View source for 2950/WMAT CQ2 Bahamut vs Sagat

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/09/03
|Location=WMAT Arena - Yunzabit Heights
|Synopsis=For the second round of WMAT qualifiers for Bracket A, Bahamut and Sagat face off. It's tiger vs. dragon; who will emerge the winner?
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=95, 528
|Tinyplot=WMAT 2015
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:95|Sagat (95)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sagat has been working out harder since what he thought would be his elimination from the tournament after the first round of qualifiers; there didn't seem to be many other possibilities given that he had two matches and lost both of them. On the other hand, good training never goes to waste ... and finding out that he actually WASN'T out of the running, entirely, meant he just had to trek back to the world which hosts the WMAT.<br /><br />That journey, too, was training. People underestimate the value of walking to get from one place to another.<br /><br />The harsh cold and wind of the Yunzabit Heights hardly seem to bother Sagat, even when he's only wearing his usual fighting outfit of shorts, handwraps, and footwraps; if his arms are folded across his chest as any kind of buffer against the cold, that paltry gesture is the only concession he makes to the prevailing weather conditions. He's more concerned about his opponent.<br /><br />... who may or may not count as a force of nature in his own right. Sagat's going to wait and see.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When Sagat reaches the arena, Bahamut is already there. The large metal dragon is perched atop one of the rocky spires, like a falcon awaiting its prey. His wings are spread wide and his arms are folded over his chest. His colorful plumage is reflecting the sunlight, showering the area in front of him with prismatic effects. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Once Bahamut spots Sagat, he grins. Then, with a flap of his mighty wings and a leap he is soaring through the air. He circles around above Sagat, then slowly makes his way downward in a corkscrew pattern. When he nears the ground, the pulls his wings in and with a thud he lands. His sharp talons dig into the ground and his bulk shakes the ground a bit. He then rises to his full height and lets out a short roar before again folding his arms over his chest. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He looks Sagat over, then grins. "You look tough, especially for a human." he says in his deep, booming voice. "I must admit, I was surprised and delighted to hear I was not quite out of the tournament. I trust you will be a worthy adversary."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Sagat (95)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Agreed," Sagat grunts, "on all counts." He doesn't seem terribly intimidated by the size of Bahamut, although he may pass a favorable aesthetic judgment in the back of his mind. It's not going to make him hold back.<br /><br />The fact that both Sagat and Bahamut are standing in roughly similar poses - tall and proud, arms folded across chest - might be amusing to somebody. What amuses Sagat somewhat more, though, is the fact that Bahamut is only around twice Sagat's height, maybe a little more. He expected a 'King of Dragons' to be bigger than that - or dragons generally, for that matter.<br /><br />He's not going to betray the fact that he's amused, though. Maybe after they've finished their fight.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With the pleasantries out of the way, Bahamut rumbles heavily. His opponent seems like the stoic type. The type who is unlikely to exchange much in the way of talking during their battle. So, Bahamut starts them off. He bares his clawed hands, then charges toward Sagat. He is pretty fast in a straight line, but his bulk makes him less than agile. Still, his reach is long and he is an experienced fighter. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Which he is hoping will be enough for him to slash Sagat across the chest with those large talons of his.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Sagat (95)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The long reach was certainly expected - and Sagat is gradually getting used to NOT always looming over his opponent. 'Gradually' doesn't help a whole lot, though, particularly given Bahamut's claws and the leverage offered by his superior size. Sagat brings an arm up to block the dragon's first strike ... and that keeps the talons from slicing across his chest, at least.<br /><br />At the cost of nearly laying open his arm.<br /><br />There's a loud hiss from the Muay Thai fighter as he swings his arm down, so as not to get it lopped off wholesale; his one visible eye burns with anger and pain ... and then he delivers his counterstrike, jumping up just far enough that he can aim a punch at the elbow joint of Bahamut's arm, before he can bring it back up after the slash. He may well be out to try and break that joint, in fact ...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There is a loud 'clang!' as Sagat hits that joint. Metallic armored hide cracks from the hit, but the joint itself survives. Bahamut growls in pain from the hit, but like the warrior he is he does not complain. He digs his feet into the ground and brings himself around quickly. But, he doesn't stop with just facing Sagat. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He continues around, bringing that long, broad tail of his in for a powerful strike against the tall Thai. The strike itself is strong, but again the real danger comes from the sharp edges inherent to a metallic armoring.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Sagat (95)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The problem with doing a tail whip attack in a martial arts/close combat competition is, basically, that if you have to turn your whole *body* in order to bring your tail to bear, it telegraphs the incoming strike like nobody's business. The only question Sagat has to resolve is what height the tail is going to come in at ...<br /><br />And then he just ducks under it, bringing one arm up to strike the flat of the 'blade' on its way over his head. He probably could have done without that, in hindsight - hitting metal is still hitting metal, and whatever Bahamut's natural armor is formed from actually seems a lot more durable than the sheet steel that cars are made from in his world.<br /><br />At least he didn't get cut again.<br /><br />And this may be the point where he gives Bahamut a compelling reason not to turn his back on Sagat again, because he promptly charges at Bahamut's invitingly exposed back, leaping up off the ground and driving a quick pair of kicks at ... well, where the spine SHOULD be. Dorsal 'fins' are going to be a problem if they exist, but SAgat can get around that by focusing his kicks to one side of it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bahamut's back has no fins, so hitting it is pretty easy. The big dragon grunts as he is struck, causing him to stumble forward as he spins back around to face Sagat. He chuckles at his opponent's speed and his own folly as he regains his balance, then lunges at Sagat again. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But this time, he goes for a pouncing tackle, claws extended. If successful, his claws will dig in while he bears Sagat to the ground beneath his broad shoulder. With all the weight behind it, it could be a dangerous attack.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Sagat (95)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>There's a loud grunt as Sagat's back-first impact with the ground drives the air from his lungs - and possibly a faint grin on his face - before he brings his legs up, curling nearly into a fetal ball, and straightens his legs hard and fast - trying to kick the dragon off of him, break that grip, and try to build up some momentum to get free of Bahamut's grip.<br /><br />Secondary to 'break the grip' is 'get out from under the bigger and probably heavier opponent,' of course ...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bahamut growls as he is kicked upward. He is impressed that a seemingly normal human can kick him into the air, but that doesn't mean he isn't going to take advantage of it. His wings spread quickly, then he swoops in on Sagat again, this time seeking to land on him with his taloned feet first like some kind of giant raptor pouncing its prey. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Once he has pounced, Bahamut's wings spread again, ready to take him back into the sky. He is definitely grinning. A strong opponent, an honorable fight. Bahamut enjoys this sort of thing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Sagat (95)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sagat sees THAT coming and maneuvers out of the way, or tries to. At least he doesn't get pinned to the rock, although the talons slide against his skin, opening a new couple of cuts.<br /><br />... and then the dragon simply takes to the air. Again. And seems to intend on mostly staying there. Dragons can usually breathe fire or something, so Sagat knows this isn't really a good situation for him - but he's not going to give up so easily, either.<br /><br />"<span class=" bold_fg_y bg_n ++ hy">TIGER UPPERCUT!!</span>"<br /><br />And he sets about making his dissatisfaction known, rocketing fist-first into the air. The only thing that really saves Bahamut from an even more vicious strike is the distance he's already opened up before Sagat comes flying at him ...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bahamut is surprised on two fronts. One, he is hit mid-air right in the jaw by a leaping human. Two, that the hit carries such force behind it. Even after all this time in the Multiverse, he is still surprised at the strength of the inhabitants. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The hit flips Bahamut over as he soars through the air, and he falls from the sky before landing hard on his back. His metallic body digs a ditch in the ground before he can stop himself. When he rises, he is still grinning. "Impressive." he says, then raises a hand toward Sagat. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Electricity sparks over his claws before a bolt of lightning crackles across the air between them, aimed at Sagat's chest.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Sagat (95)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>That was not a breath weapon - and while Sagat got his arms up to try and 'block' the 'projectile' ... well, it's not really enough, particularly when the lightning spell does NOT work by the same rules of 'chi projectiles' that Sagat is used to working with; the Thundara spell hits his arms rather than his chest but the voltage still courses straight through Sagat's body, making him twitch and collapse.<br /><br />He's NOT grinning now. And while he doesn't get to his feet right away, he also makes clear that he's not unconscious or out of the fight -<br /><br />"<span class=" bold_fg_y bg_n ++ hy">TIGER!!!</span>"<br /><br />- specifically, by focusing his signature Tiger Shot and sending it flying straight up at Bahamut. He may be aiming for a rather ungentlemanly spot on the dragon's anatomy, but ... well.<br /><br />Street fighter, right?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Tiger Shot is well aimed, but like his opponent, Bahamut brings his arms in to block the attack, having to use a downward cross block to keep from being neutered. The dragon growls at Sagat, though he is still grinning. "Would you really deprive the worlds of more like me?" he asks even as he clenches his clawed hands and his body shudders as energy gathers into three orbs that circle around his shoulders. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He lets out a vicious growl and flexes, causing the trio of grey-white energy globes to fly toward Sagat. They aren't particularly well aimed, but their blast power is enough that if they explode near him he is sure to be hit.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Sagat (95)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sagat is also not stupid enough to STAY lying on his back; as soon as his Tiger Shot is on its way, he leaps back to his feet, keeping his attention on Bahamut as well as he can given the dragon's altitude. There is not a whole lot he can do about the bracketing salvo of spell balls that get launched down at him, though ... <br /><br />Well. There's one thing that comes to mind. It still entails taking pretty much the full force of the blasts going off around him ... but on his terms, so to speak.<br /><br />This results in Sagat leaping *over* one of the globes just before he expects it to detonate - and while he takes the full force of the explosion, he does so *on purpose* to help propel himself towards Bahamut. The explosion knocks the air out of his lungs (again) for good measure ...<br /><br />But if Sagat gets close enough, he grabs hold of one of Bahamut's wrists and lashes out with his legs, trying to land a series of kicks on the dragon lord's forearm with not just his feet, but his knees as well.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bahamut's altitude, or lackthereoff at the moment, makes it pretty easy to grab on to him. He takes one solid hit to his forearm, again cracking a metallic armor plate, but the following hits are sent off target by Bahamut raising his arm, then bringing it smashing down into the ground. Hopefully with Sagat still attatched to it. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bahamut brings as much force into the blow as possible, and quite possibly makes a small crater when he punches the ground using Sagat. Then, his wings spread and he makes a flying leap to get some distance between him and his agile opponent.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Sagat (95)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The impact hurts quite a lot - and not all of the pain starts to fade with the rest of it. There are some bones in the body that even a Muay Thai practitioner has trouble reinforcing ... and even then, bones have limits. Some of Sagat's ribs might have reached theirs by now.<br /><br />But the Emperor of Muay Thai STILL refuses to back down; he rolls back to his feet and sprints to catch up with the Lord of Dragons, actually picking up speed as he gets closer -<br /><br />"<span class=" bold_fg_y bg_n ++ hy">TIGER UPPERCUT!!!</span>"<br /><br />This time, he doesn't have nearly as much vertical distance to make up as he did the first time he pulled that move out. The impact should be correspondingly greater - and is liable to dent some of those metal plates that cover Bahamut's form.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bahamut manages to arch backward just as Sagat is throwing that Uppercut. The fist sails right past Bahamut's snout, but even that is enough to dent the metal plate that is his jaw. Bahamut rumbles heavily as he is falling back, then uses the momentum of his backward arch to bring his legs upward. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What follows is a powerful double kick with talon tips, aimed at Sagat's torso as he falls from the uppercut attempt. Bahamut lands on his back afterword, but his momentum pulls him into a tumble that brings him to all fours, looking more like the dragon he claims to be. He roars at Sagat. Not out of anger or pain, but simply because the battle is that intense.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Sagat (95)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Sagat roars back as he slides to a halt on his already-abused back, bleeding from several new lacerations - but he vaults to his feet once more, bringing his hands up in front of him as chi flares and crackles between his palms ...<br /><br />"<span class=" bold_fg_y bg_n ++ hy">TIGER CANNON!!!!</span>"<br /><br />... and then it erupts outwards as a massive, focused wave, the Tiger Cannon's blast intense enough to drive the cold and repel the wind as it flies towards the King of Dragons.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; All that weakening of Bahamut's armored plates finally pays off as Sagat fires that Tiger Cannon. Bahamut is caught fully in the blast, and most of the places where a plate of armored hide was weakened or cracked before now split wide open. Bahamut lets out a new roar now, but this one is as much pain as anything. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When the chi blast passes, Bahamut is barely standing, having to lean his weight on one arm to keep from falling over. His royal blood flows from several places. Bahamut coughs, a bit of blood flowing from his mouth, then chuckles. "So, the Tiger finally decided to take me seriously." he says, panting raggedly. He slowly stands tall again, then rumbles deeply. "I should repay your strength in kind." <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bahamut then leaps backward and somersaults before landing on all fours. He firmly plants each limb, then growls as the golden gyro that has just been mysteriously floating behind his shoulders begins to spin. It rapidly gains speed and energy start to arc over it, then Bahamut opens his mouth. Energy starts to arc from that gyro over Bahamut's body and gathers in front of his mouth. The bolts quickly concentrate into a brightly glowing blue-white orb. The orb just as quickly grows to nearly as thick as Bahamut himself. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Then, it fires. The beam is perhaps even a bit more broad than the King of Dragons, and the beam of blue and white and grey energy sears its way through the air and across the ground. The beam is pure energy, and whatever it hits is not only super saturated with white-hot energy but soon engulfed in a nearly continuous explosion.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Sagat (95)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"If you think it took me this long to take you seriously," Sagat huffs - not out of exasperation, but out of catching his breath - "then you must have a terribly poor opinion of me. Or of yourself."<br /><br />And then the King of Dragons starts powering up for what is probably his most powerful assault. It took long enough for the dragon to break out his breathe weapon, thinks the Muay Thai fighter.<br /><br />Sagat can't run fast enough to get clear, but he can stand his ground, dig his feet in, and brace for the impact before it happens - and he can then hope for the best.<br /><br />There's a loud yell of pain, which is - for a few moments - the only confirmation that the Emperor of Muay Thai has not been outright disintegrated by the Mega Flare. The yell lasts about half a second longer than the Mega Flare itself does - and as the light subsides?<br /><br />*Sagat is still there*. Vapor, either steam or smoke, rises from every exposed inch of his skin - and rather more of his skin is exposed than was before; his hand-wraps have basically burned off, his shorts are in tatters, and his eyepatch seems to be more smoke than solid matter judging by the wafting miasma from both the patch itself and the cord that holds it in place.<br /><br />But he's still there - he's even still on his feet. And to judge by his next movement - namely pulling one foot free of the ground, stepping forward, then pulling his other foot free and repeating the process ... he's still CONSCIOUS on top of all of that.<br /><br />And while he staggers with his first few steps, he's recovering enough of his balance to quicken it to a proper walk. Then a lope. Then a run -<br /><br />"<span class=" bold_fg_y bg_n ++ hy">TIGER KNEE!!</span>"<br /><br />- and a jump, trying to slam his right knee into Bahamut's armored form with enough force to ... maybe, decide this match in his own favor.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:528|Bahamut (528)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In his weakened state, Bahamut just watches the attack coming. He chuckles and grins, just waiting for the hit. It is a solid blow, knocking him back again and onto his back. He lets out a long, pained growl before he goes limp. His eyes remain open, gazing up at the sky as his vision gets blurry. His last thought as the medical team moves in is that he has failed to defend the pride of the titles he so proudly proclaims. King of Spiran Dragons. Aeon of Bevelle. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Still, it was a well fought battle. He of course is not happy to lose, but he does not regret the fight. Once the match is called, he is quickly carted off to the nearby Papaya hospital. "Well fought, Sagat." Bahamut rumbles as he is carried away.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:95|Sagat (95)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Very well fought," Sagat agrees. He could use medical attention as well - and probably quite a bit of it - but at least he can walk under his own power.<br /><br />... more or less, anyway.<br> <br>


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