut ripple into
the air, leaving a trail of quickly dissipating fire, Chun-Li knows she has only
barely pulled through on this one - and spares herself a moment of
self-congratulation. It's not every day one gets to so handily trump a Kusanagi,
after all. "That was close!" She subsequently closes, gliding back to her feet
and starting forward to meet the recovering Saishu. "Heee-!"
Breaking into a short-ranged sprint, the world's strongest woman closes the gap
in a flash of blue-and-gold, streaking in under the old man's guard and then
dropping low into a half-crouch. The following motion is risky, but tactically
sound, as she swoops away to his flank and then rears up onto leg, the other
spinning up and around into a powerful roundhouse - heel aimed to take Saishu
across the shoulders and pitch him to the floor. "HYAAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Saishu with Medium Kick.
Glancing Blow
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Saishu 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
Saishu glides up into the air, the Kusanagi flames extinguishing as though
they never were as he sails down towards the ground, rotating once quietly; and
if anyone could see his face, they'd be able to see that he doesn't look fazed
in the slightest, his grin still wide as ever, eyes narrowed and gleaming
jovially... but analytically, too. He can see that he's just about to fall right
into the wake of those killer legs--
--so he shoves out with his own sandaled foot and manages to connect
directly with Chun's own kick, absorbing only half the force he might've
ordinarily, and pushes himself away, flipping with startling spryness through
the air as he lands and settles himself on the ground. That grin is still there,
of course. Is it ever.
"Hmph!" Saishu hmphs, steadying his arms by his side as he concentrates,
and before long, the air around him begins to ripple as though in a heat wave,
and crests of fire begin to trail around him. "Heh heh heh... ha ha ha ha!" the
Kusanagi elder laughs boisterously with shoulders shaking, but whether from the
rush of power or the overall rush of the fight, it's hard to say. "My goodness,
no, you're not bad at all, young lady!"
COMBATSYS: Saishu gathers his will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
Saishu 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Chun-Li
Oof. Chun-Li is forced to stagger briefly as Saishu /plows/ through her powerful
kick, but the lapse in grace is recovered once muscle response comes back under
her control. Spinning around to face the Kusanagi master, she sets her striking
leg back to the ground, shifting her feet around a little in order to once more
discover a comfortable posture. This process takes little time, but she revels
in the momentary breather - she's been a veritable blur of motion during the
early stages of this bout, and finds a chance to gather her thoughts most
welcome.
"Thank you, kind sir," she responds to Saishu with an inclination of her head;
the closest she'll deliver to a bow, halfway through such a potentially
challenging match. "I've tried my best to overcome the boundaries of my poor,
frail gender." A grin slides across her features, the glint in her eye matching
Saishu's own as she meets his gaze. It's only recently she's discovered her
sense of humour - but people so ready with a laugh as the elder Kusanagi are
most likely to root this out, are they not? Regardless, she remains focused,
shifting in a light rhythm as she awaits her opponent's next attack.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li focuses on her next action.
"It must be a challenge," Saishu says generously, chin lifting slightly as
he purses his lips in a bizarre and ridiculous parody of a pompous expression.
"But your efforts are most admirable--"
He sure does like to lunge in the middle of sentences. Here the old man
goes again, rushing forward as the gathering power fades around him, only its
vestiges trailing behind him as he unleashes a series of rapid blows, his kiais
like little barking laughs as he lashes out with a fast trail of claw-like
punches and skipping low kicks, mainly focusing on trying to drive his knuckles
into the beautiful woman's abdomen. "Ha! Ha! Hey! Aha! Wooo--"
And he finishes by pulling his right hand back and pointing at her with his
index finger, wiggling it around with startling rapidity, and then with a sudden
lunge, attempting to boop her on the nose with it.
"--hooo!"
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li interrupts Medium Punch from Saishu with Tenshou Kyaku.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Saishu 1/--=====/=======|=======\=------\1 Chun-Li
Chun-Li would ordinarily spare some outward display of amusement at Saishu's
reply to her tease, but her priority now remains the fight, focus already
trained upon the man's next actions. Which proves wise indeed, as he bursts
through the flickering flame in an instant, hurtling toward her across the patch
of waste ground. "Thank you, again," She notes with a cool edge, just the ghost
of a smile remaining upon her lips as she swivels at the hip, bringing open
palms to bear on the flurry aimed her way. Skipping back to evade those attacks
aimed at her legs, the Chinese woman proves more than ample match for the speed
of her opponent's assault - and though the stress of such a defence takes some
toll upon her, she also finds herself set perfectly for a follow-up...
Which is when the final strike makes it past a lowering guard, Saishu's finger
jabbing firmly into her nose. "...uh..." Mouth falling open a short distance,
she looks cross-eyed down at the offending digit before abruptly lifting her
gaze to again meet his. "You know... I really have to wonder-" Wonder what?
Well, that remains to be heard, as she steals a strick from the wily warrior's
book and cuts off mid-sentence to drop down low and then force herself off an
applied palm into a rising kick - one leg launched upward to cut past Saishu's
arm and catch him full on the chin with a heavy blow. "TENSHOU KYAKU!"
Twice she whirls at the hip, alternating legs performing the additional strikes
with each carrying Kusanagi a little higher into the air. With the assault done,
he's left to make his own way back to ground while the graceful beauty launches
into a backflip, landing quite smoothly on both feet and moving to brush at her
nose with the fingers of one hand. It's only now she finishes her sentence,
"Just how you managed to raise such an obnoxious son." Oh, she went there!
...though it's probably not a big deal, and the comment is tempered with another
little smile. Fighting Saishu really is a little more directly pleasurable than
fighting Kyo, after all...
Argh.
Guess who else is crosseyed? It's everyone's favorite Saishu Kusanagi,
after being hit with a ton of bricks -- no, no wait, that was Chun-Li's kick, my
bad -- right under the chin and sent sailing into the air, getting smacked
around by a series of rising kicks before he plummets. But still, he himself
also manages to tuck into a bit of a backflip, and while she lands smoothly, he
lands heavily but still gracefully into a three-point crouch and rises, grinning
as he wipes the back of his mouth with his hand (subtly checking to see if he's
gotten any teeth knocked loose, you can never be too careful at this age).
"Oh, it was easy!" exclaims Saishu sunnily, sounding quite pleased about
his son being brought up -- though he's already begun to dash forward again, not
discouraged in the slightest by her attack either. "Or it must've been, because
I don't think I did anything useful. Shizuka's the one that knows what's going
on." Wreathes of Kusanagi flame begin to shroud his right hand as he pulls it
back, rushing in. Strangely, as he's talking, he licks the second finger of his
left hand and lifts it into the air, as though testing the wind. "Though she
does tell me all the time that Kyo reminds her of me at that age -- naturally I
haven't the slightest idea what she's talking about!"
He finishes his rush, making his way quickly to the young woman in his
staggering but spry gait, and then leaps... backward. Huh. No, seriously, he
jumps straight up into the air and banks back, basically nullifying all the
momentum from his rush and making the whole ordeal a weird and pointless waste
of energy. OR DOES HE!?
The wind shifts, as Saishu's power flares...
"It's all quite a mystery to me," the airborne patriarch says
conversationally, as for a moment, bizarrely, he seems to be suspended in
midair, kimono fluttering around him as his aura surges around him. "I'm was
only good for those old father-son games, like 'I Punch You, You Punch Me', or
'Burn Down the House', or--"
And then, somehow, impossibly, he's floated almost into her face, returning
to her like a frisbee tossed straight into the air and banked against the wind,
carried forward by the rushing forward momentum that, against all realistic
laws, seems to refuse to disappate.
"--Tag."
He grins, and raises his right hand, glowing white hot.
COMBATSYS: Saishu successfully hits Chun-Li with Orochinagi'.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Saishu 0/-------/-----==|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Chun-Li
And, naturally, Saishu does not, in fact, tag her.
Such is the way of Saishu Tactics.
Instead, he just unleashes a huge torrential torrent of flame from his
finger that engulfs the Chinese beauty in a firestorm formed like a screaming
dragon, the howl of the ultimate Kusanagi attack roaring through the area as
leafs blow from the trees and the grass gets another singeing.
Which is, you know, basically as good.
Pushed away by the momentum from his own blast, Saishu Kusanagi lands
neatly on the dry grass, and grins. "Such is the power of my parenting skills,"
he remarks, perhaps just to himself.
"Naturally," Chun-Li echoes Saishu's response with a snort of laughter and a
slow headshake, lowering her hand to reassume a fighting stance as she watches
his subsequent curious approach. His conversation regarding Kyo is actually
taken in, but it's distant in her immediate attentions, her gaze riveted on that
most unusual manner of attack - then when his raised right hand is revealed as
the source of assault, her eyes narrow slightly, and she draws herself up,
preparing to spin away from the 'tag' before it can fully be made. Though - once
again /naturally/ - there is something deeper in the motion than the simplicity
suggested, and the woman's senses scream an alarm the instant before all hell
breaks loose.
Her evasive action comes too late, the spin she enters by way of a beginning
only adds to the dramatic nature of the flame-strike, pitching Chun-Li into a
wild fireball, chi flames licking across her body to singe the decorative work
upon her dress and briefly create an illusion of total, utter blindness... so
this is the Kusanagi power. Kyo struck her with but a single gout of flame, so
this experience is something new and striking, the moment of impact absorbed in
a devastating flurry upon the senses. Then, scant seconds later, she hits the
floor in a roll, breathing hard and barely getting herself into a recovery
crouch.
"...most impressive, Mr. Kusanagi... you're proving.. even more challenging than
those closest to you..." Chun-Li's eyes slip shut for a moment, as she sucks in
breath after breath, lost in a dizzying haze. It does not consume overlong
though, and she eventually rises to her feet, sheer willpower and defiant
resolve pushing her onward - straight into a dash for Saishu, booted feet
tearing up embers in her wake. "Seeei-" Closing in a desperate surge of motion,
a hand lashes out to grip for the old master's gi, fingers closing about
material before she attempts to drag him in toward her and then /behind/ her in
a simple toss... though it's followed with something rather more nasty.
"YAAAAH!" On successful execution, the world's strongest woman whips her body
around, right leg lifting to deliver a crushing thrust kick to the thrown man's
chin. Crunch. There's something in her motions that seems to hint at a true rise
to form - as though her every action is enhanced, the effort of movement taking
less toll upon her body. Is this... Zenith Power?!
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Saishu with Strong Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Saishu 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Chun-Li
Saishu's grin subsides slightly as Chun-Li rises to her feet and begins to
recover, but not out of worry or surprise; he looks thoughtful, as though still
considering the woman even though they've been fighting this long. Again, he
reaches up to scratch his beard, pondering something apparently--
--and stops short halfway there, pausing, his eyes flickering in genuine
surprise.
This sudden rush of power...
He tries to take the strike well, but he can't prevent the onrushing force
of Chun-Li's gathering strength from taking him off his feet and *crunch* --
ooh, that's ugly. He does shift a bit, however, and takes the hit to his sternum
instead, but he rises coughing, rolling back and wincing visibly, the fight
obviously taking a toll on him now. The poor guy must need a--
"SYAAAH!" he roars gleefully, eyes suddenly blazing as he shoots forward
with a flaming fist extended, aiming to clock Chun-Li right on the noggin
immediately with a flash of the Kusanagi flame. If she wants to power up --
well, he'll just have to match it! Saishu Tactics demands he challenge her!
COMBATSYS: Saishu successfully hits Chun-Li with Kamu Kakari.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ///// ]
Saishu 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Chun-Li
Consider her clocked! Chun-Li recovers well enough from her toss and kick,
whirring about on her heels to prevent her side to Saishu, arms slipping back to
accustomed position. But her subsequent attempts to raise a guard are blown
/aside/ by the flaming fist that then comes in so suddenly; her arms scattered
outward and rendered useless as his speedy attack comes in hard. She barely
turns her face away, taking the strike with a grunt of pain and still almost
stumbling straight from her feet - but that resolve still burns strong, and it
may come as no surprise to feel a violent spike in her aura.
"I've got one thing left..." she murmurs as she staggers back, forcing herself
not to move away too far and overcompensating enough that she manages to stumble
back in toward the elder Kusanagi. Flashing him an only slightly weakened grin,
she's already dropping to a low crouch by the time her rising power manifests in
a burst of blue-white chi, the stuff billowing out around her and wisping upward
off her shoulders to bathe her in a fine glow. "HAZAN!" Suddenly she's a blur of
motion, one hand slapping to the frazzled soil as she executes a technique
similar to one already used...
But moreso. As she launches upward with one leg extended, the movement is that
much faster and more powerful, chi streaming up her leg to form a devastating
striking surface at her toe. Should the first strike land, the effects will
follow similarly - with not two further blows struck, but at least a half-dozen,
each endowed with everything she has within her warrior's spirit. It's all
punctuated by a sustained cry. "TENSHOU! KYAAAAKU!" It is all the forceful
action she has left to give - but sometimes? That can be enough.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li can no longer fight.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Saishu with Hazan Tenshou Kyaku.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\ <|
Saishu 1/-----==/=======|
This time, he will stand his ground. This time, he will not be defeated.
This time, the power of Saishu's Tactics wil be triumphant. This time--
Again, Saishu's gaze flickers as it did before, and he blinks.
He watches Chun-Li come towards him, looking... oddly bemused.
"I see," he finally murmurs to himself. And then?
He grins.
And several action-packed seconds later, Saishu Kusanagi has gone flying
into the air and hurled back to the ground, basically just totally pwned by the
merciless kicks of the Strongest Woman in the World. The old man falls limply,
crashing against the ground, clearly unconscious.
Chun-Li has a destiny.
And no one can defy destiny...
COMBATSYS: Saishu takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Saishu can no longer fight.
"...zzzzz..."
Chun-Li's determination is perhaps her greatest strength - beyond the physical
conditioning, beyond her ability to draw on the earth's power when necessary,
even beyond the sharp mind she has cultivated. The asset which has brought her
the furthest and seen her improve the most now proves itself again, her final
desperate strikes hammering home with perfect form and grace, their power only
increased by the sheer drama of the moment. By the time she pitches Saishu away
to harsh impact below, her heart is pounding and adrenaline is rushing fast
through her veins... it keeps her going even as she hits the floor a moment
later, landing heavily on her side to teeter briefly on the brink of
unconsciousness.
"Hm..." She blinks her eyes suddenly, just when she seems closest to oblivion,
looking over toward the source of that snore; naptime? The realisation brings
the smile back to her lips, and with weary care she pushes herself upright,
remaining in a crouch for fully thirty seconds before rising to her feet. A
glance flickers between the downed man and his home - the attention on the
latter bringing an impact on curiously heightened hearing. Movement inside, the
sound of habitation. Which can only mean one thing...
"Hold tight, Mr. Kusanagi," Chun-Li murmurs under her breath, shaking her head
with a slow grin, before turning away and making toward the wooden steps. It's
the least she can do to return with a bowl of cold water and a good bottle of
sake; or whatever else the old master prefers. Perhaps she'll even be able to
pull him up on that promise of good food... it was quite the match. Better than
she would even have hoped. Now if only his son could be such a joy to battle...
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