View source for WMAT B2 Li-Ming vs. Satsuki Kiryuin

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/07/13
|Location=WMAT Arena - Gizard Wasteland
|Synopsis=WMAT Li-Ming vs. Satsuki Kiryuin
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=140, 191, 353, 413, 430, 481
|Tinyplot=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    It's late afternoon (or perhaps very early evening?) in the Gizard Wastes. The heat of the day is only /just/ beginning to release its grip on the rocky area. And the audience doesn't care.<br /><br />    That's because they're here for something that trumps desert heat, punishing sun or anything else. They're here for two people absolutely positively willing to beat the tar out of each other. They're here for a battle between a sword-wielding young woman and a powerful mage.<br /><br />    They are here for the WMAT.<br /><br />    High overhead, the newscraft circle. The crowds in the stands bustle, and among them four students in the distinctive Three-Star Goku Uniforms of Honnouji Academy sit in wait. But for the moment, Satsuki Kiryuin is nowhere to be seen.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:413|Li-Ming (413)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Match time. Li-Ming waits calmly on the field, having found a convenient place to have a seat with just enough shade to keep her from having to run the arcane air conditioning to avoid heat stroke. The audience may or may not take note of her presence - she's not really -trying- to be noticed, just waiting for the appointed time to pass.<br /><br />    At that mark, as she crowds start to become restless with anticipation, she hops down from her perch and begins to pick her way toward a clear area, in full view of the gathered spectators and their aircraft. If this plays out like she expects, there'll be some interesting use of timing. Much like her last foe. Despite the amusing recollection, she stands resolute in preparation to greet this next challenge.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:353|Laer (353)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Laer is here, and she may not be supr thrilled about the particular match she's drawn today. Not because of the competitors, but because of the environment. She's currently chewing out a prouction assistant as the competitors get ready. "No, YOU listen. I'm going to find out who assigned us a match in this shithole and have them killed! What do you mean, we're live? Oh!" Coughs, and then hurridly. "Ladies and gentlemen of the multiverse, this is Laer Azati joining you from the desert paradise of Gizard Wasteland! We're bringing you an exciting and hopefully offense filled match today in the WMAT between the fashionable Satsuki Kiryuin and the undoubtedly capable Li-Ming. You can join us in person to catch all the action and heat stroke live, or simply follow my commentary on WMAT4/900.4!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:481|Kirika (481)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Hearing the back-and-forth between the ones known as Kiryuin Satsuki, and Matoi Ryuko, Kirika knew there was an enmity between them. Anybody could see that. Something tells her this is something she better keep out of for the time being, but she cannot help but observe the fight for herself between Satsuki and her opponent today.<br /><br />    The Half-Kitsune is seated in the stands, her sword and hat at her side as she observes the fight with a drink in hand and a pack of food at her feet for the time being.<br /><br />    Her crimson tinted eyes glance up at the Elite Four, the 'students' in Three-Stared uniforms that seem to be in Satsuki's retinue of lieutenants. They seem fearsome themselve, and it's clear that if Satsuki is their leader then she earned her post.<br /><br />    Not that Li-Ming is any slouch herself, the lady a powerful mage of some renown and an experienced Union Elite if Kirika heard right. This ought to be interesting.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:140|Ryuko Matoi (140)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Ryuko's here for only one reason.. To watch, and make sure Satsuki doesn't screw up and lose, before she can fight the other girl in her own tournament match. It's the whole reason Ryuko joined the tournament, in the first place, after all.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:191|Mako Mankanshoku (191)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    And beside Ryuko is Mako. She wears a beanie hat with a propeller on it. It also has two cupholders sporting sodas, with straws that go to her mouth. Mako has also procured a 'GO SPORTS TEAM #1' giant foam hand, somehow. It is entirely inappropriate at a WMAT fight but she's waving it around anyway.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    There is a moment or two where Li-Ming will find herself alone before the crowd. The moment seems to stretch on. It almost seems as if the heir to the REVOCS empire might be a no-show; and with the absolute height of perfect timing, just as that thought is beginning to ripple through the crowd, a second beacon of radiance lights up the canyons.<br /><br />    Above Li-Ming on a spire of stone, a radiant light shines out from Satsuki Kiryuin, her sword planted against the ground in front of her, palms resting on the very end of the grip. Her expression carefully neutral, artfully stern, she regards her opponent with a few seconds of silence, before calling out simply, "The wizard, Li-Ming, is it?" She has not yet transformed and readied for battle; this is just, it seems, her way of greeting her opponent.<br /><br />    "I look forward to the challenge a second-round opponent can provide."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:413|Li-Ming (413)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The pressure of the rumbling crowd doesn't bother Li-Ming, of course. She's not what they're waiting for, afterall! Still, using the sounds as a clue, she looks up. Ah, the opponent she's heard so much about. And with such dramatic timing... but with a new touch.<br /><br />    She offers a bow as she's acknowledged by name, "I would be none other. So that makes you Satsuki Kiryuin; I have heard much." Whether any of it is good or not is irrelevant. "Indeed, I have been looking forward to this." She slowly pulls her own sword and sets it ablaze with crackling arcane radiance. "Shall we?" Officially, she's waiting for the signal from the officials. Actually, she's just waiting for Kiryuin to get ready.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Something in Li-Ming's bearing seems to please Satsuki. "Indeed we shall." There is the faintest quirk at the corner of that near-perpetual frown, and then she takes the sheath of Bakuzan in her left hand, while her right reaches up to the blue band at her left bicep, and snaps three catches in, one-two-three.<br /><br />    Blue stars shine. Crimson radiates from her bicep down her clothes. A net of black and red Life Fibers radiates outward. Fire and fabric roar as a beast, only to be restrained by tight straps. White and blue attire takes shape. Pulls tight. Towering shoulders erupt, their eyes opening with a silent, sharp gaze.<br /><br />                            "<span style="color:#00bfff">LIFE FIBER OVERRIDE!</span>"                            <br />                              "<span style="color:#00bfff">KAMUI JUNKETSU!</span>"                               <br /><br />    Smoothly, the kamui-clad young lady draws her weapon from its sheath, lifting the black-bladed katana into a two-handed grip.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:353|Laer (353)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Laer, meanwhile, has already started commenting in spite of there not being a particularly large amount of action. "And it appears that our competitors are exchanging pleasentries, which would normally give me time to read their bios to you. However, someone didn't get those to me, so I'll have to provide outside information on their fighting styles heading into the match! Rumor has it that Li-Ming is actually a pair of conjoined twins born into a single body, giving one the time to fully plan while the other moves! As for Satsuki, I myself have seen that she is a master of fighting using cutting remarks and sarcasm. Can Li-Ming reassure herself through it long enough to win? Find out next!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    ...and then, after just a moment of tension, Satsuki suddenly moves. It's a blindingly fast, sudden strike downward, slashing not at the distant Li-Ming, but rather, at the ground beneath her own feet.<br /><br />    Bakuzan cleaves through the rock like a hot knife through butter, slicing a wedge off the spire she stands on, and the Queen of Honnouji quickly steps onto that wedge and rides it down... only to kick off it at the bottom, launching it towards her opponent in an opening attack!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:413|Li-Ming (413)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Li-Ming lets her sword-tip drop to the earth in the moments following the exchange of greetings and pleasantries. So, this one transforms too? She'll have to take up that particular line of study again it seems.<br /><br />    And so dramatic! She silently applauds it for flashiness; she's not at all above such things! "Very well! Bring yourself down to me!" Her voice takes on a hardened edge, roused and seeming almost bloodthirsty. Don't worry, her voice only -sounds- evil.<br /><br />    Then her demand is met! A huge chunk of rock is flung at her face... and she surprisingly, foolishly stands her ground. A cloud of shrieking, flickering blades flashes into being before her, shredding the blow down to a much more survivable hail of broken rubble.<br /><br />    She whirls from the hail of debris, simply pointing with her sword and running forward. Throwing scenery, are we? Very well! Two bolts of brilliance leap down from the heavens, plunging for Kiryuin's own perch and exploding violently. The goal, it would seem, being to bring her foe down from her perch... and pelt her with its debris!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:353|Laer (353)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Laer: "There's the opening exchange! It appears we've decided to destroy the arena for the good of all future competitors. I have to say, I applaud this good judgement on the part of the duo, and I wish whoever fought here last had done the same. It looks like they're both getting a little scuffled up in the bargain, though, so there's a bit of progress being made."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    As Satsuki rises up into a ready stance, her opponent calls down the thunder, so to speak, unleashing power from the heavens to mirror her own opening gambit. She turns in surprise, and whips Bakuzan into a series of rapid-fire slices aimed at shredding the stone as it comes down on her - much like Li-Ming, in fact. And much like Li-Ming, it serves only to keep her from being crushed, doing nothing to prevent the smaller cuts and bruises of the rubble.<br /><br />    But then she turns, swinging her sword to one side as if to banish the debris around her with a thunderous, "HA!" And miraculously enough, it does so, the kiai creating a shockwave which blows away the remnants of the stone. And without skipping a beat, she brings Bakuzan up into a two-handed grip again, and makes a pair of fast slashes.<br /><br />    She's nowhere near close enough to actually cut the mage. But she doesn't have to be. Her slashes themselves create arcs of air pressure that will cut just as surely as any blade.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:413|Li-Ming (413)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Letting reserves of energy replenish for a moment after the opening salvo is always risky. When you can't keep an enemy pressured enough to stop counterattacks there's always a problem... more of a problem, though, if she runs out of steam in the middle of a drawn out fight... Seems she's paying the price for not maintaining suppression in the form of those surprisingly reachy slashes! So, the solution is to move her body and produce a barrier of force- too late! She lets out a hiss as one of the blows connects solidly, her now-spent shield probably the only thing saving her from being split like a melon.<br /><br />    Back to the offense! She can obviously ill afford to let up now! She stares hard at Kiryuin, cups a hand and from that outstretched palm leap a spiraling stream of arcane bolts... the ones that act surprisingly like missiles. Exploding against everything, creating a huge mess of smoke, debris and noise. It seems they're targeting mere points in space, allowing many of them to be wasted exploding against the ground. Ideally, just a few of them can connect before she has to let up to recover again.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:353|Laer (353)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Laer manages to sound at least somewhat excited, even as she's downing drinks like they're nothing to keep herself cool. They're mostly not alcoholic, at least. "And it pretty clearly is a classic mage versus person with a sword fight! Except the person with the sword appears to be cheating and using sort of magical techniques, too! It looks like Satsuki's landing some blows by swinging just in Li-Ming's general direction, and that forces the twins to strike out with a magicish missile sort of thing to try and drive her back!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The moment those arcane missiles are unleashed, Satsuki is moving. Inhumanly fast, her strides boosted by the garb she wears, she darts and dodges, but there is only so much she can do against a scatter volley like that. In the end, she takes one hit, another, another, and decides on a tactic very similar to the one Li-Ming has settled on: putting on the pressure to avoid further barrages.<br /><br />    The young swordswoman practically explodes out of the cloud, hurtling forward like a missile to close range with the wizard alarmingly fast. Her weapon lashes out, left-right-left, slicing up the ground around her as she proceeds, creating a screen of dust and debris to make hitting her with a scattered attack that much harder.<br /><br />    All of this is simply to give Satsuki the opportunity to get right in Li-Ming's face, so that she can drive a palm strike into the woman's torso with her left hand.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:413|Li-Ming (413)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    This seems to be working but she's taxing herself faster than she's doing any real good. She cannot keep this up forever... and the sudden shift in the cat and mouse is proof of this! She doesn't try too hard to keep the barrage going at that point.<br /><br />    Despite the fact she's being borne down upon, or perhaps it's because she knows she can't really avoid it... she laughs! Only briefly, of course, since that palm strike is enough to jar the mirth right out of her and send her sliding backward several feet!<br /><br />    Shee lowers her stance and puts a hand down to balance and help slow herself, her eyes never leaving her foe... Despite the blow, she does at least seem to be enjoying herself. "I hadn't anticipated such speed!" With that, she flings a fistfull of the earth she'd been sliding upon into the air... setting it glowing and whirling and roaring into a miniature cyclone. Its path meanders somewhat but it bears down toward her foe nonetheless. The debris it sends up all set aglow spectacularly... though it would appear the smaller bits of dirt and grit are actually being consumed in the process.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:353|Laer (353)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "Oh, and Satsuki seems determined to keep in close combat! That's probably the safer way, of course, given not being a mage against being a mage, but she's landed a strong blow, sending Li-Ming sprawling so hard that it appears to have started a tornado! This is simply increasing the misery of the desert, of course, given that there's not even rain to go with it, but the storm seems to be heading towards Satsuki. Let me check the inclimate weather policy for this tournament while they deal with that.." Laer continues, rifling through some papers.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "That is the power of my Junketsu," Satsuki replies, her face finally pulling into a smile as the battle begins to heat up. "I am already a peerless swordswoman in my world. The might of a kamui such as this lifts me to an entirely different level." She takes a wary ready stance when Li-Ming begins what looks like some kind of spell; when it bears fruit in the form of a small tornado hurtling her way, the young swordswoman narrows her eyes briefly, considering...<br /><br />    And then hurls herself right into it.<br /><br />    Too close and she'll be hammered by the attack. Too far away and her planned countermove won't have the close-in punch to disrupt the cyclone. As it is, she still has to take a mild battering in the instant before she acts.<br /><br />    But with perfect precision and timing, Satsuki plants a foot, arrests her momentum, and lets out a single, loud kiai. "TAAA!" Around them, stone cracks, dust kicks up. The kiai hits with the force to blow a small legion of men off their feet, and at point blank it's more than enough to disperse the tornado, saving her from worse than a few more hefty bruises. It's also going to be a problem for Li-Ming!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:413|Li-Ming (413)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Indeed, it's a problem. Li is pressed back even as her violent cojuration is dispersed. She's not making any headway and this girl is wearing her down steadily!<br /><br />    She decides, then, to plant her feet and simply extend both hands. Her sword hovers helpfully to one side, the glowing cracks in the blade flashing as she lets loose with a beam of purely destructive energy! Seems it's much easier to aim this, though she nevertheless slices it back and forth, cutting lines in the ground that groan and combust violently. Normally, she'd be holding the beam on whatever she was trying to destroy. By sweeping it across like some kind of blade... it probably just hurts. Alot. It's also quite loud, like prettymuch everythine else we've been doing down here. Otherwise, there may be time for conversation while she holds her ground!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:353|Laer (353)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The commentator seems to approve of forcefully dispersing the cyclone, if nothing else. Probably because she had not approved of it to begin with. "And it looks as though our swordsman runs part time work in weather control; the tornado goes away as she attacks it, and there seems to be a blastback that hits at the mage. Who lets loose with a laser of some sort. Hopefully there won't be a fatality; that's the same as a double loss. Though I still get paid full rate, and some of you people out there would probably cheer for it, you horrible monsters!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    A powerful blast puts Satsuki on the defensive immediately. She darts and leaps, and dodges, keeping ahead of the energy beam as best she can, but even with superhuman physicality, there's only so much she can do. The blast finally catches up to her, igniting the ground directly beneath her, with a result that is probably exactly what Li-Ming hoped for. The Queen of Honnouji is scorched and singed, coming out with visible burns in several places on her exposed skin.<br /><br />    But they aren't enough to stop her just yet. No, she's all to prepared to dart in once again, watching for the exact moment that attack is to one side, and then pulling a two-point leap. First to the other side, then straight-in, looking to undercut the mage's range so that she can safely approach. This time her attack comes not as a palm, but rather from the young lady driving the pommel of her sword into Li-Ming's abdomen.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:413|Li-Ming (413)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    With some satisfaction at the results borne of hitting the young woman and her unusual armor with enough of that beam, Li-Ming prepares to move but- Dammit, she's too fast! She had about enough time to grab her sword before she gets a sword hilt punched against her abdomen.<br /><br />    Her mind races for a proper response and the only conclusion is to fight harder! Despite having the wind knocked out of her, she remains oddly calm... right until she hurls a speeding orb of arcane power at the ground directly between herself and Kiryuin.<br /><br />    The blast has a surprisingly small radius, sparing its owner... but owing to that, it's quite focused and intense. NOW she takes a moment to try and gain her breath, gasping and sucking down precious air. Wouldn't do to be distracted doing that silly breathing nonsense and blow herself up in the middle of a spell! "Well hit!" Though her voice isn't completely back yet, she should still be audible.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:353|Laer (353)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "Oh, it's hard to see precisely what's going on now, but from what I can tell Satsuki has Li-Ming on the defensive! I'm sure she's trying her best to come up with a plan, with something.. but it looks as though she's going to need something a bit more dramatic, and that means she needs to find space. Will Satsuki give her that breathing room?" Laer asks, as she watches to find out the answer.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The hurled orb comes faster than Satsuki is prepared for, at least this close in. Even the speed at which she can move isn't enough to save her from being clipped by that arcane orb, and when she adopts her ready stance again, it's a little more wary (and a little more winded). "You think and act quickly," she responds, offering praise in kind.<br /><br />    Then in a sudden move, she brings Bakuzan down again in another diagonal slash, this time a more forceful two-handed cut. The arc of air pressure she unleashes, for only being a single strike, comes in much faster and more forcefully than her previous air cutters. Satsuki is too proper to speak the 'think fast' aloud, but it is almost certainly implied.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:413|Li-Ming (413)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Small rocks and motes of dust cause Li-Ming's shielding to flicker as they bounce against it from her explosive attack. She scans the effects even as Kiryuin lands. Not enough. Still not enough. Very well...<br /><br />    Before she can launch into her next offensive, she's forced to handle the next attack - blow from the edge of that pressurized air enough to dissipate that layer of protective magic and force her back a half-step. She just won't quit! Rather just act astonished, she just gets back to trying to apply that pressure. This time... she thrusts a hand down at the earth, kicking up a cloud of dust that she uses to conceal herself. From cover, she calls forth another shining meteor - the glowing bolt falling right where Kiryuin is standing. Just like before where she attempted to drop a towering formation of rock... only now the attack is a little more direct!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:353|Laer (353)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "And it looks like they're speaking to each other, but I can't quite hear what they're sa.. oh! And the action resumes; Satsuki seems to land a solid quick strike, but in return she's eating a meteor of all things! It's a completely devistating move, and it didn't look from here like she was completely ready for it. Can she recover in time?" Comes the question from Laer<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    When the cloud of dust whips up around her opponent, Satsuki is cautious. Approaching that cloud without knowing what's going on inside is dangerous. It could very well be a trap. And if it's not, it's a cover for something being cast. All of this, she understands instinctively. But her eyes are on the cloud itself, watching for attacks to emerge from there.<br /><br />    The meteor from above hits her squarely. She doesn't even have time to dodge or defend. "Gh-!"<br /><br />    The blast kicks up a cloud of dust, obscuring Satsuki from view entirely. It's a brutal hit. The hot evening breeze has enough time to clear that dust entirely, and she is only just coming to her feet when it does. She's bleeding, from the corner of her mouth and from somewhere in her hairline, not to mention a few gashes along her arms and back.<br /><br />    And for a second time, she's smiling. 'That,' her expression seems to say, 'Was more like it.'<br /><br />    And in the very next instant, she's in Li-Ming's face. The ground cracks under her feet as she launches. She crosses the ground in a heartbeat. The full strength of her kamui unleashed at last, and for the first time this entire match, there are no punches. No pressure-wave slashes. No indirect attacks. The Queen of Honnouji attempts to slash the mage before her in earnest, the ridiculously sharp blade Bakuzan moving like a flicker of midnight. Hit or miss, the attack is enough to cut right through a spire of rock a dozen feet away, through sheer air pressure.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:413|Li-Ming (413)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Li-Ming doesn't follow through. Against a real enemy, there would be no quarter. No stopping her from following through with all brutality. There are no enemies before her this day, so she waits. Waits until the sun draws a bead of sweat that slowly etches a line in the dust on her face.<br /><br />    Then, movement. Finally, her opponent is on her feet... and she returns that grim smile, acknowledging that it has indeed gotten real.<br /><br />    The attack comes so suddenly that had she not anticipated, she'd be grievously wounded or worse. As it is, she doesn't fare as well as she might wish.<br /><br />    Up comes her sword for the first time as anything other than a magical focus, the blade panging and showering arcane sparks as it's impacted and battered aside with enough force that the wizard simply lets it go. The blade finds her, actually cutting across her former swordarm, part of her torso and side as she's spun away from the initial impact against her sword.<br /><br />    It's a bad hit, there's a fair bit of blood and now she's managed to get Kiryuin genuinely into the fight. So, she begins to attack with tornados much like the one that was defeated almost effortlessly before. Only now, since she's throwing so many, they're feeding off of one another, being pulled together... centered on Satsuki.<br /><br />    To buy time, Li produces a wand with her uninjured hand and calls forth a tio of writhing, roaring serpents that immediately target and begin to harass her foe... then a second. They seem completely independent of her control once summoned, if a little... messy. They don't really seem to care that they have a target to pelt with fire. For her part, Li continues to conjure the energy twisters. It seems she's setting up for a big showy finish.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:353|Laer (353)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "Satsuki is still up, it turns out, but she certainly did not come through that magnificent blast unscathed! No, she's quite scathed, but the fight will go on as she seems to even pick up speed, her blows gaining renewed strength. She'd be laying waste to the land if there were anything at all to waste, but she's damaging the preexisting rubble with her blows, and her opponent is shown no mercy or quarter! Nor does she seem to expect it, because Ling-Mi has attempted to go to her own sword, but finds herself rapidly disarmed. Still, now where there was one tornado before there seem to be scores of them, all heading for Satsuki, and one has to think that this is going to come to the slightest difference!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Fire-breathing serpents are more than a little bit of a nasty surprise for Satsuki. But she at least isn't taken completely off her guard this time. It still ends up burning her worse than she can afford at this stage, her injuries beginning to catch up to her, not to mention the toll that Junketsu exacts on her body, and the sheer exhaustion of exertion. Her countermaneuver isn't as elegant as it could be, perhaps, but when she brings that blade of hers around in a vicious horizontal slash, those serpents and the stone behind them are all going to end up cut to ribbons.<br /><br />    And with no time to close the distance between them, Satsuki falls back on a previous tactic - slashes at range. Whatever Li-Ming is winding up for is going to be a problem for her, and if she doesn't press the wizard /now/, the Queen of Honnouji is almost certain that it will be bad for her. So she presses. One, two, three, four rapid-fire slashes, shredding the ground between them with the quartet of air cutters she unleashes.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:413|Li-Ming (413)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Her reserves are flagging. Li-Ming has done nothing yet to see to the bleeding wound on her arm, though by now she's managing to move it to aid in her casting. She pulls the tornados into existence the entire time as she looks on. Kiryuin handily destroys the two sets of fire hydras along with a good portion of the scenery... She sets her jaw. She's next.<br /><br />    Seeming almost heedless of any influence but their own chaotic nature, the twisters gather, merge, occasionally drifting too far afield of the wizard's power and winking back into nothingness. As they merge, they gain in speed and power, pulling down the odd rock formation and casting debris about violently. Even as the Kiryuin heiress bears down upon the seemingly helpless wizard, they bear down upon her.<br /><br />    Indeed, she even feels helpless. A wand is an inadequate weapon in the face of a sword and so she can only retreat before the assault, taking a couple of very costly hit despite nearly avoiding others. Then, the massive roaring conjuration falls upon the mere mortals battling before it.<br /><br />    The towering vortex first engulfs the duo, as if simply sitting there might accomplish its goal. Hardly finished, however, the entire thing collapses in as it lays a mighty hammer blow upon the area, shaking the ground and tumbling loose rock formations before violently exploding.<br /><br />    The wizard appears abruptly, still close enough to the blast of her own magic to be knocked flat by it! See? Magic. Perfectly safe.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:353|Laer (353)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The bard will continue in her commentary. "And it's desperation time, as both fighters seem a bit winded, ready to move in for their possibly final assaults! But magic still seems to be a bit flashier and more powerful than that fine, classical art of stabbing people. From here, it looks as if Satsuki might be on her last legs after her series of blows is met with a massive vortex of fire and tornados and all sorts of impressive looking noise like that! Can she match it, or is that the end of her tournament?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    The Queen of Honnouji presses. She attacks. She tries to break the concentration of the woman weaving a growing calamity of spells. But it's not enough. Li-Ming has managed to maintain her magic until she can bring it in around them. A true tornado, a vicious whirlwind of magical might that batters, blusters, forces her off her balance. And then it slams in on itself and detonates. The blast is enough to rock the ground around them, to send up a plume of shattered stone and dirt. For several seconds, as the sun at last touches the horizon, there is complete silence. Only the blowing breeze through the canyon, slowly beginning to disperse that cloud.<br /><br />    Satsuki beats it to the punch.<br /><br />    The wind almost seems to reverse. A great outward gust blows, obliterating the cloud in its entirety and allowing a brilliant blue-white light to bathe the surroundings. A blazing aura of Life Fiber power shines brightly around Satsuki, her expression serious but utterly alive, despite all the wounds on her body.<br /><br />    "<span style="color:#00bfff">NO MATTER HOW THE WIND HOWLS, THE MOUNTAIN WILL NOT BOW!</span>"<br /><br />    The Student Council President brings Bakuzan around, holding the Secret Blade in a perfectly vertical grip. "Your magic is truly impressive. However, even in the face of a might beyond all reason, Satsuki Kiryuin will never fall to one knee! I will respond to the honor of your full might, by showing you the true power of a kamui!"<br /><br />    The ground around them buckles. Her push comes with no restraint. She pushes her body to its limit, and the very terrain shudders under the force. Like an azure comet, Satsuki and Junketsu hurtle forward, her voice rising in one final kiai - this time purely for the might it adds to her final attack, a vicious slash of superhuman might and the pinnacle of human skill. The blade comes down just a hair's breadth from Li-Ming.<br /><br />    If she had swung that blow to connect, it would have gone against the rules of the tournament. As it is, the incredible shockwave it unleashes hits with the force of a bomb.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:353|Laer (353)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    "And.. that's it, that's it! Satsuki Kiryuin ends the battle with an incredible blow, making her way on to the next round by that narrowest of margins, getting an impressive victory over the mage Li-Ming. Until next time, ladies and gentlemen, this is Laer Azati, blowing this lemonade stand to get back somewhere a little nicer." She's not kidding, either; Laer will be gone within moments of the fight's end, leaving behind bruised egos among the production staff, and her own ally out on the field. There are healers here for that.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:413|Li-Ming (413)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Of course, it was bound to happen. Betting it all in one desperate last ditch to win doesn't always work. In all her life she's defied the odds, winning in the face of overwhelming evil despite all that was stacked against her.<br /><br />    She looks upon the devastation she brought forth, grimacing with anticipation... Then it's revealed. Her attack fell short. The irony is too much. She laughs! It's not manic, she's not unhinged... This was just such a wonderful experience! Then Kiryuin retorts. She shuts off her mirth for the moment, preparing to brace...!<br /><br />    Then boom, the blow lands and she's lain low. For the first time in a long time, she lays in defeat.<br /><br />    Sprawled backward, bleeding and wounded, she sighs. "I am ashamed to admit I had believed this tournament would not be worth my time. I am glad to be proven wrong!" Thud. She's still a bloody wreck, she's not going anywhere on her own power just yet... but at least she had fun? Weirdo nephalem.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:191|Mako Mankanshoku (191)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Two things. Firstly, the majority of onlookers surrounding Mako and Ryuko's seats in the stands are all students from Honnouji Academy, all of them wearing One Star uniforms, every one of them clapping and cheering their Queen throughout the battle. The pressure wave from Bakuzan's stayed strike rips right through these stands in a clean arc, sending students sailing every which way.<br /> <br />    In the middle of it, positioned just so that the arc completely missed them both, are Ryuko and Mako. The brunette waves her giant foam GO SPORTS TEAM #1 hand, not having noticed the upraised finger had been sliced off. She's also ignorant of the One-Stars raining down around her. Instead, the girl just cheers, "Waho! What a great fight!"<br /> <br />    It's okay. They're just one-stars. Honnouji's bigwigs throw these guys around like rice at a wedding.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:430|Satsuki Kiryuin (430)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Satsuki pauses in followthrough, her shoulders heaving, body battered and bleeding. It becomes rather evident in the following seconds that she's only just barely on her feet. But she pushes herself to a standing position nonetheless, taking a steadying breath... and then wincing faintly in pain. Cracked ribs at the very least. Maybe worse. And yet she stands and breathes.<br /><br />    "The Multiverse always has more to offer, I've found. If you mean to temper yourself into a living weapon, there is no better forge. This tournament has pleased me greatly in that regard as well."<br /><br />    And without a further word, she turns to head for the rubble to one side, meaning to retrieve Bakuzan's sheath. Overhead, a small cargo helicopter banks around and flies in, allowing the REVOCS emblem on its side to be seen much more easily.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:140|Ryuko Matoi (140)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>    Ryuko's been watching the whole thing with a serious, unreadable expression.. She even tenses up some, when Satsuki gets pushed to the ropes, and lets out a sigh as the Student Council President deals the killer blow. Well, figuratively, at any rate.<br> <br>


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