Texas Tournament: Round 1 Fights, Part 2



Ryouga VS Paul Phoenix

Paul entered the clearing where he was supposed to meet his opponent. Some guy named Ryouga Hibiki. He looked around the lifeless looking clearing. From the rock hard ground to the dehydrating trees, the place looked like it came straight out of Death Valley. Noticing someone walking towards him he cracked his knuckles in anticipation. "Life is good." Paul thought, "Yes, it was very good."

Ryouga felt like he was walking through death valley. His head was held low in despair as he slowly trudged onwards. Lost in misery he did not notice the other figure a short distance away. He also didn't notice the fact that his aura had grown quite considerably an was now knocking over trees and such if he got to close to them. The reason for his misery? He and Ukyou had just had an argument over WHY they were in Texas. For some reason it had really affected him that argument...

Paul noticed a young man wearing a bandanna and a backpack wandering around. "Hmm, that must be him." he said to himself, stroking his thin beard. "HEY! YOU!" he called out, but the boy seemed so deep in thought he didn't seem to hear him. "HEY!! YOO HOO!! I'M CALLING YOU OUT!!" Still no reply. The boy still seemed to be in deep thought. "HEY!! RYOUGA!!" he called him by his name, remembering it. Still no response. "Dammit..." he picked up a baseball sized rock off of the ground and chucked it at Ryouga's head.

Ryouga felt a light tap on his skull and looked up in time to see a second - larger - rock head his way. 'Good' he thought 'someone to hurt' "BAKUSAI TENKET!" the rock exploded in mid air as he touched it.

Paul chuckled. "Now we're getting somewhere." With that, he ran over to Ryouga and punched him in the head, swept him out from under his feet, then grabbed him midair and slammed him into the ground. "Your move." He said, dusting his hands off.

Ryouga calmly stood up, brushed off his sleeves and noticed something. "You broke it." he said in an overly calm voice as he pulled some shattered crystal out of a pocket. Ryouga's aura increases to the point where it was too bright to look at.

"Now... You pay." Ryouga's brought is hands up to his chest and glared at the fool who had dared break the apology present he had just got Ukyou! "Shi Shi Houkoudan!" Ryouga threw his blast forwards at point blank range and smirked as it slammed into Paul's chest.

Paul fell to his knees. "That...wasn't...supposed...to happen." Paul clutched his chest and fell to the ground.

Result: Win for Ryouga

Ranma VS Ken Masters

The site selected for Ranma and Ken's match was a fishing pond on the north side of the ranch. The area was mostly open plains with the pond a few small trees.

Ken Masters was working though his Kata while awaiting the start of the match.

Ranma watched the American do his kata. "Feh, this outta be quick." He walked over to Ken. "You ready? Then prepare yourself."

Ken Masters was always ready for a fight. Without missing a beat he charged Ranma with a very fast flurry of punches and Kicks, hoping that he could take the younger fighter out without resorting to his Ki attacks or the dragon punch.

Ranma dodged each and every attack with barely any difficulty. The guy had a pretty powerful aura. Not as powerful as Ranma's of course but still strong. Ranma dodged the last of Ken's attacks and countered with a feint meant to check Ken's speed and strength.

Ken grinned as he dropped low and nailed Ranma with a circle foot sweep, knocking the surprised Martial artist to the ground. Before Ranma could react Ken grabbed Ranma's shirt and started to slam him.

Ranma freed himself and backed away grinning. Akane hit him harder than that. Akane was probably faster also. Now that he got the guy's speed he should have no trouble taking him out. "Feh," Ranma said wiping off a bit of dirt from his cheek, but I know girls who could beat you. Easily." Ranma dashed forward and then leaped, vaulting over Ken's head with a touch of a finger and attacked Ken's undefended back. Finishing off a round of punches he threw in a kick, sending Ken towards the pond.

Ken spun as he slid toward the pond. He came to a stop a mere six inches from the water, facing his younger opponent. He grinned as he realized he would have to up the stakes a bit to win.

Bringing both of his hands up to the side he shot on of his famous fireballs towards Ranma.

Ranma leaped over the fireball with an ease that comes only with dodging repeated Shi Shi Hokodans aimed at you on an almost daily basis. Looking down Ranma grinned. This WOULD be a good fight. Landing behind Ken he shouted "Haku Dato Shin Shö!" and attacked repeatedly, fingers first, into Ken's back sending the damage into the back and out the front. Result? Wounds dotting Ken's back AND front.

Ken spun around on the balls of his feet. Without missing a second to react to the damage he nailed Ranma with a Power Dragon Punch.

Reeling back from the pain, Ranma smirked. Heat. He had felt immense heat from just that one punch. Not to mention the fact his clothes were a bit charred from the attack. He had the fight all wrapped up. Slowly at first, but with increasing speed he started to spiral around Ken, dodging any and all attacks Ken might do.

Ken knew that he could win against this young man. He was only running circles around him. The little punk was out of moves. Ken stayed to the inside of the spiral, nailing Ranma with a flurry of punches and kicks. It would be a matter of moments now.

Ranma grinned in response to the fighter's arrogance. "Now you'll get what's coming to you! HIRYUU SHOUTEN HA!!" Ranma's coolness combined with Ken's fiery aura of arrogance to make a devastating cyclone that nailed Ken Masters head on.

And nail him it did. Ken went flying high on the wings of the Shouten Ha. He landed battered and beaten somewhere near the girl's bunkhouse. He didn't even bother to try and get back up.

Ranma held his pose just a little longer, lingering for dramatic effect. "Heh." he chuckled, walking back to the barn. "Who's next?"

Result: Win for Ranma



Rinse VS. Mimiku


Mimiku smiled, looking at the lineup of couplings for the tournament. "Rinse....isn't that the young Amazonian boy?" He looked over at where the others were pairing off. "Oh all the dumb luck, I probably got the smallest one..." He walked over to where their match was to be held.

Rinse pushed his way to the list, tip-toeing to see who he was to fight. "...." he read the list then sighed, hoping he was to beat up Ranma. "Rinse got fan-boy of Crazy Flower gymnast..." He silently walked to the area where he was to fight.

They were to start the fight within a corral, a wooden fence surrounding 3600 square feet. Mimiku stood near the center, watching as Rinse came to his starting position.

A referee (like they needed one) stood by, ready to announce the winner. "Okay boys, this is no holds bar...that means you can do anythin' y'likes. Ready, set, ...GO!"

Mimiku stood there in a defensive stance that showed his right side (though covered by the cloak he commonly wears), waiting for Rinse to make the first move.

Rinse waved to Mimiku and bowed with respect. Then, he looked up and twirled around his arms flailing as he got into his fighting stance. He smiled and jumped up into the air throwing several smoke bombs at Mimiku.

Mimiku hopped back, his cloak fanning the smoke away. He kept a careful eye to where Rinse was heading.

As the cloud of smoke cleared a chain dashed out from the mist and wrapped itself around Mimiku's neck. As the final remnants of the mist cleared Rinse was holding the chain tightly and smiled innocently.

Or at least it would have caught Mimiku about the neck if he hadn't been expecting such a base attack. Directly as the chain came jittering out, Mimiku leapt up into the air crying aloud, "Rising Star!".

A series of minute explosions followed, causing extremely bright flashes of magnesium-based flash-bombs detonated in his wake. Mimiku launched a few more right at the mists, resulting in similarly blinding flashes and minute explosions.

Rinse took out a Naginata and twirled it around creating a fan/shield. As the explosions died out Rinse held tightly to his Naginata then threw it at Mimiku. "BURNING RING OF FIRE" the long spear burst into flames as it flew towards Mimiku like a Frisbee.

Mimiku dropped and rolled off to the side, avoiding the whirling fire. He snarled angrily at the attack, "That's it. Now you're peeving me." Rising again to his feet, he raised both of his hands and swirled them in front of him, "Lights, Camera, ACTION!!!"

A flash more blinding than the sun emitted from a large series of flash-bombs with magnesium bases detonated about Mimiku, sending up clouds of dust. A dark shadowy mist spouted from about Mimiku's silhouette, shadowy swirls rising like phantasms. This was the Omoikiri technique, a secret technique of the Maikaze family.

===============Flashback===============

He had loved his father very much. Mimiku had started his training at a very young age, being taught in the art of martial acting since nearly when he born. At the more tender years, his father had trained through alternate methods, such as games and chores. One such game Mimiku was always mindful of: The Water Game.

Kuro Maikaze, Mimiku's father, often took his son to their family's pool to play this 'game'. What had started out as simple splashes and movements in the water turned into a battle to keep control in the watery terrain. Many a time Mimiku was drug out of the watery depths by his father. Mimiku had had no idea then that such games would lead to the family's secret technique, the Omoikiri-ken.

Years later, near to the time of Kuro's death, the true motives of the training were laid out by Mimiku's father.

"Son, we martial arts actors are the best showmen, but we lack a certain something in offense. We are the great evaders and tricksters, but we are not known to strike a perilous blow. Here now I will show you a secret technique of our family, one that will help you to strike at your opponent if the case may be."

Kuro took a simple square stance, crossing his arms in front of himself. His face was completely blank of expression. Suddenly, heavy, clinging mists filled the room, phantasmal figures rising and falling with the ebb of the mist.

Mimiku gasped at the display, and he was suddenly caught in the chest by a forceful blow. "Gekiryu!" was the word he heard as a focused part of the mist struck him straight in the chest, knocking the wind out of him, but he did not fall back. The mists that surrounded him now were like a thick water, holding him in place, decreasing his fall to a minimum. With a lightning quick strike, he was struck again and again by palm blows by his father.

'How could he be moving so fast in this mess?' Mimiku thought to himself as he vainly tried to move through the thick mists. His frantic movements reminded him of his time as a child drowning. With a burst of innovation, he knew what he must do. Unfortunately, he was sent up into the air with a severe "Fukasa Juden Uru!", a solid spout of the mists rising up and taking Mimiku with them. And with that, the mists receded.

Mimiku fell heavily to the ground, gasping for air. "Brings back old memories, eh, son?" Kuro helped pick his son up to his feet. "Wha-what was that?" he was too dazed to ask anything else.

"That, my son, was our family's secret technique, the Omoikiri-ken," Kuro chuckled softly, "it is a balance of all emotion, something that we martial arts actors must learn. This balance can create a friction, like unto nervous energy. We can use this energy to create the mists. It is like swimming through a stream of your own emotions. If you do not have them balanced, then they will fight you with a torrent fury, but if you balance them, then you can swim through and manipulate them like a fish in water."

Mimiku blinked, his hazed mind becoming focused once again,

"Is that why I could barely move?" Kuro chuckled again, "The technique does have that singular flaw. It can countered by someone who can also balance their emotions enough to move through the mists, but most people don't even come close to guessing the true nature of the attack before it is too late. This is how I keep the critics off my back!" Mimiku's father roared with laughter. Three weeks later, Mimiku's father was killed by a martial arts critic.

Mimiku's mind fell into a deep hole which he could not climb out of. Without his father, his life had little meaning to himself. He still retained the scroll for the family's secret technique, and he knew it well in his heart, but he could not master it, not with the hole inside him and about him.

And then, he saw Kodachi. Kodachi Kuno, a truly demure and mysterious lady. On first site, Mimiku had fallen in love. He saw also that she too had a hole inside her, one filled with another her. Mimiku had felt his heart go out to her, to try and plug that hole, to displace the other one.

His own hollow was filled with something new, a pure love and devotion. Again, he could make the balance, again he was whole. In his training to get closer to Kodachi through her brother, Mimiku learned the art of the bokken, fired by his need. Through fierce and nearly desperate training, he had mastered a great deal of the art.

To no avail, for Kodachi had eyes for only one, the insufferable Ranma. Mimiku turned from his studies of the bokken and towards that of the Saotome school. He watched innumerable fights, and yet he could not completely grasp the art. Finally, he turned back to his own school, that of his family. Now that he had found a reason for living, he could have the balance he needed for the Omoikiri-ken. And well he did, for the technique became the focus of many months of training. He was then ready to try and gain Kodachi's love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Back to the Tournament~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mimiku stood in his simple square stance, arms crossed. The mists rolled out from about him, his face expressionless. The mists spread, rolling and rising, filling the corral.

Phantasms seem to rise and fall from the rolling, heavy mists.

Rinse was shocked, surrounded by Mimiku's dreaded attack. He tried his best to look around the corral. "....Rinse too have secret technique..." Rinse was in the middle of the corral. A perfect place for his technique. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His light blue aura shined brightly from within the mist. He opened his eyes and started to twirl around faster and faster, his body becoming a blur as a small tornado began to form. "Joketsuzoku Secret Technique! WUDAO DAOREN! DANCING BLADES!" Rinse then unsheathed all his weapons as things from within the corral began vacuuming into the deadly tornado of speed and hungry blades.

Such was the power of the Wudao Daoren, a technique taught to him by Cologne herself. It was a perfect offensive attack with defensive capabilities. The target or targets get sucked into the vortex, attaining damage, while Rinse was protected by the swirling wall of weapons. Several barrels got sucked in and was immediately torn apart. Mimiku too was being pulled into Rinse's deadly dance...

Mimiku grinned. This would be easier than he had thought, now that the mists were all coming at Rinse with good force, thanks to the vacuum effect. To keep himself from being sucked in, Mimiku leapt into the air, using the mists themselves to fount upwards. "Obake Orochi Uchinomesu!!!"

The amassed mists about him swirled and whorled, shifting into the form of a gigantic serpent head. It struck down right into the center of the vacuum, arcing in the air. Mimiku, at the vertex of the arc, leapt out of the mists, letting the enormous amassment comet down onto Rinse. This was the ultimate technique of the Maikaze family, the Phantom Serpent Strike Down. Mimiku used his cloak to glide down And away.

The resulting explosion was immense. The earth itself shook as the Obake Orochi Uchinomesu final attack kissed the ground. As it eventually died down, broken blades were scattered about. As the clouds of dust scattered, in the middle was what looked like a steel ball--Spinning extremely fast. It slowed down eventually. Blades falling on the ground shattered.

Rinse stopped twirling as he dropped several broken naginatas and broken swords. He panted as he wiped then sweat from his brow. The Wudao Daoren was both a defensive AND an offensive move afterall. The speed created a barrier of weapons around Rinse not letting anything in. However he lost all of his bladed weapons from Mimiku's powerful attack.

"Nice...*huff* move...I... impresse..d..*koff*" Rinse said as he coughed a bit and got into a fighting stance, trying to regain his balance. He tried making out where Mimiku was... squinting as he Tried to catch his breath.

Mimiku was already upon Rinse, coming in from behind. He had landed from his glide and immediately turned to attack his foe. A fortunate side-effect of using the mists was an adrenaline rush afterwards, but Mimiku didn't have long until that ran out. He decided he needed to finish this here and now. "Cloak Wrap!" He yelled, snapping his cloak at Rinse to snare the Amazonian within its folds.

Rinse tried hard to fight against it but he was too tired from his final attack. He fell to his knees and hung his head down as he gave up.

Mimiku released him from his grasp and looked down on the young boy who was on the ground looking down. When suddenly--Rinse jumped up and bowed to Mimiku.

"Rinse needing more practice. Good luck Mimiku! Rinse cheer for you in tournament!" He smiled and shook his hand as a sign of friendship.

Mimiku blinked, then smiled. "Good match, Rinse." He huffed a bit as his adrenaline finally did wear off. He looked a bit haggardly at the young Amazonian, offering his hand in friendship. "You are a good man Rinse."

Result: Win For Mimiku

Day One in the Big House