Odin vs. Kyukaku

[king]

"Tonight, we see the final match of our tournament. These fighters should need no introduction by now, so lets get the show started!"

The crowd roared, cheering on for the last match and their choice of champion.

[Odin Reeves]

‘Keep it fast paced. Control your punches. Don’t wind up, just unleash them and go with the flow. You get the opportunity, neutralize his offense and go for the ground-and-pound.’

Odin’s thoughts began to race moments before he’d take his walk through the crowd, up into the place he had learned to call home. This, however, wasn’t unusual in the least. The Championships had dawned upon the tournament, Odin having advanced after a tough match against a speedy opponent. In the end though he was able to trap him, force him back, and earn the decision. The clear connected knee to his ribs was fine at this point, after the match he went back to his dormitory and soaked in a tub of hot water, and in the end his tissue seemed fine enough not to bruise over. This was all the better for a final round fight, as he was heading in without injury.

Letting his thoughts dwindle until they were no more then outlines in his subconscious, Odin’s mindset became apparent to the few individuals caring to look over the bleachers side to take a look at the individual. His muscular frame hunched over with his elbows on his knees, rolling his shoulders forwards in attempts to keep them loose. His head dipped down, one last final breath to push out any lingering emotions. Out went joy, sorrow, love, lust, and caring. It was as though Odin didn’t want to feel for the next umpteen amounts of minutes, but that wasn’t true. He hadn’t suppressed every emotion, leaving anger to boil at a soft simmer underneath his demeanor.

“Lets get the show started!” The announcement and reaction of the crowd laid way to only one possible conclusion, it was time to fight. His legs lifted him from his prone position, setting him on steady, bare feet. His walk to the ring was once more like an animal stalking its prey. Shoulders rolled forward, chin down, eyes a blaze. His purpose was know to all, as he was one half of the combatants left going for the title of Champion.

Stepped up the side of the ring Odin showed no difference in his attire from last night. Black boxing shorts, ankles tapped, fists bare. He knew not to mess with something when it worked well, and his current image was what others would recognize. Others being the ‘higher authorities’ at Hircine High.

[Kyukaku]

The first two rounds were warm ups. You didn't have to take any hits, but don't expect this one to be the same. This is the finals and you're going up against a former champion and ally. You know how strong he is, and its about time you did some comparing.

Kyukaku stood off to the side of the ring, swinging his elbows back and forth in an effort to loosen up his limbs. He kept his head down, avoiding eye contact with the crowd. He hadn't come here to prove himself to them, but to himself. In order to keep skills sharp he believed he would need to compare them to other fighters; the cheers and jeers of the crowd sometimes nothing more than a distraction.

But I'm the underdog again. Thats good. Odin's won a tournament back in Varron, and knowing how information has been spreading I'm sure majority of the crowd knows that. I don't have to worry about the crowd's expectations for the most part, but this is the Finals.

As the final announcements were called, Kyukaku made his way into the ring following his opponent. Unlike Odin, Kyukaku had changed his appearance from the previous fights. It wasn't that he exactly wanted to, but he had slept in late this morning and didn't have a chance to wash his gi. Instead, Kyu came in with his satin black kickboxing pants with five red stars running up each outside calf. Replacing his gloves Kyu had simply taped his hands, prefering the hard use of his knuckles if necessary in this fight.

Kyu walked over to Odin, extending his hand for a shake out of good sportsmanship, opening his mouth to speak as well.

"From one Legionaire to another, good luck Odin. May the best man win and all that other jazz." Kyukaku said with a friendly smile, wondering if Odin would return the gesture. He was a former ally yes, but he had never been the most friendly of students at Varron. He had a silent rage to him, seeming like he was always pissed off whether that was the case or not.

Inferencing from the other matches, Odin would fight with anger; Kyukaku would meet that rage with a firm calmness. He had no intentions of backing down to him in this fight.

[Odin Reeves]

A separate body entered following Odin, causing the distinction of another presence inside the twenty by twenty ring. Turning around with a single pivot Odin bared two clenched fists, raised up past waist height, as his eyes stared toward a face of familiarity. This was someone he knew, someone from Varron, and someone from his past in Varron. But who was he, which was the question that puttered slowly through the heavy concentration of Odin’s mind.

Then a word was spoken, Legionnaire, Odin realized that they had at one point been under the same watchful eye of Taiku, leader of the former gang Legion. While this registered with Odin it didn’t cause him to smile, blink, or lose focus for even half a second. His eyes were as cold as the tundra way up north, his lips never parting.

Taking a step back Odin allowed one show of respect to pass, a nod and a single word muttered: “Same.” Giving his opponent, his former ally, time to take a stance and prepare to defend himself he waited for the silence of his world. The crowd’s voices died down to a soft murmur then went completely silent. All Odin heard was that of static, as though a TV had its volume set down low while being put on a non-existent channel. This was the extent of his concentration, his determination, as well as the adrenaline running through his veins.

Stepping forward with his left leg Odin’s hands snapped up into guard, running along his body line like a snake moving to strike his prey. His head tilted forward, chin dropping down with his right hand creating small circles in the air an inch away from his jaw-line. Moving forward with a shuffle-step it would only take two steps to get into range, and wasting no time Odin shot out his raised left fist in a technically crisp jab. He started off with his game plan leading him, a swift strike was used, not a stiff one.

[Valencia Donahue]

[RUTH]: “I can’t believe we missed the entire second round!”

I told you guys to not believe that there’s a streaker outside getting abducted by aliens, but did you listen to me? Nooo…

[GLADYS]: “Aww… Well, at least we made it in on time for the final round!”

And that was a good thing, especially considering that it’s the final round where the place is jam-packed and the king of the ring is chosen by fate. In the past, Ruth and Gladys sometimes had trouble fending off people who wanted to take their seats, but they were fortunate that they got back before anyone decided to start up a scuffle. Ruth was pleased to see that Odin made it to the final round and sighed with relief before nudging Valencia with a wink.

[RUTH]: “I may have lost all the other ones, but seeing that out of all my bets Odin made it to the end… This guy’s a sleeper.”

“Or maybe he isn’t quite a sleeper if we knew about his reputation prior to the transfer. But now, you can say all you want that you made a lucky bet.”

[RUTH]: “I’ll say! And eh… Gladys has the ‘egg-beater’… Your thoughts?”

“We’ll have to wait and see… My guts are telling me that he’s the ‘climber’ sort; gets up in the ranks quickly by catching on fast, stuff like that. Praise be to potential ‘cause whenever there’s room for improvement, a lot can be done.”

((OOC: Bah... Short, but to the point.))

[Xenarius]

I walk into the area... late it appears as Kyukaku and Odin are already going at it. I slowly work my way over to the bleachers and find a seat. "This place is packed for this fight... I don't find it strange, but still..." I think to myself as I take a seat. "This should be a very interesting fight," I say softly certain that no one else in the crowd is paying any attention to someone who got his ass handed to him yesterday.

On the whole I didn't really get that banged up. A bruise on my cheek and jaw, but that is all that is really occurred. "I don't really even know what happened... I guess I just didn't see the knee coming..." I lie to myself in my head... I hadn't been knocked out that easily in a long time, but I made a stupid mistake and I payed for it. But that still doesn't change the fact that I'm not really sure how I let myself be beaten that easily. "Oh well whats done is done." I say to myself, "What I do know is that this fight should be very interesting, and Kyu has his work cut out for him if Odin lives up to his reputation." I look around hoping to see Maverick in the arena watching, but don't see him. I do see those announcer girls and their friend settling in for a long commentary on the match. "Good luck Kyukaku..." I mutter "You're gonna need it." Then I turn my attention to the fight.

[Kyukaku]

Odin's reply was simple and direct, just as his fighting style was. As his opponent took a step back to allow appropriate time and space for a first move, Kyukaku did the same. Nodding in response to Odin's one word, Kyukaku brought his hands into a modified form of his usual stance. His feet were still shoulder width apart, left in front and both toes pointing away from Odin at a forty-five degree angle.

Kyu rose his hands, his right still just below his jaw as he moved his left hand just below his chest, raising it slightly higher than usual to account for Odin's style. He was a boxer, typically all his hits will be torso and up. Thats what Kyu was watching for, but his eyes kept sharp for any twists Odin might have tweaked into his style.

Odin pushed forward two steps, throwing out the usual first strike to most boxers. Kyu would keep his left hand in his half fist, moving it in a small semi-circle in a counter clockwise motion. Deflecting the jab to the inside just before Odin reached his extension, Kyu would already be sliding out on his right foot. Out of Odin's fists' striking distance, Kyukaku's left foot would snap out in a low sidekick, the edge of his foot delivering a leg check to the outside of Odin's left knee.

The strike had enough force to dislocate the knee if it hit perfectly, but if off by a little bit it still very well could sprain it or tear something. Kyu snapped it out and back quickly, preventing any loss of balance from putting too much weight into the kick.

[Odin Reeves]

The arsenal at Odin’s disposal had grown over his short high school fighting experience. It had originated from a boxers standpoint, then moved forward to incorporate some grappling. At this level he simply tried to expand on his strengths, and minimize his weaknesses, and while doing so he had gone beyond the barrier of the American boxers strikes. His wider selection of fist-orientated strikes – while not being legal in the boxing world – had proven affective before, and so he had trained these moves in order to incorporate them at difficult situations, one where a boxer was usually left ineffective.

Having also grown in the game of timing Odin’s instinctual reaction to side steps was to usually pivot and follow, proceeding forward with his animalistic stalking demeanor. However, this was usually incorporated after just an evasion technique, not a deflection or block. This sent Odin’s instincts into survival mode, whether or not the situation was dire his adrenaline pumped as though it was.

With his left jab deflected inward upon extension he used the subconscious knowledge that it was in fact a speedy technique to realize that he’d be in no way affect in terms of bringing it back into guard, and so he did without complication. What he did at the same time, however, was push off with his back leg, moving into a clockwise spin as he stepped out toward his opponent’s frame. As his leg spun around it would connect with the top of the smaller mans thigh, right above the knee, as it was extended to strike a knee that was no longer in a direct path. Odin’s dense, muscular thigh would be joined with his right fist, slamming down toward the lower portion of his opponent’s stomach, right above the crotch, with the use of the underside of his closed fist. The strike would connect, if executed without fault, in near unison with his right legs rerouting of the kick.

The move wasn’t perfect, as everything had it’s faults, but to try and help any dire situation he’d find himself in Odin brought his left hand back up into a solid guard by his jaw line, ready to go back to a boxers stance after unleashing his right in a speed-filled back hand.

[Kyukaku]

As Odin began to spin, Kyukaku was already preparing for a new counter. The makeshift boxer wasn't the only with instincts, so when Odin turned Kyu began to snap his leg back though still catching the thigh bump from Odin.

The change in balance Odin had caused Kyu to do would only aid in his counter; As the thighs connected Kyu's left leg would be pushed to the outside, Kyu doing nothing to stop this. His foot would land outside Odin's, his left foot now taking the lead over his right foot. Watching the right side, as its the side an attack would most likely come from during a spin, Kyu instantly picked up Odin's shoulder positioning. Fighting bareskin had only helped him pick this up faster, taking no more than a millisecond as his instincts calculated the rest.

With his same left hand that deflected before, Kyu would make a downwards clockwise semi-circle. Kyu's palm would scoop the inside of Odin's wrist, pushing in the same direction as the backhand intended but prematurely. From Kyu's newly balanced position from the leg bump and his redirection of the attack, Odin's knuckles brushed against Kyu's lower stomach and hip, causing no damage but likely to leave a few red streaks accross his bare skin.

At the same time as the redirection and step forward, Kyu's right hand that was kept under his jaw also went into motion. Keeping the fist where it was, Kyukaku torqued hard up and to the left, extending his elbow at an upward angle. The blow was aimed for the left side of Odin's face, even though he had a guard. Chances were Odin would guard his head like most contact fighters did, and thats where Kyu planned to take out one of his weapons. If Odin kept his left hand up at his face he would fine the hard calloused bone of Kyu's elbow crashing into his wrist, easily injuring the joint.

[Odin Reeves]

Seeing as both combatants were now in close, both aiming to injure, and both firing on all cylinders, it was apparent to the crowd that they had entered a rally. Neither man backing down, shooting out shot after shot in order for a win appear in the distance. Odin was already running toward that light with a head of steam, knowing that as long as he felt no doubt, and showed no fear, he’d claim the title he so desperately wished to obtain. However, being desperate for the title and being desperate in this fight were two different things.

Odin had a wide variety of boxing stances. Somewhere short, with his hands down to incorporate speed, others were squarer, going for power. At the moment he had a bit of a longer stance than usual, with his shoulders already turning over after his downward hammer fist. It was a strong stance for striking, as well as a good stance for throwing off a quick punch from the power position. Odin felt this, he knew it, and he saw his opening.

After his right hand was directed across, rather then into, his opponent’s stomach Odin continued the momentum given, not fighting the natural torque of his body as he leaned forward a bit. His lean forward was more so incorporated with a push from his back leg, not just in the knee, but his ankle as well. As the lighter combatant came in with an elbow aimed toward Odin’s guard he did little to stop this. He showed no fear in his movements, no hesitation, and this was made ever so clear as he threw out his left fist in a straight punch. His upper body leaned off to his right a bit, allowing for a full turn over of his shoulder, but this wasn’t truly needed, only sped up the punch. Because the two fighters were in such close quarters Odin’s fist had only a small distance to travel, and so he hadn’t pulled it back for power, simply pushed through with intent to win. The elbow would connect with the toned muscle on the underside of Odin’s bicep, which is if Kyukaku had managed to evade the close quarter punch from a fast handed, target puncher.

[Kyukaku]

Attack and counter, pivot and strike. These were the methods both fighters were using, neither seeming to take an advantage to the crowd. Kyukaku had come into this fight with a clear and calm head, still holding that mindset throughout the fight. To win wasn't everything, and he most likely did not strive for the title as much as his opponent was. However, the fight itself was what it was important to Kyu, making sure that the winner of this bout would be chosen correctly, with neither fighter holding back.

Kyukaku planned to beat Odin not for a title, but for himself.

The target area was moving, Kyu not hesitating to do so as well. Since the elbow strike was at an upward angle, it hit the underside of Odin's bicep, pushing it slightly up and to the inside. Moments before impact Kyu would push off his left foot, pivoting on his right in a quick counterclockwise circle. The elbow would bump Odin's arm away just enough for Kyu to dodge it with a tilt of his head. Rolling off Odin's arm, Kyu would of spun into his side, delivering a hard left elbow strike behind him into the underside of his left ribs.

Odin had leaned to the right, pushing his shoulder forward. This would likely cause Kyu's strike to land, for he wouldn't be able to shift his weight quick enough to maneuver around it after pushing forward with a punch. Odin's arm would be extended, Kyu's elbow strike easily able to slip into his side. Odin had quick strikes, but he wasn't as agile as Kyukaku was. Odin's punch would just fully extend by the time Kyu's elbow would land, the fighter pushing off his right leg and going backwards, facing Odin as he went off to his opponent's left side.

[Odin Reeves]

If someone was to take a video copy of this fight and look over the competitors for flaws in their motions or strategy’s one topic would come up after a third or forth glance. It would appear, later on, that Kyukaku was underestimating Odin’s overall ability to move. They’re be no other reason for this to occur except that the smaller fighter was considering Odin’s tactics to just stand there and try and trade shot for shot. The bulkier man was smarter then that, his subconscious following his game plan down to the wire.

The bump of his left arm wasn’t anything he hadn’t expected, but by this point he should’ve struck his target. So by not feeling the resistance of his opponent’s weight against his fist Odin knew that his straight left hand had missed – his vision being partially blocked by the roll of his left shoulder. Caring not for a failed strike Odin left leg came off the ground, not to strike, but to move forward. Just because he had extended his leg didn’t mean it wasn’t pushing against the canvassed floor. A step forward would be easy enough to perform, but Odin’s opponent wouldn’t be in front of him if he moved straight. No, instead his body pivoted over on his right foot, lining him up to see the smaller man sent out his elbow in a misleading strike. The problem here was that Odin’s feet were planted, his right arm out in front of his body, dropped lower for a speedy punch, Kyukaku’s body turned away from him, blocking any vision of the oncoming blow.

Hesitating not, Odin threw his right fist out in an inside hook. It was sent at a slight upward diagonal in order to strike the smaller mans chin should he be looking over his shoulder to focus on his area of attack. Whether or not Odin’s fist struck the chin, or shoulder, he’d move forward with his left leg sending out yet another punch, his left hand pushing forward in a swift jab, aimed for the head and nothing more. Should his opponent turn and face him, the strike would be headed for his face, if not, the back of the skull would be the desired target. Either way, this was all possible because Odin was able to use his soft lean to his right to plant the majority his weight on his right foot, caring through with the momentum from his punch to step around with a quick ease.

[Kyukaku]

Odin seemed to have no overall weakness, moving in step with Kyu the whole time. It was surprsing to Kyu that Odin was able to keep up with the his agility, but that was thought for another time. There were more important matters to worry about now, like avoiding the clubs Odin passed for hands.

Kyukaku never struck blindly; he always turned his head as he spun due to a habit he developed from his point fighting days. The second his peripheal vision picked up movement from Odin, Kyu's feet refused to plant. Once his right foot settled he instantly pivoted on his right foot, moving counter clockwise as his left settled in a balanced stance just behind his right at about shoulder width apart.

His would be elbow strike extended as he spun, Kyu's dense, conditioned forearm smashed into the pressure point on Odin's forearm, located about two inches past the elbow. Stopping the uppercut at about waist level, Kyu's left hand would instantly wrap around Odins arm above the elbow, his thumb thuroughly digging into his bicep as his fingers dug into the back of his arm. Not even a blink later Kyu was already reacting to the other punch.

Though his reach was slightly shorter, Kyukaku snapped his arm out in unison to Odin's. However, Kyu's was kept open handed, moving from the inside of Odin's chest in an outside trajectory. The edge of Kyu's hand would strike Odin's bicep, once again in a pressure point. Knocking the strike just wide enough to miss Kyu's face, his hand instantly turned and gripped the muscle, his thumb digging into the veins on the underside of the bicep inbetween the muscle, as his fingers tightly gripped the outside. Kyu gave a quick tug on both arms, bringing Odin forward easily since the man was sliding forward simultaneously.

Jumping backward as he tugged, Kyu made his back parrellel to the mat, bringing both knees to his chest. Kyu was a very quick learner, able to adapt to many different attacks with a wide variety of style. He pushed his legs out hard in a dropkick, in a mock capoeira kick, pushing his heels hard into both sets of Odin's ribs, breaking them on impact. From the time Odin punched to Kyu's legs being pushed out, it would all happen in a matter of two seconds or less.

Odin's frame would be going forward even just for an instant, which is more than Kyu needed. Kyu's feet would push out one foot in length, smashing into Odin's ribs with great force, Kyu letting go of the arms on impact. Odin's frame would go back, Kyukaku's rearing as well. Kyu would instantly get back to his feet, his momentum going backwards as his arms pushed himself up, his legs landing in a solid stance.

As Kyu pushed out his legs in what he hoped would be the final move of the match one though crossed his mind.

I feel like Rey Mysterio Jr...

[Odin Reeves]

There was no time to think, close quarter combat was the thrill of any fighters life, a thrill worth pushing through. In Odin’s case, this was all to true.

As his right arm was grabbed he was stepping forward, turning his frame over as he did so. This would easily pull back on his opponent’s body, bringing him closer in to the punch. To make sure this would happen as he planned Odin tugged back on his right arm, putting resistance into any move the smaller combatant would try. Snapping out his left arm, it seemed it to was caught. No expression of worry was shown though, only movements of force. Instead of just throwing his left out in a jab Odin brought his fist across, as though he was hooking it around for a snap, only he did so short of his opponent’s head. While hooking his arm over, incidentally weaving it over Kyukaku’s right, and going under his left, Odin pivoted over with his already position back leg. His right legged push would not only rip his right arm from the smaller mans grasp, turning him to Kyukaku’s right, but pull the lighter individual off balance into a forward stumble.

Odin played his weight very effectively, always providing a strong resistance when he was grabbed. In this case he did so when his right arm was first grabbed, and continued this when his left was grabbed. The common mistake that most made against him was that when he moved forward with an actual step his feet never leave the ground for long. Quick steps in order to plant his weight and strike accordingly. By the time his jab was being thrown his left leg had already touched down on the ground.

With his opponent stumbling forward, being forced to lean forward a certain degree because of Odin’s hooking maneuver, he sent out a quick right hook, aimed for the descending head. Like he had always planned Odin didn’t wind up his punch, he simply released it. It seemed that even in terms of boxing his ‘No hesitation’ policy came through his personality.

[Kyukaku]

Showing skills worthy of making it into the finals, Odin was able to remain relatively solid, providing resistance to Kyukaku's pulls. Odin snapped his jab inward, weaving over Kyukaku's arm in the process. Odin would find that Kyu's grip into the pressure points would not just provide firm discomfort but also a strong hold upone the arms.

Odin would break the grip of Kyu's right hand, but not before Kyu's legs were already snapping out. The turning of Odin's body would cause his right set of ribs to only be clipped by Kyu's left heel, though his left set would get the full force of the right leg. The dropkick wasn't a slow move, so between the resistance Odin would have on pulling away Kyu would still be able to strike.

Odin's left arm would just be weaving underneath Kyu's own left at the time of impact. Odin had saved half of his torso, but from the time Kyu was in the air after the initial gripping, Odin wouldn't be able to make it away from this fight unbroken.

If he was able to make it away at all.

[Odin Reeves]

(Post changed for thread purposes, talked about through MSN.)

As Odin pivoted over to the side, his left arm being released as well as forcing itself from the grasp of the now airborne individual, he felt a nudge on the left side of his body, pushing against his ribs and sending him into a sideways stumble. Turning his body to face the ropes Odin attempted stabilize himself, doing so by wrapping one arm over top rope and hugging it with his torso. Snapping his head around he was able to see his opponent on the ground. From what he had seen during the execution of the jumping push-kick, he had turned at an odd angle.

Bringing himself off the ropes Odin stepped around, bringing his left leg in front, as he normally would. In most cases this is where he’d storm forward, going in for a quick ground and pound to finish off the fight. The problem was he didn’t have all the information. Had his opponent landed on his neck, or was it his back or shoulder that took the blunt force of the fall? This was undetermined, and as much as Odin wanted to finish the fight, he wasn’t about to turn someone into a cripple without good cause. And so, he waited, his clenched, his narrowed, softly muttering to himself: “Get up. Get up.”

[Kyukaku]

(OOC: Yeah, like Odin said in much shorter words, we came to a compromise from our disagreement after deciding we'd rather continue to duke it out rather than make this a judgement call from the man this early on)

Odin's reflexes were top knotch, the man able to pivot and tear out of one of Kyu's handholds as he pulled him in with the other. Kyu leaned it with the pull as he jumped back, dropkicking his legs out, letting go of Odin's arm as he did so.

Due to Odin's pivot, the heavily weighted attack would strike at an awkward angle to the man's back. It strike prematurely, pushing much more than striking Odin backwards into the ropes as Kyu was force to turn in air, falling to the mat on his left shoulder. He hit the floor with more force than he hoped, causing the shock to roll up his shoulder as his legs followed down.

However, Kyu was ready for a returning Odin, laying no more than a second before barrel rolling to his left and getting to his feet. He stared back at Odin, noticing that his opponent had also been readjusting from the awkward attack and counter. Kyu watched him for a moment, the pain in his shoulder already fading into nothingness. Odin had been watching him, likely hesitating as he comprehended what just happened between the two, though there would of been no time for an attack to occur between each man's readjustment regardless.

Kyu walked back out to the middle of the ring, getting into the same stance he had started. He was letting Odin know he was ready to resume whenever he was, giving Odin the go-ahead and time to finish his readjustment if needed. This was a good fight, and neither fighter wished to end this cheaply. They would continue on, until one man was unable to fight any longer.

[Odin Reeves]

‘He’s up. Good.’ Whether it was due to a sense of worry for his opponent’s safety or his endless thrill for a battle, not even he could be sure. The end result would be the same, as the smaller of the two combatants would make a stand in the middle of the ring. It was quite a bold move, as the center of the ring usually signified one’s mindset as being dominate in a fight. By standing in the middle it showed others that the individual wasn’t going to back down, and was more then ready to put down the man staring opposite. In most cases that were Odin’s position, a position he wanted back.

Moving forward with a step rather then a shuffle Odin did two things, clear some distance between them, and changed his stance and the idea behind it. He was no longer in a regular right hand stance, his south paw presence was intimidating enough as he carried himself the same way, but most fighters were hard pressed when coming against a south paw. From this new position, hands up in guard to protect both his chin and body, Odin shuffled forward, moving into his range and not going any further. His opponent’s legs would be able to reach his frame, which was the obvious downside of being an arm-based striker. But if Kyukaku attempted to move in close enough to strike with his hands then that’s where Odin would capitalize, as it was hard pressed to find another individual whose hands were as quick as his in straight term striking.

Now in range Odin’s heels raised off the floor. The balls of his feet pushed off as he moved in extremely small and repetitive stutter steps, back and forth, never truly changing his angle. His knees were bending a small bit, adding bounce to his stance, showing that he was more then ready to move at a moment’s notice. Luckily for the onlookers the moment wasn’t far off, as it was only a few seconds after he started moving that his body truly went into an attacking motion.

In a single quick step he brought his left foot back roughly 3 inches, pivoting over gently on his right foot as a quick strike was thrown from his front hand. The difference between this ‘jab’ and his opening one had to do with his change of leg and position. With his right foot acting as a pivot point he was able to move toward the outside of his opponent’s position, if only by a small angle, then he threw a different type of punch as well. It wasn’t the typical straightforward jab, though it was certain as fast as one. He threw out an over hand straight with his right hand, meaning it basically snuck it’s way up and over the arm before crashing down toward the jaw. The best part of this technique, and position, is that it gave him a perfect view of his opponent, as they are now in an open stance.

[Kazuki Akimoto]

In silence he watched, having picked up on this tournament being organised by the Hircine students from a few whispers he had caught recently, from a slight distance. Dressed casually, non-descript amongst the other spectators, he unfolded his arms and reached for the pack of cigarettes he had tucked into his pocket before coming along, fishing one of them out and lighting it in silence. Unconcerned with any remark to be made, given several other smokers around him had not been remarked at for their habit.

However, he suspected this was because most attention had been focused solely on the ring. The two favourites had both been eliminated in the previous rounds, and Taiku could but hold back a small swell of pride when the finalists were announced, remembering that both were former Legionaires. The only thing he was concerned with, however, was the matchup itself. Odin was a puncher with few peers in terms of his raw strength, and Tyler, well, whilst Tyler had clearly improved in the past months, Taiku wondered just how he would fare against a guy like Odin. He would find this unlike any of his previous matches.

"I still have faith in you, kid. You came this far, so you could still take this win...Good luck to both of you..." he whispered calmly to himself as the fight began.

As the match progressed, his expression remained the same, calm and stoic as he watched the two of them duke it out, Odin dealing out a few particularly rough blows, but somehow Tyler was hanging in there strongly...If it carried on like this, he could only wonder how the outcome would be.

'Looks like the new generation will surpass us graduates, at this rate...' he thought with a wry smile, leaning forward on his knees, idly enjoying the fight....

[Kyukaku]

By the sounds of the crowd, the fight was as exhilirating to them as it was to Kyukaku. Though through the relatively even volumes of each fighter's name being shouted, it seemed neither had been showing signs of dominance. There were a few brush ups, but both fighters had remained relatively untouched and ready for whatever came next.

Kyu watched Odin has he stepped forward, turning his steps shorter as he began to add a bounce to his stance. Kyukaku felt no extra anxiety towards Odin's stance. Where most kickboxers he had trained with were mainly focused on one side, his main style of Karate made him proficient in each side, both for the offensive and defensive.

As Odin came in with a different type of jab, Kyu pushed off his right foot, sending his body back. He slid away from Odin, torquing his hips to the right as his left leg snapped out from his knee, going out in a very low roundkick to Odin's leg. Kyu was barely out of reach of Odin's jab, giving him just the right amount of extension and power he needed for his attack. The top of Kyu's foot would strike just below Odin's calf muscle on his leg, though slightly to the right.

If all went well the power from quick kick would drive through Odin's lower leg, sweeping him off his feet and into the mat with a sharp pain in his leg. Kyu kept his hands up in case he Odin somehow increased his reach, ready to block or deflect the same or another strike if necessary.