Shana vs Gosai *Ref: Brian*

"Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen! And welcome to the World Martial Arts Tournament!" The announcer's flamboyant voice rang through the air triumphantly even though Shana was nowhere near the noisy arena. She could almost picture the man waving his arms around as he riled the crowd up into a frenzy. It was working beautifully; a loud roar came from the audience as they shouted out in a mingled chorus of glee and excitement. The host of fire frowned to herself; she didn't see the point in this. Hell, she didn't even want to be here. But it was Master Roshi who had signed both her and Gosai up to participate, telling both of them that it would help him see both of their potentials.

She sat on a bench in the waiting room. It was full of other fighters who were also participating in the tournament. Although Gosai was somewhere in the same room, Shana made it a point not to look at him. She made it a point not to look at anyone, in fact. Butterflies were already fluttering in the girl's stomach enough. Trying to size up her future opponents would have been overwhelming to her nerves. So instead, she stared at the floor like it contained the meaning of life.

"Are you ready for this?" Shana's eyes snapped up as a voice rang close to her ear. It was one that she recognized instantaneously. Jerking her head around, Shana's eyes met the amethyst eyes of Blackfire. The amulet that hung around the Saiyan's neck glowed brightly.

Heh, I think you scared her, Komand'r... Skoll said.

"B-Blackfire?" The Saiyan was the very last thing Shana expected to see in the tournament. "You're in this too?"

"Of course not," Blackfire scoffed, taking a seat next to the young girl. "I don't have time to be playing around like that." A shadow crossed her face. "So, Gosai's here, too?" Reluctantly, Shana followed the Saiyan's gaze to the teenage boy who seemed to be unaware of the Vessel's presence. It surprised Shana; did he really not know that Blackfire had jumped into existence only feet away from him? Then again, the Saiyan teen was fully suppressed; Shana couldn't detect an ounce of energy from her even when she was so close.

"Yeah, Master Roshi signed both of us up," Shana answered, lowering her voice.

"I see..." There were several moments of silence before Shana decided to admit her fears about the whole tournament. Surely she wasn't ready to fight the best of the best! But when she turned to speak, Blackfire cut her off. "You'll do fine. Believe in yourself; you are much stronger than you give yourself credit for." The Saiyan stood up, glancing once more in Gosai's direction. "I'll be watching you," she announced to the host of fire before flickering out of existence, leaving the child behind in the waiting room.

"And now!" the flamboyant announcer continued with his banter aimed towards the crowd. "The time you've all been waiting for! The first fight of the World Martial Arts Tournament will be underway! Our first competitors will be Shana and Gosai! Please come forward!" Shana's heart skipped a beat. She was to fight Gosai in the first round? Hadn't Okibi mentioned that he had fought battles with Blackfire before? It seemed to be a hopeless battle already...

You'll be fine... Blackfire's voice rang in Shana's mind once more. With a resolved look of determination, Shana rose from the bench and made her way to the exit. Sunlight filtered through the doorway ahead, yet a sign was placed in the door frame as if to block some of the light. The host of fire wriggled around it and stepped forward onto the arena. At her arrival, the roaring crowd suddenly died down into a shocked silence. One of the contenders was a middle-school girl? They had expected to see beefy men tackle each other for the title, not children!

Even the announcer looked shocked. He adjusted his sunglasses slightly as if it would make Shana look larger than she actually was. Shana felt acutely embarrassed, but came to a halt on one side of the arena and pausing to look around at the crowd. Some of the banter had returned, yet it was soft. The people were whispering to one another as if they were trying to understand why a small child was participating in such a well-known tournament.

Only then, when Shana could see Gosai's silhouette from the doorway to the waiting room, did a reluctant cheer return to the crowd.

This is it...

Word of Shana: 768/768

Actions:
Free: Suppress strength and ki to 25%


Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Gosai couldn't help grinning as he stared at his locker within the changing rooms. It had been a while since he'd gone to any competitions, particularly one that was 'just for fun' as Roshi had claimed this was. They both knew that wasn't the case, in point of fact, it was an assessment of what Shana did and did not know about fighting. Still, it was friendly and there was no competition... and Gosai's mind was still wandering despite himself.

She's a lot smaller than I am. Gosai thought, in contemplation of how best to deal with the waifish child. I could try to use reach to my advantage and just outbox her from afar. See how she adapts to that. On the other hand, I could charge in and swarm her. Keep a lot of pressure on the kid until she either falls out of the ring or loses in a more conventional way. Ahhh, but then I look like a bully. That was true, him looking like a bully was a possibility, but the nagging idea that Blackfire had 'mentored' the girl for some period of time made it undesireable. If Blackfire had taken a hand in the child's training than he could expect high powered ki attacks. If he was too close it would screw up any chance he had of evading them.

"I'm spending too much time thinking." Gosai finally declared to himself after another few moments of thought. "It's throwing me off my game. I'll just do what I always do: improvise." Nodding to himself over the development of his 'strategy' the boy finished changing into his gi before shutting the locker. Somehow he'd lucked into the first fight of the day... and he wanted to make certain the others had a lot to live up to.

The crowd didn't seem particularly pleased with their first fighter, something Gosai himself could understand; after all most of the audience lacked the ability to sense one's power. And it was easy to tell this girl was packing a lot of it. Win or lose Shana was gonna give him hell. But, still, as he emerged into the arena, the Human Dynamo threw up his arms in a roar for the crowd worthy of Mr. Satan himself.

"C'moooooooon everybody!" He shouted, cupping his hands over his mouth. "If you guys wanna see some action let us know you're awake!" He cried out with a grin.

Still, there were one or two conveniently placed spectators that Gosai could hear, discussing the seeming mismatch between the Host of Fire and the Human Dynamo. One rather lanky man in a trucker's had leaned over to inform his friend 'confidentially'
"I don't know if I should cheer or look for a teacher, y'know?"

Shana gulped as Gosai entered the ring. It was easy to be intimidated by the cyborg-like warrior. After all, he boasted several metallic parts that seemed to glint unnaturally against the sunlight. If it weren't for the teen's goofy grin, he'd look like a killer.

The crowd was in a frenzy once more thanks to Gosai's flamboyant introduction. The roar was so loud that even the announcer had a difficult time making himself heard with the help of his microphone.

"Alright! That's what I call pumped!" he roared out, looking up at the crowd with a grin. "Now! Without any further ado! Let's begin the first round of the World Martial Arts Tournament!" Another roar blasted outward, causing Shana to wince. She was already developing a headache from all the commotion. "Competitors!" The announcer addressed both Shana and Gosai. "Are you ready?"

Shana felt her heart leap. Fear swelled up within her chest. Was she ready? Somehow, the human was having a difficult time thinking she could ever defeat Gosai. It was Okibi who spoke to her.

Rest your fears, Iz'roth. You heard what Komand'r told you. You're much more powerful than you think. Rest your fears and just fight. Shana frowned at the gateway. How could the lion-like deity make it sound so simple? But before she could say anything, a presence made itself known. Like a small feather tickling the back of her mind, Shana could feel the power. It was her. The child snapped her head up, pinpointing the source immediately. Above the crowd, behind the announcer, and almost out of view, Blackfire hovered in the air. Her amethyst eyes were studying the ring carefully. As Shana locked eyes with the Saiyan, Blackfire nodded slowly.

She's watching me... I... Shana turned her head to Gosai. I won't fail her! With that small exchange, all of her fear and doubts seemed to vanish like mist touched by the morning sun. Her brown eyes danced with a new fire.

"I'm ready," she spoke aloud, confidence ringing solidly in the child's voice.

"Then match one! Begin!" The announcer leaped out of the ring, leaving the host of fire and Gosai alone.

"So," Shana spoke, lifting up a single finger to the air. A spark leaped to life above, suddenly kindling into a powerful vortex of flames that wreathed around her lithe body. At the sudden display of elemental power, a gasp resounded from the crowd. "Shall we begin?"


Word of Shana: 410/1178

Actions:
1: nothing
2: Nothing
3: Lightning Aura (18 FP)

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Gosai was hopping from one foot to the other, apparently lost in his warms ups in the ring. A fact that was not lost on the fans, eliciting another roar from the crowd as they chose to take it as something of a taunt towards her. In reality, the Human Dynamo was just taking it lightly as per his own nature. The girl seemed so nervous he felt it necessary to do SOMETHING to calm her down.

As he practiced a few basic boxing manuevers however the self-proclaimed hero paused a slight glint in the back of his mind. Like a door to a warm room opening on a cold day, it was a ki signature that was familiar to him. Well, well Firey. Come to watch your protege? I suppose it'd be too much to expect she missed me, huh? The boy thought wryly, ignoring the slight tinge of annoyance that such a thought might actually be true. Best to focus on the problem at hand.

And the problem at hand was winning the fight. He honestly wasn't sure his ego could handle losing to an eleven year old.

"Shall we begin?" Gosai asked, eying the ball of ki warily. The announcer's voice lost in the tumult. These people were used to warriors firing off attacks such as the nigh-legendary Kamehameha wave in these competitions. So this had suddenly gotten everyone's attention. "You're talkin' my language now girly."

And that was it, in the blink of an eye Gosai had closed the distance between himself and the girl, rushing forward in a rather simple attack. Taken Shana's height into account he raised his knee rather than launched any particular attack. If all went well the boy would, essentially, slam a flying knee into the girl's face. (Hoping that it would hit really left Gosai feeling a bit like a bully.)

He remained on the move however, skidding across the tile regardless of his success or failure before throwing a slightly more conventional attack as he repositioned himself. A simple jab-cross combo towards the girl's temples. Hunching his body enough to land the attacks was awkward, but knowing the child's association with Blackfire, playing to the outside was his best option no doubt. "You've got more than enough power to be dangerous, Kiddo. We're just here to test your skills. Now, no matter how fast the attacks are coming you've always got enough time to think things through and plan."

Why was he offering advice to Shana in the middle of a fight? Perhaps he'd already adopted her as an unofficial 'little sister'. Perhaps one day he wanted a pupil of his own.

Or perhaps it was meant as a distraction for him to grab the collar of the girl's shirt, pivot his hips, and try to literally throw her out of the ring entirely.

"Now, what have you learned, kidlet?"

---

Strength: 75
Agility: 60
Ki: 65
Endurance: 225
Fatigue Limit: 200
Rage Pool: 0

Current Fatigue: 18

Abilities: Jan Ken

Actions:
1. Rush Attack, (Flying knee)
2. One-Two punch (Pummel)
3. Try to throw Shana (Grapple)

Even with the tornado of chaotic fire wreathing around so dangerously close to the Vessel's skin, Shana appeared to be completely unaffected by the savage element that her symbiotic and feral deity that protected her. She glared wordlessly at Gosai, calmly waiting for his move.

She didn't have to take long. In a blur of movement, the partially mechanical warrior had closed the distance in a flash. Shana narrowed her eyes. So, he was the close-combat type? That was fine by her. Unlike the Saiyan who had trained her, Shana felt more comfortable with hand to hand combat. Her defense came from instinct, yet it seemed to be the perfect answer to Gosai's knee. Bringing both forearms forward, the child allowed the powerful blow to land upon her guard. His strength caught her off guard; in a sudden fleeting moment, Shana realized that her feet had left the ground.

Use his own strength against him! Okibi's roar crashed into Shana's mind like a tidal wave. In the heat of battle, the cooling spray of his reason was more than welcome; Shana had become accustomed to the lion-like spawn of fire's coaching during battle. His experience often helped her make split-second decisions and maneuvers in battle that she would otherwise be unable to pull off if she were trying to fight on her own. She suddenly let her lower body's resistance drop off whilst keeping the pressure upon his blow with her forearms. In a powerful push and pull motion, Shana allowed Gosai's blow to sail by, vaulting over his form completely and landing on the ground behind him.

The crowd roared and cheered as the battle began to heat up. Gosai was already upon her once more, and the human's head spun as his fists landed upon her head. Shana gritted her teeth through the pain. All of her senses seemed to be overwhelmed. The rush of battle... The roar of the crowd... It was too much!

Concentrate! Okibi snarled at his host.

"You've got more than enough power to be dangerous, Kiddo. We're just here to test your skills. Now, no matter how fast the attacks are coming you've always got enough time to think things through and plan," Gosai spoke, lunging forward to take advantage of Shana's momentary confusion by grabbing onto the collar of her Capsule Corp Jacket. Shana managed to twist in time, leaving her jacket in the grasp of her attacker, yet his attack had pushed her off of her feet nonetheless. In an instant, her lithe form was flying through the air, twisting from the sheer force that Gosai had pushed out. With her jacket in the teen's grasp, Shana was left with a simple red T-shirt. The tile of the arena was no longer beneath the host of fire. Instead, she saw grass.

No! I can still do this! A powerful wave of energy rippled through her body as crimson rings ripped out from her back. They glowed with the fierce energy of her determination. With a powerful flap, Shana found herself floating over the arena. That was close... too close...

You need to concentrate. This isn't like any battle. If you screw up once, you've lost! Okibi chided his host.

"Wow!" the announcer screamed into his microphone, his free hand balled in excitement. "Just as Shana seemed to be out of bounds, she managed to get back to the arena! Sparks are flying from this heated battle!" In response, the throng of spectators let out a holler once more; the entire arena seemed to quake from their mixed voices.

With a small grunt, Shana landed back on the edge of the arena. She'd never win this way! The flames of her aura still roared around her, blackening the tile below her feet in its heat. Shana could only hope that Gosai had at least hurt his fists on the barrier in his attack.

"What have I learned?" Shana asked at Gosai's query, quirking an eyebrow at his question. "Ummm-"

Need I remind you that you're supposed to be fighting? Okibi growled, The longer you stand there, the longer you allow him a reprieve!

Shana sighed. Yes, she liked having Okibi's guidance in battle. But sometimes, he could get to be a little overbearing. His competitive nature instilled within his being from warring with the other elemental deities certainly could show at times. Cocking her foot slightly in a pivot, Shana suddenly shot forward, flicking her right arm out in a bar-like motion, aiming to literally clothesline her opponent at the chest. Normally, it would have been a difficult maneuver to pull off considering her size. But thanks to the crimson wings still erected out from her back, they allowed her to lift off from the ground.

Her second attack came swiftly. The host of fire bent her arm and attempted to drive her elbow into Gosai's chest to bring him down to the ground. She leaped away almost instantaneously afterwards, skidding to a halt several yards away. On one bent knee, the child bent both arms at her side, twisting the flames of her aura to her fists. They wreathed around like a cyclone, taking the eery form of Okibi's likeness.

"Here I come!"

The white tile of the arena exploded from the force Shana used to take off. Her arms were nothing but a blur as she struck out with a torrent of flaming punches aimed at Gosai's face and torso. Ten punishing blows later, Shana clasped both fists together, skidded to a halt, pivoted on a single heel and struck out with a might hammer blow that caused the very air itself to ripple from its power.

"That's what I learned..."

Word of Shana: 956/2134

Actions:
1: Block Action 1
Free: Flight + Break free from Grapple (higher strength)
2: Two Strikes
3: Wolf Fang Fist (8 FP) (Strength: 1434)
Free: Second Wind

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

Gosai had rather quickly discovered his error. Shana being Blackfire's protege had not meant she shared her mentor's preferred tactics. The real problem there was that it also meant that the Human Dynamo was going into this fight with zero real knowledge of who he was fighting, other than their connection to an element. In this case 'fire'.

Okay, so what characterized fire?

No time! Focus, she isn't out of the ring yet, and I'll be damned if my star pupil is losing to a middle schooler! South Kai's voice invaded Gosai's brain as the cheering of the crowd invaded his ears. The Human Dynamo had been ready to begin another session of showboating, largely on instinct, until he realized hat they were cheering for.

Shana had managed to fly back into the ring... somehow. Was it ki, or actual flapping? Honestly, Gosai had seen both. The coat in his hand though occupied his interest as well. He was... easily amused. "Huh, I don't think this'll fit me." He mused, apparently seperated from the moment until Shana had resumed her attack. The first blow had caught Gosai by surprise. Honestly, who would have expected someone who was, on a good day, five foot nothing to try clotheslining them?

Ah but if there was one thing Gosai knew how to do, it was bide his time. As the elbow to his chest hit home, the boy hit his knee, taking the moment to inhale deeply to replenish the air he'd lost. Patience. to himself repeatedly. His mantra. And then it came. The girl was rushing him again. She had even gone so far as to declare her intentions.

"Super Gosai Net attack.... GO!" The Dynamo shouted as Shana rushed forward. He flipped the coat open in the split second of timing he had. Now came the hard part, he had to tangle up the girl's arms, or else wrap the whole coat around her for all the precious few seconds it could give him. As the first punch impacted the fabric he knew the plan was half-baked. A hole was torn in it, but the addition of pressure served as an 'early warning' to the punch, allowing him to back up a few inches, taking advantage of the girl's reach before he attempted his 'master plan'.

In his own blur, matching the incoming hammerfist, the Human Dynamo attempted to get the girl's wrist inside of the coat once again before twisting it around her arm, hopefully trapping the limb as he pivoted upon his feet, bumping his hips into Shana's torso to force the child of fire off her feet... and if lucky, well... that would hopefully place her in the air, where her small size would allow him to complete the attack, an attempt to throw her over his shoulder and on to the unforgiving tiles below.

"Ippon Seionage revised!" He chortled just a bit, now certain that Shana could take whatever he could dish out to her. Perhaps even more, a fact the boy had to consider much to his chagrin.

Still, his reach was Gosai's primary advantage and he felt it may indeed be time to take advantage of it as he chambered his fist by his hip, assuming a rather 'classic' sort of karate stance. Slowly he inhaled and then exhaled. "There is another contest, Shana, that warriors have engaged in from the dawn of war. A challenge that can only be given voice in dire circumstances."

A slow wind passed through the arena picking up little bits of dust and blowing the boy's hair to the side.

"The ancient right of... Paper-!" he shouted his first move, lunching forward with a fierce palm strike to the girl's dan'tien. "Rock!" He added, pulling back his palm and as if it were a strange lever, while palm returned his other hand fired off a fierce punch at the girl's temple. "SCISSORS!"

Ah scissors, most dangerous of the combo. If the boy was too quick, he could blind the girl permenantly. If he was too slow, he'd lose two fingers. Still, he had faith Shana could avoid the worst of such a slapstick assault.

South Kai, however, had apparently chosen this moment to address Okibi on his own. Perhaps as much to prevent the God of Fire from offering advice to his partner as much as any other reason.

Hey, Okaba, or... or whatever, isn't this supposed to be a lesson about how well the kid can fight on her own? Why don'cha let her handle it herself, huh?

---

Actions:
Free: Take Shana action 2
1. Dodg attempt action 3 (6 FP)
2. Attempt to throw Shana again (Grapple, 8 FP)
3. Jan Ken (30 FP)

Strength: 75
Agility: 60
Ki: 65
Endurance: 225
Fatigue Limit: 200
Rage Pool: 0

Current Fatigue: 62

Abilities: Jan Ken

Shana let out a small yelp as she was suddenly enveloped in the confines of her own jacket once more. Okibi let out a tired sigh. Did you not see that coming? As Shana struggled free from her binds, Gosai had taken the initiative to throw her to the tile floor quite roughly. The floor split and cracked apart from the force, and Shana found the breath driven from her body as she finally clawed her way free from her own jacket, tossing it aside so it could not be used as a weapon again. It fluttered in the wind before landing outside the ring.

Gasping for air, Shana swiftly used her arm to wipe the sweat that had already formed on her brow. She had been in fights, but this one... It seemed that everything was on the line. Especially with Blackfire watching her so closely; the host of fire could almost feel the Saiyan's amethyst eyes boring into her.

Focus! Okibi chided her, Stop letting your attention waver! The lion-like spawn of flame's rebuke caused Shana to look up in time to see Gosai rushing at her once more.

"The ancient right of... Paper-!"

What...? His arm soared forward, palm open and facing her. Just in time, she managed to bring her arm up properly and slap the incoming strike aside before it landed.

"Rock!"

Shana found herself backing up as Gosai attacked once more with a fist. With a twist of the girl's hips, Shana ducked, bringing her arm up to let the blow land on her forearm. Although it stung, the host of fire was sure it was nothing compared to the state she would have been if a second punishing blow landed on her temple.

"SCISSORS!"

The next strike was... odd, to say the least. Yet after her brief moment of confusion, (and a growl from Okibi to remind her that she really didn't have a moment) Shana backed up enough to grab Gosai's wrist before the intended strike landed. His fingers were only inches away from her face, and despite the pressure he had behind the attack, the host of fire managed to keep the mechanical teen back. For a fleeting moment, they stayed locked in that position before Shana let go and leaped away.

Hey, Okaba, or... or whatever, isn't this supposed to be a lesson about how well the kid can fight on her own? Why don'cha let her handle it herself, huh?

Shana glanced around as the voice resounded around the arena. It was a voice that she didn't recognize one bit. But she felt a bolt of recognition from Okibi.

It's Okibi... the spawn of flames corrected the voice with a growl. And she is fighting on her own. I'm not an outside source, South Kiao... I believe that Skoll told you something similar. I am within her. I am part of her. Just as her arms are a part of her body, I am a part of her soul. If she needs help, I give her that help.

Shana glanced at the amulet that hung around her neck in surprise. Was that... fondness in his voice? But the moment was gone almost immediately as Okibi addressed his host roughly. What are you waiting for? You're in the middle of a battle! Attack!

Suppressing a chuckle, Shana narrowed her eyes, attempting to shut out the drowning noise of the roaring crowd. It was obvious that the people watching were riled up by the show of power. She launched herself forward once more, this time leaving her first path of attack completely. Her form flickered out of existence briefly as the small host of fire tried to take Gosai's back. Then, a single blow was administered. A crushing kick aimed for his spine meant to send her foe flying into the air.

Swiftly landing back on the tile floor, the girl pivoted on a single heel, flames beginning to crackle in her palms. No! Okibi roared at her. There are spectators here! Do you want to fry them?

N-no, of course not! Shana swiftly extinguished the flames, kicking herself for not thinking about the other people that could have been harmed by such a powerful element under her control. Other than the controlled flames still wreathing around her frame though, what did she have? Well, melee, of course!

Bending her legs at the knee, the host launched herself at Gosai once more, throwing another barrage of blows. The first punch was aimed at the older teen's gut. Sliding her foot against his, she attempted to knock him clean off of his feet before aiming a powerful elbow at his temple.

There! Shana thought triumphantly. That had to do something, right?

Word of Shana: 791/2925

Actions:
Free: Break free from Grapple
1: Block Action 3 (8 FP)
2: Rush Attack (0 FP: Martial Efficiency)
3: 3 Strikes (Speedy Strikes + Double Strikes)

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

It's Okibi... the spawn of flames corrected the voice with a growl. And she is fighting on her own. I'm not an outside source, South Kiao... I believe that Skoll told you something similar. I am within her. I am part of her. Just as her arms are a part of her body, I am a part of her soul. If she needs help, I give her that help.

Eaaasy, Okubi. The Southen Kaio asserted towards the god of Fire. You seem kinda tense; but what can I say. Gosai's my top student and the guy I put money on in these fights. Got a personal vested interest in him winning. It could be that South Kai was diong his own part to help Gosai by conversing with Okibi... trying to keep the Spawn of Flames from providing advice to the girl...

Gosai might have considered what South Kai meant by that if not for the fact that the tiny terror was on the move again. Before he could react the small target had moved out of his line of sight. And the oceanic shout of the crowd came in time with the blast of pain through the Human Dynamo's back. The blow to his unprotected back had made his instinct to crumple up and collapse. The force behind it however sent him crumping into the air rather than onto the ground.

Crap, crap, crap, crap! Gosai yelled through his own mind as he rose into the air. For something so small, Shana was capable of quite a bit of force. This was all purely academic however as Gosai spun around to scan the area for the Host of Fire. When he finally located the girl she was wreathed in flames, reminding him of the crackling electricity around Blackfire from timeto time.

Y'know, in hindsight that should've been expected. The boy thought to himself; his mind clocking in at an impressive (for Gosai) speed to create the proper plan. Once the flames went out though, that plan meant exactly nothing.

Caught off guard and stuck in the air as he was the Human Dynamo had little chance of dodging but he had one great aid for weathering the attacks: There was nothing stop his momentum, and with no resistance to Shana's blows he was immediately knocked away from the girl with the first attack, between her smaller reach and titanic strength, Gosai found himself out of range by the second attack (even finding time to stick his tongue out and pull down an eyelid in the girl's direction.)

"There's an old saying, Shana. Age and trickery will always defeat youth and enthusiasm." Gosai declared, conveniently ignoring that Okibi was older than Gosai himself, and likely had many many more tricks up his metaphorical sleeve.

Still, the conversation was enough that he was able to right his landing (even if he was still quite stiff and winded from the blows he'd taken) cracking the arena floor even more under his feet, a spider-web pattern forming beneath him as the crowd absolutely lost it.

Gettin' a little tight in here. The Dynamo thought to himself. Might be time to catch my breath. He added, slamming his foot down onto the cracked material of the arena once more. (It was fortunate that long ago the staff of the World Tournament had learned to keep some crafstmen and spare tiles around.) With chunks of stone flying into the air though, Gosai fired off his own offensive, punching the bits of debris as they floated up in the air. Each punch sending several bits of the arena at Shana.

"The ancient Matsuhito technique of long distance combat." He laughed, slowly getting into the spirit of the occasion. However, the attack had a dual purpose... simply put, he was doing his level best to keep distance between himself and Shana. Every moment she had to spend reaching him was more energy she burned up and a few seconds he had to catch his breath.

Age and trickery, like he'd said.

---

Actions:
Free: Take Shana action 2
1. Evade Action 3 (+4 FP)
2. Long distance Pummel, 3 quick attacks launching rocks (+5 FP)
3. Rest (+10 FP)

Strength: 75
Agility: 60
Ki: 65
Endurance: 225
Fatigue Limit: 200
Rage Pool: 4

Current Fatigue: 61

Abilities: Jan Ken

Okay, here are the FP adjustments that we talked per our conversations on AIM.

Shana's FP

+10 for using Lightning Aura
+3 for blocking Gosai's Rush Attack
+2 for Two Strikes
+10 for using Wolf Fang Fist
+8 FP for Blocking Jan Ken
-20 FP for using Second Wind.
+3 FP for Three Strikes

16 FP gained.

Gosais' FP

+5 FP from Rush Attack
+5 FP from Pummel
+8 FP from Grapple attempt
+30 FP from dodging the Wolf Fang Fist
+8 FP from Grapple attempt
+30 FP from Jan Ken
+2 FP from evading Three Strikes
+5 FP from Pummel
-10 FP from resting

83 FP gained total.

"There's an old saying, Shana. Age and trickery will always defeat youth and enthusiasm," Gosai spoke, landing heavily on the arena floor once more. His words were almost lost in the roar of the crowd, yet Shana could hear him nonetheless. When Gosai stomped on the ground, sending shards of tile flying up into the air, Shana could only stare at him quizzically. What was he trying to accomplish?

Move! Okibi roared at his host, but not in time as the girl was suddenly showered in her foe's unorthodox attack. She gritted her teeth as the rocks shattered against her form, sliding back a few precious feet before halting. She looked up to plan her next attack, and almost fell over in shock. Gosai was just standing there! Was he trying to catch his breath?

As if! Shana thought angrily. The flames had finally died down around her form, but it would not lessen the ferocity of her next attack. Although achingly similar to one of her previous attacks, the young host of fire doubted that Gosai would be able to avoid the second attack. Especially since he was trying to catch his breath.

Crimson wings unfolded from her back once more, and she blasted off at an amazing speed, crossing the gap between her and Gosai in a whisper of a second. Her arms were wreathed in flames just as before; the ethereal fire took on the form of Okibi's gnashing maw. With a roar that sounded like it came more from Okibi than Shana, the human vessel struck out with a powerful volley of swiftly executed attacks aimed at her foe's chest and face yet again. Slowly, she attempted to drive him back along the arena floor with each attack. One strike after the other, the seemingly never-ending barrage of punishing blows finally ended.

Although Okibi's mirage evaporated from the child's grasp, she swept into her next attack seamlessly. A savage punch was aimed square for Gosai's face. The child swiftly closed in afterwards, learning the mistake in her last combination. She was not about to make the same mistake twice and allow Gosai the reprieve of using her strength to avoid other attacks. Pivoting on a single heel, Shana attempted to drive her foot into his gut before bending down, cocking her fist, and driving it upwards to hopefully crash it against the bottom of his chin.

Now! Okibi instructed his host. End it! Narrowing her brown eyes, Shana only took a second to figure out where Gosai was, and where the edge of the ring was. Blasting forward shortly thereafter, the child tried to drive both feet into Gosai's chest, hopefully sending her opponent out of the ring for good.


Word of Shana: 455/3380

Actions:
1: Powered Flight + Wolf Fang Fist (12 FP)(Normally 42 FP)
2: 3 Strikes (Speedy Strikes + Double Strikes) (3 FP)
3: Rush Attack (Martial Efficiency) (0 FP)

Battle Tracker:

Spoiler:

There are few things in the world more embarrassing than being beaten up by a middle school girl (even if you happen to be another middle school girl) and Gosai was finding that out first hand as the monstrous aura of Okibi appeared around the Host of Fire. Perhaps if Gosai had actually been paying attention to Shana instead of his attempts at taking deep breaths things could have turned out better.

Perhaps if the beast had been Skoll Gosai would have anticipated the incoming attacks. As it was a lion-tiger... thing (Gosai preferred to think of Okibi as a 'Tigen'.) the Human Dynamo could only stare in awe as the first blow landed upon him followed rapidly by several others leaving a plethora of bruises around what remained of the boy's flesh.

"Gya! My face, my beautiful face! How am I going to get a girlfriend nooooooow!?" He somehow managed to shout between punches, forced into a startling retreat from the child.

A final punch, however, should have by all rights sent Gosai flying once again, but a kick to his gut sent him crumpling, gasping for air. "C-crap. That... hu-" his admission of pain was cut off, however, by stars in his vision as another blow (one Gosai wasn't even entirely certain what it was) struck him in the chin. Oh he was more than dazed, if this was a Street Fighter game he'd be in the midst of a dizzy animation. The swirls in his eyes could prove this even now.

Holding almost completely still in this situation, surprisingly (/sarcasm), turned out to be a horrifying idea as two shoes collided with his chest, sending Gosai sprawling in the air once more, but then... amazingly, the human seemed to 'reboot' and begin moving once again.

Spinning in the air like a cat he did his best to right his position mid-air. Crap, crap, crap! The Dynamo repeated his mantra before spying something lying on the grass, ideas forming. Well, it's better than the alternatives. He admitted mentally, but through a combination of agility and sheer luck he landed on his feet... outside of the ring... on top of Shana's jacket.

The crowd was going insane, people cheering Shana, or alternately booing Gosai. However, as the announcer began to speak, the Human Dynamo interrupted with his own shout.

"Wait!" He declared, forcing silence from the assembled crowd. "I can't be out yet. The jacket I'm standing on came from INSIDE the ring. That means I'm still on something associated with the arena. I haven't actually touched the ground beyond."

It was a weak play, but one he needed to make. More breathing time was needed for him to continue catching his breath. Forcing the Announcer and Judges to consult the rules would, he hoped, give him all the time he needed.

---

Actions:
Free: Take Shana attacks
1. Exploit Loopholes?
2. Rest
3. Rest

Strength: 75
Agility: 60
Ki: 65
Endurance: 225
Fatigue Limit: 200
Rage Pool: 13

Current Fatigue: 63

Abilities: Jan Ken

As her final blow drove home, Gosai was sent hurtling out of the ring at quite a high speed. Shana fell back to her feet, skidding to halt her own speed. Her brown eyes tracked the human as he fell closer to the ground. She held her breath. Would he recover? There was a thud. Shana blinked. The crowd roared. He landed! He landed outside of the ring! A giddy feeling swelled in the tiny host of fire's chest. She won!

The announcer had his mouth agape in shock. Several seconds passed before he recovered enough to address the audience with a triumphant jubilee. "WOOOOOW! And just like that, Gosai is out of bounds! Shana wins the first round!" Shana couldn't help but look for Blackfire. When she locked eyes with the amethyst-eyed Saiyan, Shana was delighted to see approval from her. The Saiyan nodded slowly at her.

"Wait!" Gosai shouted. The crowd died down into an eerie silence as the mechanical human made his presence known. "I can't be out yet. The jacket I'm standing on came from INSIDE the ring. That means I'm still on something associated with the arena. I haven't actually touched the ground beyond."

Shana blinked in confusion. She didn't think that was part of the rules... She glanced back at Blackfire, but the Saiyan had her face buried in her palm. Her lips were moving as if she were talking. Judging by Blackfire's glowing amulet, it was to Skoll.

"Um... Well..." The Announcer looked as confused as Shana felt. "I-I don't know. This has never happened before... I suppose it would be up to the officials..." And just like that, the fate of the match had been flung away once more. All Shana could do was wait for judgement.

WC: 297/3677

Actions: 1-3: Rest -30 FP
Current FP: 1

Inside the judges booth, a fat anthropomorphic tabby cat in a suit, and sporting a bushy mustache (if cats can really grow mustaches,) chewed on the end of his cigar as he watched the round's conclusion . His major concern were how the high-speed cameras they had installed were holding up.

In past events, when super-powered martial artists got together to duke it out, TV viewers and the judges, were oblivious to the actual events going on. Somehow, these people could move faster than the naked eye could register.

The phone rang behind him and he heard one of the assistants talking.

"Cremis, you have to take this call," the assistant said.

Grumbling, Cremis plopped down from his cushy chair and waddled across the room, his tail waving behind him. He took the receiver and pressed it to his ear. "Hullo."

The sideline judges rambled off in his ear for minute about what had just happened.

"W-wait what, he's standing on a jacket?" Cremis said.

The other booth judges and assistants were hard at work pulling up a replay of the fall.

"Well, I'll be damned," Cremis said as he saw Gosai land on the jacket. They slowed down the footage, making sure he didn't touch a blade of grass. "Zoom--right there... good!"

The camera was right in on Gosai's shoe, which had brushed a blade of grass. As the footage continued, the blade of grass bounced forward, clearly showing that it was disrupted.

"He's a ring out," Cremis declared and hung up the phone.

Gosai shifted from foot to foot, feeling quite antsy about his plan. Sure, he was exploiting a loophole (hilariously, if he did say so himself) and the crowd couldn't seem to agree on whether or not this was awesome or jerkish as attested by the combination of their booing and cheering alternately. On the bright side, he wasn't planning to jump into the ring and resume the battle without knowing if he COULD.

And the announcer seemed to be conferring with a messenger, running back and forth from ringside to the interior of the building. After what seemed several minutes the bespectacled monk stood upon his tip-toes to whisper into the ear of the announcer, who nodded along with a slightly surprised expression.

All at once, he adjusted his sunglasses, straightened his tie and threw his microphone into the air to catch in his other hand with a flourish, all to draw the crowd's attention to himself so make his declaration. "The judges have finished conferring, ladies and gentlemen!" He declared jovially. "And while Mr. Matsuhito did make a good effort to stay in the fight, high speed cameras have shown he DID disturb the grass and so... Shana wins by forcing a ring ooooooout!" The Announcer shouted, holding up the microphone to amplify the roar of the crowd.

Gosai blinked several times, his thoughts drowned out by the shouting. After a few moments to absorb the information he gave a simple shrug before jumping back into the ring, illiciting a new hush from the crowd. After several seconds, the Human Dynamo smiled broadly before placing his hand on Shana's head tousling her hair.

"Good fight, kiddo. Now, make sure you win so I look better huh?" He laughed, strolling casually towards the interior of the building. Doing his best to project a few thoughts to Blackfire...

Heh, you found a good kid, Firey. Once I get back in shape I'll have to fight her again. Maybe you too?