Shards of stone literally shattered as Engar took a step forwards, the crackle of energy that that mere step made sounding out like the crack of doom. All around him the screams of the crowd echoed, as he approached Hwoarang across the broken arena they only grew and grew, people pounding on their seats in a frenzy of passion as he made his measured way towards his lone opponent. There was a thump and vacant groan as, in the background, the Lone Rider landed from his fall but neither paid him any mind.
He paused, not more than a meter from Hwoarang and raised his hand.
The screaming abruptly ended, leaving Hwoarang's rasping breaths and the crackle of Engar's energy as the only sounds throughout the arena.
"This."
Engar blurred, his image becoming one long streak from the still cracking point his feet had vacated to the space Hwoarang had, until the last second, occupied. Two auras clashed, faster than the eye could follow blows were sent and defended. As the whirlwind rose up around the two blurs, sparks shooting out of the auras and cracking tiles as they grounded themselves, a scream emerged from it all.
"Ends!"
All the energy that had been whirling around the two suddenly blew back against the audience as Hwoarang was hurled, unhurt, out of the battle and across the arena in the opposite direction. With a burst of energy he spiralled in mid air, landing right in front of the edge of the arena; chains jangling in the wake of his aura. He was just collecting his breath and looking up when Engar fired.
"NOW!"
His left hand gripping his right arm which was extended, palm open, towards Hwoarang; Engar forced a burst of energy through the hand in a burst of pure white energy - a sun the size of a beach-ball emerging as his arm ricocheted backwards. But none of that mattered; all Hwoarang could see was the fast approaching orb; all he could think of was 'This is it.'
--- clang, clang, clang.. ---
As time slowed to treacle, as though his senses were trying to collect his last moments with the most precise detail, Hwoarang could pick out the strobe light effect the orb had ? the pure beauty of it as it sliced through the air towards him. He was captured by it. There were, after all, worse ways to die..
--- clang, clang, clang.. ---
Hwoarang turned with glacier speeds, his vision sluggishly focusing on something approaching on its side. To Engar, trying to move against the all encompassing wave of what could only be SaiyanPride's energy, it was as though he were looking down on Pride running normally. But he wasn't, he was almost horizontal as he defied gravity - his feet pounding on the chains as they strained taught against the turn-buckles.
And he was going to make it..!
Powerful arms grabbed Hwoarang by the shoulders and, kicking off from the chains, the two rose together away from the energy blast that hammered into the chains and sent white sparks writhing along the metal. The two, their colours distorted and other-worldly in Pride's aura, looked down on Engar coldly.
Whatever madness that had held Engar before was gone now; cold sanity told him that as long as both survived neither could be defeated.
"Oh well," Engar grinned, "I knew this was going to be difficult.."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
"That was one hell of a close thing," Optimus' voice resounded around the arena, "those two are some team!"
"Indeed, my disciple has his work cut out for him in this," Cucumba's voice came, unstrained and clear, "You were in the fight personally, what do you have to say Deverz?"
"I'd just say to remember that there can only be one winner to this Rumble." Deverz shifted in his chair. "They've all got to be considering that, even Pride and Hwoarang."
"Personally I think they're all doing great. Engar looks to have a bag full of tricks he's only started to reveal, I mean the force and a sabre? Pride and Hwoarang have to be careful now, though Pride blew us away with that transformation of his. If he was making ripples before, he's making tidal waves now! And Hwoarang? He's a powerhouse of skill and energy - I mean he's been in this thing from the beginning and he's still going! And lets not forget the fighters in reserve. Scruffie? Magus? SA_Gohan?! There's so much left to reveal; believe me folks we're only getting started!"
Silence filled the box as Hibiki felt the combined shock coming off of Cucumba, Optimus and Deverz.
"Now give me my bloody PSP back!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm getting to Engar first.."
"Wanna bet?"
Both warriors grinned then, their feet having just enough time to register the fact that they had landed, made their move. Both became streaks of energy, sparks of energy trailing them as they shot off in opposite directions in a diagonal move to opposite sides of the arena. From there, with Engar glancing from side to side in confusion, both warriors repelled of the chains and raced each other towards their opponent. Their target. Engar.
The warrior with his eyes closed and hands clasped tightly together as though in prayer, his head bowed in concentration even as the two approached. The crowds screaming was a roar in his ears, the ceaseless commentary from the Admins a toneless natter; none of it mattered to him even as his opponents increased their speed. All that mattered was very little. All that was important was the sound of air that flowed around him; all else was insignificant. He listened to it, identified it, and when it changed he reacted.
Before their very eyes, hands still clasped, Engar took a step back and turned even as Pride's fist sent repercussions through the entire arena. Still turning, the lashing sound of Pride's peculiar aura in his ear, Engar raised his clasped hands and, calling upon his aura, brought them both down upon the back of Pride's head like a club. All at once his aura began to fail and, stumbling to knees, Pride held his head in order to ward off the darkness that threatened to pull him into unconsciousness. Hwoarang meanwhile was just appearing, his feet barely touching the ground before springing up in a spinning kick that almost caught Engar off guard.
Almost.
Ducking under the attack Engar rose up even as Hwoarang soared through the air, his hands opening up as he extended them out towards Hwoarang's unguarded chest. There was a thump, audible over the arena, as Engar discharged a blast directly into Hwoarang's chest - then silence as he plummeted backwards onto the arena floor. Smoke trailed his mute flight path.
Turning to make sure Pride was down for the count, Engar walked right into a solid punch and, too dazed to think straight, had only began to raise his hands in defence when he met another. Dancing momentary on his feet, Pride paused and grinned before continuing to pummel blow after blow into Engar who did nothing to stop him - merely bouncing from blow to blow like a doll.
His back suddenly exploded in pain, from behind him Hwoarang turned in mid-air and with a scream of vengeance smashed the heel of his right foot into the side of Engar's head. Landing with a crack on his knees, falling still forwards until his hands were pressed against the cracked, rough flooring of the arena; Engar looked defeated in the eyes of all.
"You've been here longest, you deserve this Hwo.."
A drop of blood beaded on the curve of Engar's split lip.
"Maybe I do and maybe I don't, but I'll accept it anyway!"
The blood slid down along his chin, leaving a bright red stripe behind it.
Hwoarang's aura flared to life, blue and red sparks exploding outwards as he sought the power to end Engar in one blow. The tiles around him cracked and shattered, spiralling away in the tornado that surrounded him and his two opponents.
It reached the curve, more and more blood following it, building it up.
Hwoarang drew his fist back, mouth open in a scream that was lost to the blast of wind that surrounded them all. The audience could barely see them now and the whole crowd falling silent as they realised that nothing they could produce could compare to the sound Hwoarang's aura was generating.
Finally, inexorably, the blood lost it's grip on Engar's chin and plummeted towards floor.
Hwoarang brought his fist down, his whole aura dying as all the energy of it was focussed into one blow.
---plop..---
Hwoarang found himself, in this perfect moment of contrasting energies, staring into the mad grin of one Engar, apprentice of Cucumba. The warrior who had troubled him so much. The warrior who had taken down Deverz. The warrior who had created the Rogue Sabre. The warrior who-
The warrior who had caught his blow with one hand.
The tiles around Engar for a dozen feet shattered simultaneously, revealing the broken concrete beneath them as they peppered the air like grapeshot. And from Engar rose up a beam of golden light, surrounding him and reaching through the hole in the ceiling, lighting the heavens energy as he began to scream. Turning as he rose, slow but as inevitable as the collision of galaxies, Engar gripped Hwoarang's arm in both hands and brought him over his head - smashing him remorselessly against the concrete.
He turned to Pride, grin still in place as tiles exploded around them, and even as his pixilated aura enveloped him, stepped forwards to attack. Pride brought up his fore arms to deflect the worst of the attacks, relying on his aura to defend him, but Engar had other things in mind. His fingers danced lightning fast across Pride's arms, his fingers touching down almost randomly on points on each arm with Ki-aided precision. Then he stepped back and, cold grin still in place as the sparks clawed their way across his bruised face, waved for Pride to attack.
SaiyanPride was worried but couldn't afford to waste any opening, especially when his partner was down. He darted at Engar and brought both of his powerful arms to bare.. only to have them fall limply at his side. Shocked, Pride looked down at his useless arms then back up at Engar to receive to Ki-enhanced punches to the face. Pride stumbled backwards, terrified at the prospect of losing his control to the extent that his whole defence collapsed, and was unable to block as Engar rose up and swung his left foot around to catch Pride full on the face in a blow that sent him careening towards the edge of the arena. He landed hard, still skidding, and with no control of his arms to slow him down just kept on going.
As the crowd looked on in horror Pride skidded right under the chains of the ring and, one useless arm trailing behind him, plummeted towards the darkness -
"Got ya!"
until Hwoarang snatched that last arm, his other hand slipped around the chains of the arena. Straining his weight against them, the weary warrior heaved Pride back into the arena, dumping unceremoniously onto the ground before turning to look for Engar.
"Thanks.. for.. that.." gasped Pride, still feeling the after-affects of his shock.
"Don't.. mention," replied Hwoarang, leaning hard against the chains, "We're.. even.."
Pride took another deep breath, then stood up - his aura flaring up around him. Hwoarang followed suit, the contrasting colours of the two looking haunting in the dark setting.
"It's not over yet," Pride grinned, "Not until Princess over there says uncle.."
Outwardly Engar looked calm, the crazed grin he had worn in his momentary burst of energy fading to a sombre expression. Inwardly, however, he was exhausted. That momentary explosion had cost him more than he would ever admit to anyone; he'd deny it to his dying breath but in that moment there was nothing he wanted more than to lie down. But he wouldn't; no matter what happened, no matter what it took..
He would not lose the Rumble..
He paused, not more than a meter from Hwoarang and raised his hand.
The screaming abruptly ended, leaving Hwoarang's rasping breaths and the crackle of Engar's energy as the only sounds throughout the arena.
"This."
Engar blurred, his image becoming one long streak from the still cracking point his feet had vacated to the space Hwoarang had, until the last second, occupied. Two auras clashed, faster than the eye could follow blows were sent and defended. As the whirlwind rose up around the two blurs, sparks shooting out of the auras and cracking tiles as they grounded themselves, a scream emerged from it all.
"Ends!"
All the energy that had been whirling around the two suddenly blew back against the audience as Hwoarang was hurled, unhurt, out of the battle and across the arena in the opposite direction. With a burst of energy he spiralled in mid air, landing right in front of the edge of the arena; chains jangling in the wake of his aura. He was just collecting his breath and looking up when Engar fired.
"NOW!"
His left hand gripping his right arm which was extended, palm open, towards Hwoarang; Engar forced a burst of energy through the hand in a burst of pure white energy - a sun the size of a beach-ball emerging as his arm ricocheted backwards. But none of that mattered; all Hwoarang could see was the fast approaching orb; all he could think of was 'This is it.'
--- clang, clang, clang.. ---
As time slowed to treacle, as though his senses were trying to collect his last moments with the most precise detail, Hwoarang could pick out the strobe light effect the orb had ? the pure beauty of it as it sliced through the air towards him. He was captured by it. There were, after all, worse ways to die..
--- clang, clang, clang.. ---
Hwoarang turned with glacier speeds, his vision sluggishly focusing on something approaching on its side. To Engar, trying to move against the all encompassing wave of what could only be SaiyanPride's energy, it was as though he were looking down on Pride running normally. But he wasn't, he was almost horizontal as he defied gravity - his feet pounding on the chains as they strained taught against the turn-buckles.
And he was going to make it..!
Powerful arms grabbed Hwoarang by the shoulders and, kicking off from the chains, the two rose together away from the energy blast that hammered into the chains and sent white sparks writhing along the metal. The two, their colours distorted and other-worldly in Pride's aura, looked down on Engar coldly.
Whatever madness that had held Engar before was gone now; cold sanity told him that as long as both survived neither could be defeated.
"Oh well," Engar grinned, "I knew this was going to be difficult.."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
"That was one hell of a close thing," Optimus' voice resounded around the arena, "those two are some team!"
"Indeed, my disciple has his work cut out for him in this," Cucumba's voice came, unstrained and clear, "You were in the fight personally, what do you have to say Deverz?"
"I'd just say to remember that there can only be one winner to this Rumble." Deverz shifted in his chair. "They've all got to be considering that, even Pride and Hwoarang."
"Personally I think they're all doing great. Engar looks to have a bag full of tricks he's only started to reveal, I mean the force and a sabre? Pride and Hwoarang have to be careful now, though Pride blew us away with that transformation of his. If he was making ripples before, he's making tidal waves now! And Hwoarang? He's a powerhouse of skill and energy - I mean he's been in this thing from the beginning and he's still going! And lets not forget the fighters in reserve. Scruffie? Magus? SA_Gohan?! There's so much left to reveal; believe me folks we're only getting started!"
Silence filled the box as Hibiki felt the combined shock coming off of Cucumba, Optimus and Deverz.
"Now give me my bloody PSP back!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm getting to Engar first.."
"Wanna bet?"
Both warriors grinned then, their feet having just enough time to register the fact that they had landed, made their move. Both became streaks of energy, sparks of energy trailing them as they shot off in opposite directions in a diagonal move to opposite sides of the arena. From there, with Engar glancing from side to side in confusion, both warriors repelled of the chains and raced each other towards their opponent. Their target. Engar.
The warrior with his eyes closed and hands clasped tightly together as though in prayer, his head bowed in concentration even as the two approached. The crowds screaming was a roar in his ears, the ceaseless commentary from the Admins a toneless natter; none of it mattered to him even as his opponents increased their speed. All that mattered was very little. All that was important was the sound of air that flowed around him; all else was insignificant. He listened to it, identified it, and when it changed he reacted.
Before their very eyes, hands still clasped, Engar took a step back and turned even as Pride's fist sent repercussions through the entire arena. Still turning, the lashing sound of Pride's peculiar aura in his ear, Engar raised his clasped hands and, calling upon his aura, brought them both down upon the back of Pride's head like a club. All at once his aura began to fail and, stumbling to knees, Pride held his head in order to ward off the darkness that threatened to pull him into unconsciousness. Hwoarang meanwhile was just appearing, his feet barely touching the ground before springing up in a spinning kick that almost caught Engar off guard.
Almost.
Ducking under the attack Engar rose up even as Hwoarang soared through the air, his hands opening up as he extended them out towards Hwoarang's unguarded chest. There was a thump, audible over the arena, as Engar discharged a blast directly into Hwoarang's chest - then silence as he plummeted backwards onto the arena floor. Smoke trailed his mute flight path.
Turning to make sure Pride was down for the count, Engar walked right into a solid punch and, too dazed to think straight, had only began to raise his hands in defence when he met another. Dancing momentary on his feet, Pride paused and grinned before continuing to pummel blow after blow into Engar who did nothing to stop him - merely bouncing from blow to blow like a doll.
His back suddenly exploded in pain, from behind him Hwoarang turned in mid-air and with a scream of vengeance smashed the heel of his right foot into the side of Engar's head. Landing with a crack on his knees, falling still forwards until his hands were pressed against the cracked, rough flooring of the arena; Engar looked defeated in the eyes of all.
"You've been here longest, you deserve this Hwo.."
A drop of blood beaded on the curve of Engar's split lip.
"Maybe I do and maybe I don't, but I'll accept it anyway!"
The blood slid down along his chin, leaving a bright red stripe behind it.
Hwoarang's aura flared to life, blue and red sparks exploding outwards as he sought the power to end Engar in one blow. The tiles around him cracked and shattered, spiralling away in the tornado that surrounded him and his two opponents.
It reached the curve, more and more blood following it, building it up.
Hwoarang drew his fist back, mouth open in a scream that was lost to the blast of wind that surrounded them all. The audience could barely see them now and the whole crowd falling silent as they realised that nothing they could produce could compare to the sound Hwoarang's aura was generating.
Finally, inexorably, the blood lost it's grip on Engar's chin and plummeted towards floor.
Hwoarang brought his fist down, his whole aura dying as all the energy of it was focussed into one blow.
---plop..---
Hwoarang found himself, in this perfect moment of contrasting energies, staring into the mad grin of one Engar, apprentice of Cucumba. The warrior who had troubled him so much. The warrior who had taken down Deverz. The warrior who had created the Rogue Sabre. The warrior who-
The warrior who had caught his blow with one hand.
The tiles around Engar for a dozen feet shattered simultaneously, revealing the broken concrete beneath them as they peppered the air like grapeshot. And from Engar rose up a beam of golden light, surrounding him and reaching through the hole in the ceiling, lighting the heavens energy as he began to scream. Turning as he rose, slow but as inevitable as the collision of galaxies, Engar gripped Hwoarang's arm in both hands and brought him over his head - smashing him remorselessly against the concrete.
He turned to Pride, grin still in place as tiles exploded around them, and even as his pixilated aura enveloped him, stepped forwards to attack. Pride brought up his fore arms to deflect the worst of the attacks, relying on his aura to defend him, but Engar had other things in mind. His fingers danced lightning fast across Pride's arms, his fingers touching down almost randomly on points on each arm with Ki-aided precision. Then he stepped back and, cold grin still in place as the sparks clawed their way across his bruised face, waved for Pride to attack.
SaiyanPride was worried but couldn't afford to waste any opening, especially when his partner was down. He darted at Engar and brought both of his powerful arms to bare.. only to have them fall limply at his side. Shocked, Pride looked down at his useless arms then back up at Engar to receive to Ki-enhanced punches to the face. Pride stumbled backwards, terrified at the prospect of losing his control to the extent that his whole defence collapsed, and was unable to block as Engar rose up and swung his left foot around to catch Pride full on the face in a blow that sent him careening towards the edge of the arena. He landed hard, still skidding, and with no control of his arms to slow him down just kept on going.
As the crowd looked on in horror Pride skidded right under the chains of the ring and, one useless arm trailing behind him, plummeted towards the darkness -
"Got ya!"
until Hwoarang snatched that last arm, his other hand slipped around the chains of the arena. Straining his weight against them, the weary warrior heaved Pride back into the arena, dumping unceremoniously onto the ground before turning to look for Engar.
"Thanks.. for.. that.." gasped Pride, still feeling the after-affects of his shock.
"Don't.. mention," replied Hwoarang, leaning hard against the chains, "We're.. even.."
Pride took another deep breath, then stood up - his aura flaring up around him. Hwoarang followed suit, the contrasting colours of the two looking haunting in the dark setting.
"It's not over yet," Pride grinned, "Not until Princess over there says uncle.."
Outwardly Engar looked calm, the crazed grin he had worn in his momentary burst of energy fading to a sombre expression. Inwardly, however, he was exhausted. That momentary explosion had cost him more than he would ever admit to anyone; he'd deny it to his dying breath but in that moment there was nothing he wanted more than to lie down. But he wouldn't; no matter what happened, no matter what it took..
He would not lose the Rumble..