"Players, enter the arena!"
There is a thudding boom as the stands start to do what could only be the Japan-ized
version of 'We Will Rock You'. Stamp, stamp, clap! Stamp, stamp, clap! And in
the background, they're actually playing that famous Queen song, without the
lyrics, of course. "Today! An epic match! The two yet to be defeated players,
Aogiri Mikage the /White/ /Storm/ and Kato Kino the /Jade/ /Ninja/, today they
are prepared to fight to see who will come out for dominance in the Kanto
regional qualifiers!" Cheers erupt from all over the stands, both sides of the
arena drowning out the other. An entire section of the audience wears white
robes to denote their purity to the cause - Mikage, of course - while another
section, also fanatically devoted, wears neon green shirts, shining brightly in
the light.
On any normal day, the arena for these games was not something to surprise
Mikage that much, but certainly today is one of those days that makes her hover
near the hallway as she is introduced. "I think... they've gone a little too far
this time, ne Rei?" She asks of her angel, looking down at the lifeless form in
her hands. A small, nervous shiver runs through her, something that hasn't
happened in a long time. Still, people were never Miki's strong point. The pale
girl reaches over and pulls up her headset, putting on the black headgear with
its red visor and extending both the demonic white wing and feathered black one.
Best to go out this way. She takes a breath, and then steps forward into the
cheering and light.
To say that things were overwhelming would be an understatement. Miki squints
and raises a hand up, giving a practiced smile as she turns towards each part of
the arena to greet the audience. She can't see them, of course, but at least she
can be polite and acknowledge their cheering. Then, she makes her way over
towards the egg-shaped chair, settling into it gracefully before laying Rei onto
her arm. The chair moves slowly upwards over the arena floor and then locks into
place with a small stutter. Only then does she reach forward and plug in her
headset, pulling down a little microphone from the side and giving a nervous
chuckle across the layer to Kino. "You'd think someone told them we were
coming..."
Kino doesn't get nervous...nope...he's just clutching Makynzi that tightly
because he luvs his angel that much...yup, that's it. Hopefully the little
delicate angel won't get crushed before he can make it to the layers. Kino's
heart thumps loudly in his chest...not so much because of the loud cheering fans
wearing his name's sake color...but because he's going up against the Goddess.
Surely, there will be more matches, but this, for Kino, is the finals. This is
what will tell him the most about his love for Makynzi.
The young boy walks out into the stands and holds up his free hand for a wave.
It isn't a practiced gesture, so it comes off a little shakey, but who can tell
right? Only everyone that is watching the monitors since he's on the big screen.
Great! Kino manages to get across to the egg chairs as well and seats himself,
placing his visor on his head to get some peace for a moment. His mind will
focus on going through those mechanics...grabbing the visor...placing it on his
head...good good...now find the button to turn it on. It takes a moment as he
stares out over his cheering section and actually manages to see a few small
signs. Not that he can read them...but they love him, they really really love
him! He smiles shyly and then blinks as Mikage speaks ot him, "Hmm...hai!" He
chuckles, "I am just surprised to see a streak of green in the crowd of white. I
feel like my followers are blasphemous. You are the Goddess and they should be
cheering for you." He smiles lightly.
"On the West Corner, we have Aogiri Mikage, Goddess of the Layer, the White
Storm, standing champion of the area!" The announcer's voice rumbles with each
syllable, carrying the effect out to those even in the nosebleed seats. "Having
triumphed her enemies with Rei, the balanced guard gargoyle, Mikage moves on to
another match..." A dramatic pause. "But is this match just another match? Kato
Kino is a local favorite, given his speedy Makynzi's amazing ninjutsu and crazy
tactics, it's hard to tell where he's going to strike next! He is the Jade
Ninja, harnessing powers of the earth to bring an end to his enemies!"
The announcer swivels his chair towards the layer, when suddenly the hologram
flicker into view, revealing two trains traveling in circles and in opposite
directions. "The background happens to be our train scenario, where two trains
going around in circles provide cover or danger, depending on how they're used.
Will our angels be run over by an awry car? Only time will tell on this
dangerous layer," the announcer states.
"Ooooooohhhh." The crowd stares at the moving train in fascination.
"ENTRY ANGEL!" The announcer swings his arm down in an aikido judo-chop like
motion, indicating the start of what might be brutal hostilities.
In the audience, you hear a male voice shouting, "Ikke! Mikage and Rei!"
In the audience, you hear a male voice shouting, "Do your best! Kino and Makynzi"
"You're silly, Kino-kun." Mikage's voice softly replies through the headsets.
She isn't one to yell across the layers like some combatants, and probably
couldn't if she wanted to. "I've heard from Ranmaru that you're going to be
staying with us." There is a hint of amusement in her voice. "Let's see if you
can earn your place with us, ne?" Perhaps she is adding a little bit of
challenge to the match. "Goodluck, my friend."
A spotlight shines its way down onto the pale girl and the angel resting on her
outstretched arm. For a moment, Rei seems like any child's doll, loved and kept
with the utmost of care. Who could imagine that within that serene, calm
exterior, lay the creature so many feared on the layer. Mikage's eyes seem to
focus no further than the heads-up display of her visor, showing a customized
readout of everything a normal deus would be able to see just by looking at the
scoreboard or down onto the layer.
Mikage glances at the scenery, and then nods her head just once before tapping
the side of her headset, flipping the microphone from local area to arena
announce. "Spirit of my heart, will of my dreams, bring our souls together. Be
my wings. Rei!" One might notice that each of her fall-ins are slightly
different, although along the same theme. With a flick of her arm, Miki sends
the gargoyle-angel falling into the layer. It almost seems as if she will crash
head-first into the huge tree, but her wings flare out, flapping twice as
emerald eyes shine onto the layer, turning quickly to descend towards the
ground. Finally, with two great back-wings, she settles into the snow, giving
herself a shake like a canine getting rid of water after a particularly
enjoyable swim. She then turns her eyes towards Kino, bowing towards him and
then settling herself into a ready stance, only glancing over her shoulder once
to check on her deus.
Kino bows his head. "Hai!" he resounds in response to being silly. His eyes
cross slightly and he sticks out his tongue playfully...before becoming very
serious. "I am honored that you would let me live with you Goddess. Thank you
with all of our heart." He holds Makynzi up. "I shall do my best to not hold
back. I am sure that it will be a good fight for the crowd." He smiles brightly
and gets ready to throw his angel in.
Before he does, he stares at Makynzi one last time....and chucks the angel
towards the layer. As Makynzi flies through the layer's barrier, Kino shouts
out, "The earth is your element, know it well Makynzi!" The little jade ninja
lands on one of those trains and stands, dusting some dirt off his gui's
shoulder pads. The little ninja is ready to do battle, bringing up both of his
hands. For all his Deus's sillyness, the angel is here with a purpose. To prove
himself. As the train the ninja is riding on passes the gargoyle in the snow
below, he bows his head in greetings...and then woosh, the train is back behind
the large tree and Rei is lost from sight. Kino chuckles and then nods. He
too...is ready.
From her place on the ground below, Rei watches as the train disappears behind
the tree. Sooner or later, she'll have to move up to join the ninja, but at the
moment she seems to be using the advantage of the low ground and the cover of
white snow which blends easily with most of her hide. Her tail flicks, sending
splatters of snow to the left and right. She blinks snowflakes from her
eyelashes, even as her deus settles back, seemingly allowing her opponent to
make the first move. A tactical decision, or a mistake that will come back to
haunt her against this speedy angel?
"Angelic FIGHT!" The announcer is pithy with his announcement, but what's there
to say except 'fight'? Let's do this, boys and girls.
The jade ninja comes back around on the train set once more, this time having
hopped from the train going one direction...onto the train going in the other
direction. He's already started being sneaky. He's coming back around the tree
from the same way he went behind the tree. Luckily for Rei, the tree is a darker
shade of green then the ninja...so he stands out as he allows the train's
momentum to catapult him towards Rei. He leads with a very simple hook
punch...just trying to test Rei's reflexes today perhaps.
The gargoyle's reflexes seem quite adept today, along with many of her other
senses. It is her ears that twitch first, hearing the approach of the ninja even
in his most stealthy of approaches. Her nose twitches next, but all she seems to
do is step back and raise her arms infront of her. This is not an unusual
gesture to be seen from this creature. No, light glimmers for just a moment
across an invisible barrier which repells back the vast majority of the jade
ninja's attack, leaving barely a scratch on the little creature as she sneezes,
blowing up a little puff of snow. Distracted by all of this snow falling, she
shakes her head out and seems to make an effort at focusing, driving forward and
then spinning into a powerful tail-snap towards Makynzi's legs. Trailing behind
that powerful tail, though, is a faint aura of red, drawn forth from the earth
below her while no one was looking, it seems.
Kino is watching the match intently, knowing that it will be a hard fought duel
whether he wins or loses. He's here to win...but he's still going to have fun.
When that shimmer goes up as his angel's punch connects, Kino's face
brightens..."Thought that would happen," he comments lightly. It is the next
move that causes Kino to grunt. He had miscalculated the gargoyle's accuracy
with that long hard tail of hers...and it actually managed to thwap the jade
ninja is the back. The Announcer shouts, "Waaah, this is the first time anyone
has touched Makynzi this tournament! What a move by Rei-san!" Kino smiles and
nods, though his attention is focused just mili-seconds after the blow
connected. He and Makynzi bring up a gloved fist for an uppercut. Kino chucles
as he mimes the action, "Give it to her Makynzi!"
By this point, Mikage seems to have tuned out much of the outside world. The
cheering and the announcer seem like something happening around another person
in another world rather than being something part of the here and now. All of
her attention is solely on her angel. She knows well enough that one small
strike is not enough to end the danger of Makynzi for this match. Rei is quick
to duck below the uppercut that comes, giving a faint hiss of sound as if
warning off further attack. It is unlikely to actually have the intended
outcome, but she isn't human afterall, you can't expect her to understand the
human need for such violence. But, where violence is given, violence is
returned. The gargoyle draws back a little bit, scooping up a handful of snow
and trying to send it into the ninja's face, perhaps to give herself enough time
to put some distance between herself and her opponent.
Whether it was that hiss or something else, the little ninja goes poof into a
dark black cloud. He's gone almost as soon as the punch comes for him. Was he
scared? Whatever it was, the ninja stays hidden for a good long time. The time
gives Kino some space to think without needing to concentrate on not being hit.
Wherever the little angel is...and even Kino doesn't know where Makynzi goes
during such times...he eventually comes back. A spark of black smoke erupts
right at the tip of the tree...where Makynzi chooses to sit and wave at Rei
from.
Well, with Makynzi giving her the well wanted space, Rei backs off and hops up
onto one of the trains, beginning it's slow circle around the layer. She
crouches like some animal watching her prey, unsure of exactly what it might be
planning. Her tail twitches, but she takes the time given to her to do her own
sort of strategizing, sharpening her talons slightly on the train car below her,
which causes a couple of little holographic people to scream and go fleeing to
other cars.
Yes, just what is that wily ninja planning? Well...he's got something in mind
alright. As the sparks begin to fly from the train below...due to Rei's claws of
course...Makynzi jumps. The speed with which he falls /has/ to be faster than
the terminal velocity...but maybe that's just an optical illusion. Either way,
when he lands...there's a loud *crack* on the layer floor. No sooner does the
crack resound, than Makynzi leaps straight for Rei. If it were any other angel,
that crack would probably mean that a 'bone' broke from the land...but instead,
the crack was from the layer itself. A small fault line opened up and caused the
train tracks to come unhinged...and the train that Rei was swipping at...quickly
moves to fall over onto her. As the train, and scared individuals inside,
perform an Amtrak impersonation, Makynzi tries to simply...push Rei out of the
way...the hero? No, it's a very focused strike designed to actually keep Rei in
the path of the falling train...a stunning maneuver to be exact.
Luckily for Rei, she seems to see this attack coming, and thus is prepared for
it. She has not seen this strange earth shattering technique before, but she has
seen many things from many angels in attempts at causing her harm. So, rather
than being on the ground where all the danger seems to be, she backflips and
then flaps her wings, taking to the air before starting to circle around the
large tree. Her talons flex slightly, as if they were craving action. She roars
out, backwinging and slashing those talons through the air, creating red arcs
where they go. Those red arcs extend outward, collecting snow and moisture from
the air as they go, racing down towards Makynzi and the derailed train. Poor
hologrpahic people, hope they have good medical insurance.
In the audience, you hear a male voice shouting, "Gooooo! Mikage-chaaaan!"
Bah, Rei was too fast for the speedy attack. Not only was she too fast to hit,
but she was too fast to strike back. This causes Makynzi to be caught off-guard.
He does dodge the attacks just fine by moving around...however, that poor train
takes the brunt of the onslaught and explodes. Hm...this seems to have gone
slightly violent as a few of the holographic forms die in flame as they run out
and fall into the snow. It was that little extra explosion that causes Makynzi
to have to fall into the snow himself...though he actually falls through the
snow. When he comes back out, he's farther away...and waiting. Kino's brow
furrows as he thinks of what to do.
From her high vantage point, this seems like a good time for Rei to follow up
her previous attack by calling upon the powers that be. The dark clouds already
glittering snow down onto the layer begin to swirl like some great vortex of
power readying itself above. The temperature drops even more as the gargoyle's
voice begins to chant in a strange, gutteral language, the very winds seeming to
rise to her command. They swirl below her, keeping her aloft, whipping up the
snow already on the ground and making the entire layer floor seem like a
blizzard has decended. But those who know this power know that this is only the
begining. The real power of this technique is yet to come...
Kino smiles heavily as the wind begins whipping all over the place. It's
definitely like a blizzard on the layer right now...and Kino knows just what's
coming. Oh yes, he's ready for it though. Makynzi heads for shelter by jumping
into the tree branches. It certainly doesn't help /that/ much as there's bits
and pieces of things flying around in there, but it's better than nothing as if
he were in the open out there.
There is a moment in time when all hell breaks loose on the layer. The snow
almost blinds everything out of existance as thunder rolls. Flashes of lightning
flicker and strike against the tall tree, sending branches raining down. Hail
falls in huge chunks from the air above, littering the once peaceful layer that
has now turned into this battleground. A roar echos at last as the full force of
this blizzard takes hold, actually whiping the one loose train off of it's
moorings and into the layer's edge where it crackles just once and then settles,
half of it vanished where the holographic systems can't keep up.
Kino watches the destruction reining in and comes up with a plan. Makynzi throws
his, now well-known, smoke bomb through the branches of the trees. It lands by
the trunk and explodes open, sending billowing smoke all across the layer. The
only problem...the wind from the storm takes it and causes it to become...not a
white out as it was with the blizzard, not a black out as it would have been
with the smoke, but a light grey out. If the fans in the stands couldn't see Rei
before, now they can't see /anything/ inside the layer except that thrashing
storm and fog. The occasional lightnight strike can be seen, but it is as if
through a far off cloud. The plan? Makynzi knows that the safest place to
be...is right by Rei...so he leaps from his branches and hurtles himself towards
the gargoyle...getting in nice and close. He throws out a kick...trying to hook
himself onto her if at all possible.
It is true enough that the safest place in a storm is in the eye, the center,
the source. The area around Rei seems almost as if it has no such wind or
bluster whatsoever, but the smoke is enough to get to her. The little angel's
ears fold down as she coughs and holds up a hand infront of her nose. Nasty
stuff for sensitive sniffers! She hacks and coughs and wobbles before dropping a
little in the air to land on the tree to support herself. Second hand smoking is
bad for you, you know... Still, even with her eyesight and vision obscured, she
somehow is still able to sense the impending attack and tucks herself up so that
only her armored shoulder shows. *clang* Something she can't see hits off the
metal, but she has no time to worry about that for now, as she goes back to
coughing some more.
Well, in some bizzare anime style punch, that attack resounded with enough force
to cause the little ninja to be propelled upwards. Then again, maybe it was just
the drag on his gui from all the swirling wind. Whatever the case, Makynzi goes
up a little, then comes back down. This time, as he passes, he throws out a hook
punch. He doesn't care if he falls back down to the layer this time because he
knows soon that everything will be slowing down by the time he gets
there...hopefully at least. Kino watches Mikage for a second and shouts out, "I
don't think I've ever seen such a violent duel before. This is truly exciting."
As this second attack comes down onto her, Rei seems ready. That shoulder
pauldron remains aimed outwards, most of her body shielded by the tree's bulk.
Still, when the blow comes, it doesn't hit directly against her armor. Instead,
it bounces off another of those invisible shields, which flicker in the air and
removes some of the smoke from directly around her. In the slight flash between
being struck and the smoke closing in again, Rei lashes out with her arm,
attempting to knock into Makynzi's legs. Of course, she has more up her sleeve
than that, literally. As her arm draws close, a long metal blade extends from
the armored part of her arm, the cutting surface quite dangerous to those who
draw too close. Mikage seems to raise her head slightly, although most of her
attention is still on the layer. Her microphone is still at her lips as she
gives a faint little laugh. "Those who fight with all their hearts... this is
what comes of it. Something everyone will remember."
That blade is most disheartening to see for Makynzi as he heads downwards. He
just barely manages to escape it when the smoke starts dissipating...and perhaps
so too does the blizzard like conditions. Either way, the little ninja hunkers
down into the snowy ground and gets ready to leap back up at Rei. He propels
himself forward, using his whole body like a missile aimed for the gargoyle.
Rei is still too quick, not seeming to have extinguished all her speed even this
late in the battle. She's still quite quick for such a guard oriented angel.
Such balance comes from practice and skill. She gives a little yowl as she
twists to avoid the full body blow from the ninja, leaping up to grab onto a
branch and pull herself one level higher as she tilts her head quizzically.
Well, when in christmas village, do as the drunken elves do... She reaches up
and grabs onto a big ornament and tries to smash the glass orb down onto
Maknynzi.
The glass orb is dodged...and it goes off to shatter on the ground, leaving
little pieces of red glass splattered all over the white snow. Hmm, it looks
like something died down there now. Makynzi meanwhile rushes over to the tree
and begins kicking it's trunk with all his might, hopeing to get Rei to either
fall, or get thwacked by swaying branches.
Rather than trying to get out of the way of the many swaying branches, Rei
simply curls up like a possum and wraps her wings around herself, taking the
brunt of the blows against the tough hide. She peeks one emerald eye out to make
sure it is okay before dropping herself down towards the ground, landing in a
crouch. Her legs stretch out behind her, kicking like a cat who just woke up
from a nice nap. Feral eyes follow towards the green ninja as she moves forward
on all-fours. It seems she is trying to bait him backwards, but wait! At the
last moment, she reaches up and knocks on the tree with her hand, sending a big
pack of snow down from one of the branches right towards Makynzi! Lookout below!
The little ninja is indeed baited...but the large mass of snow falling his way
is heralded by a few small snowflakes first. This gives him ample time to get
out of the way and to a safe distance. Shaking his head, he begins spinning,
made all the easier by the slick snowy surface. His hands come up, making him
appear like a top as he spins. The top slowly starts to wind itself towards Rei,
the centrifigal forces of his arms making a blow from this spinning Makynzi
rather powerful...but very slow as well.
This duel between two small angels seems to have gotten quite exiting, the
audience cheering and the layer looking in shambles of what it once was. And, as
this spinning top of a ninja comes towards Rei, she ducks below the outstretched
arm and tries to snap her tail towards his twirling legs. It seems she's trying
to trip him up and make him into one giant blender in the snow. Ninja slushies!
Rei would have felt a cool breeze from those arms as she ducks under them. He's
almost like a fan from where she is..and even the sleeves of his gui would give
off that soft hum. Luckily, the ninja has some extra-sensory perceptions or
something because he knows that the tail is coming even as he spins
oh-so-quickly. The wind from the fan picks up as the ninja pushes it into a
higher gear....picking up off the ground entirely. He's floating there for a few
seconds, the tail going right under him, and then he's back down on the floor,
coming to a stop. With her still close by, he reaches out one hand and attempts
to touch Rei in a sensitive spot again. It almost looks as if the ninja could be
reaching over to pick a grey flower from the snow....albeit a large grey flower.
Well, this particular flower isn't about to be plucked. Besides, don't you know
it's rude to touch the flowers of girls you don't know. Naughty ninja. Pervert,
ecchi, hentai! *cough* Rei seems to know that something is coming, although
exactly what she can't be certain. Still, she reads Makynzi's moves and rolls
herself backwards, barely escaping the strange blow from the ninja. Once more,
she hisses a warning, as if trying to tell him not to draw close again. The
timer is ticking down and she knows every little bit of health could be to her
advantage. Then, knowing that she can't just let him rest either, Rei draws an
arm up and holds it palm-outwards. She starts to draw in electricity, mostly
from broken wires from the christmas lights, and focus it in her hand. There is
a roll of thunder, and then a flash of light and sound waves propell themselves
across the layer towards Makynzi.
Makynzi is getting tired....too tired perhaps, and Kino realizes this, but he
doesn't care. This has been a duel too hard fought to give up now. He calls out
to Makynzi, "Keep attacking Makynzi, you can do it!" Yes, he still believes in
his angel, even though he's now starting to run out of steam. The rolling and
clapping of thunder causes his heightened senses to fry a little, but he manages
to still dodge the light blasted his way. Makynzi attempts to refocus himself
and heads in to throw out a sidekick...only which Rei of the two should he be
hitting?
Rei simply stands perfectly still and looks slightly confused as Makynzi seems
to strike out at nothing. "Urr?" She makes a questioning sound, the closest
thing this angel will do to talking on the layer. Then, she just shrugs and
scratches at her hair while glancing up momentarily at her deus as if looking
for confirmation on something. Mikage, perfectly calm in her seat, bobs her head
up and down just once. So, with a deep breath, Rei charges forward at the
flash-dazed Makynzi and lashes out an arching punch. That blade comes out of her
arm once more, sweeping low towards his legs in an attempt to slow him up for
the final moments of the match.
In the audience, you hear a male voice shouting, "Rei! You can do it!"
Things are starting to draw to a close here...and that last sweep brings Makynzi
down. He's down, but still not out. From his prostrated position, an arm gets
cocked backwards, like a pump-action riffle barrel. When the arm is released, it
springs forward like a snake, hand forced tightly into a knife-like edge. This
is one of the ninja's last ditch efforts to push Rei away.
In his exhausted state, Makynzi is somewhat easy to read, and that makes it easy
to defend against his attack. Rather than being pushed back, Rei stands strong
and takes the hit through the hard armored part of her shoulder, denting the
metal as she steps backwards. Still, it isn't Rei who speaks, but Mikage,
raising her head from the layer. "You've grown so much, Kino-kun. I'm proud to
be able to fight like this with you. But we both know it will be over soon. So
let's fight hard until the end." Her voice trails away, carried only through the
headset speakers and not yelled for all to hear. Rei draws her hand back again,
preparing herself for one more attack with that powerful burst of light and
sound. This time, her roar echos with it.
Kino shakes his head, "You are the Goddess and so I will respect you...but it is
not over until I will it to be or till the clock ticks out...and I do not will
it to be so." He pauses and disappears into the layer scenery as again, the
attack comes his way. It misses of course...and the little ninja angel flashes
back into existence right behind Rei. He leans back and throws out a
kick...slightly blinded. He'll kick her yet!
No, it seems fate has determined that Makynzi will not strike Rei again before
the end of this match. The timer clicks down, but something even stranger begins
to happen. Some who have seen previous matches may have glimpsed this, but above
the layer... two blue orbs momentarily appear, and then vanish once more. There
is a strange sound from the tree above, a cat-like 'Nya!' and then a ghostly
form appears, a form familiar to Makynzi, surely, as one of his former
opponents, Kamui. The neko-angel grabs hold of Rei by the waist, pulling her
backwards and out of the way of the kick, the blow passing right through his
etherial body. He turns around, looks at the ninja, and then pulls down one
eyelid and rasberries at him before turning around, waggling his butt, and
hopping back up into the air, disappearing in a puff of smoke.
While all of this may be distracting, Rei seems quite used to her savior
appearing now and again to come to her aid. While Kamui is distracting the ninja
with his display, Rei starts to summon up her wind blades from the small bits of
wind power still left in her this late in the match. By the time that the cat
disappears, three wind blades circle around the gargoyle, waiting, watching for
their target. Then, she points a hand towards Makynzi, the blades flying in his
direction.
Makynzi blinks as he sees Kamui appear out of nowhere. Kino just lets out a
laugh. "Well...I'll be." He looks out into the stands, this being the first time
he actually notes the crowd it appears....Ranmaru must be there somewhere. As he
looks back, the attack comes. The pair have given it their all...and there is
simply nothing more that the ninja can do. He attempts to dodge, but Rei
summoned too many...he goes down just as the buzzer rings. The ninja is
apparently not fully out though...he's struggling under his own weight...but his
fragile bones just won't get him up again. It is a knock down for sure...he's
crippled and unable to fight...but he's still alive and moving, trying to do
something...because Kino is willing him to. There are times though, where the
body is a cage for the mind...just look at Misaki's mother. Makynzi brings the
seat down to the layer and retrieves Makynzi, sighing heavily. "We did our
best...and against the Goddess, that is all that can be done." He smiles lightly
and removes the angel and visor, cuddling Makynzi to his chest. It'll all be
fixed soon enough.
"Rei Win!" The announcer calls out, followed by a cheer. Of course, all of this
is just backdrop to what goes on on the layer itself. As Kino comes down to
retrieve his angel, Rei slowly bows down to him, showing honor to him as her
opponent. Mikage's chair docks near the layer shortly there-after, her angel
slowly sitting down on the layer to wait for her master. Miki removes her
headset, setting it to the side before walking onto the layer to pick up Rei.
Then, she gives a smile towards Kino. "They cheer for you. You've done so well,
Kino-kun. Everyone knows how much heart you and Makynzi put into your fighting.
A heart most welcome in our home." She holds out a hand to the boy, her other
hand holding the slightly damaged Rei even as the crowd continues to cheer on
both combatants.
Kino is smiling...and even possibly...a tear? Yes, as she offers him her
hand...he goes and just hugs the Miki. It's soft granted, so as not to hurt her,
but...if he's going to be in her home, she deserves more than just a hand shake.
It is a big offer to give a troubled youth. Makynzi doesn't comment on the other
part...the cheering. He simply states, "Thank you Goddess. I look forward to
meeting you...back home...once I have straightened everything else out." He
grins happily and then heads out to the waiting room.
Mikage looks a bit surprised at the sudden hug, but accepts it with a little
laugh. Her pale eyes follow the boy as he leaves the layer arena. As the last
one to go, she raises her hand up and waves to the crowd, collecting her headset
and then descending the ramp down to the exit hallways. The crowd continues to
cheer for both of them even as the announcer tries to get them all to calm down
for the announcement of the next match.