| GCB Fanfics: Vs. Mode |
Vs. Mode - Alucard vs. KirbyThe scene opens up to one of reconstruction. Various Gato-like robots wearing construction helmets walk around the mostly devastated stadium, clearing out debris, plugging holes and fixing broken areas. At the already repaired audience seats, the crowds watch the maintenance crew activate the newly enhanced barriers that Lucca promises would be able to survive another case of a rampaging near deity. The workmen and a portion of the audience move away from the area as Squall walks over to the barriers and starts a long chant. Ten minutes later, a fully boosted Eden appears and fires a concentrated beam at the shields. The barrier doesn't flinch one bit. His work done, Squall leaves as the audience returns to their seats. More time passes, and the crowds start to get antsy in their seats and some angry murmurs are heard. Moments before someone plans to start a riot, Lucca walks out of one of the entrances, her wounds from the previous battles already healed. Some warm applause welcomes her as she climbs up to the announcer's booth where Brock has been waiting for some time. Adjusting her seat, she begins the show, "Welcome back to Vs. Mode where the second half of the South Division is about to begin. For those of you just tuning in and has no idea what just happened, where the heck have you been in the past few hours? I could have sworn the near Apocalypse was the news of the day. Anyway, we just survived the second coming of Kefka here thanks to the efforts of Crono, Sephiroth and pretty much every single competitor and fighting staff here in Vs. Mode. Everyone, let's give a round of applause for the heroes of the day." ---- In the Medical Center, Bowser snorts as he watches the people cheer through the installed monitor. "Bah! Between this and that mess with Smithy, everyone will think I'm all buddy, buddy with that stupid plumber." "Shut the **** up, *******! I'm enjoying all this hero treatment. Now ladies, where were we?" Bowser rolls his eyes as Vercetti continues his little make out session with two nurses. ---- "Crono and a good part of the fighting roster are currently resting up in the Medical Center, but Alucard has reassured us that he's ready for his fight and Meta-Knight has said the same about Kirby. As for Kefka, well... he won't be bothering us anymore that's for sure." Brock says with a grin. "Well, I think we've kept you viewers waiting for long enough. So without further ado, we give you the fighters of this ma-" One of the maintenance crew walks up to Lucca and whispers something to her ear before walking of. "Huh. Well it looks like you people will need to wait just a little longer. Management just asked us to show a little ad of sorts." Brock blinks. "Management? They're sending maintenance people to deliver messages now?" Lucca ignores her partner as usual, and pops in the tape. ---- Voiceover: It is a time for chaos... Kefka: You know, I never did like this tournament. Voiceover: It is a time for danger... Megaman: C'mon everyone! We the audience needs our help! Voiceover: It is a time for action... Sonic: Phbbbbbbt! Slowpoke! Can't hit what you can't see, can you? Voiceover: It is a time for courage... Link: All 13 of you, versus one of me? I'll show you why I became champion! Voiceover: It is a time for duty... Lucca: I'm a hero first, an announcer second. You stay here and handle the commentary Brock, they may need the help of my genius. Voiceover: It is a time for sacrifices... Cloud: Forget about us, just move! Voiceover: It is a time... Master Chief: Fire in the hole, *****! Mario: Quick-a Luigi. To the Jump-a Cave! Felix: That's why I'm asking you to join me. There aren't many people who can defeat me in battle. Crono: ... Mog: Hello. Lord Kefka told me to help you out. Ganondorf: You fool! If you want to live, you must allow the power to flow freely. Alucard: I will not die like this... Aeris: I'm sorry Cloud, the only way to stop the Lifestream would be for me to... Voiceover: ...for heroes. Sephiroth: No Aeris. There is another way. Allow me to do it as atonement for my sins. Voiceover: A Time of Heroes, available in DVD, VCD, Scrying Pool and VHS versions now. Disclaimer: A Time of Heroes and Vs. Mode is the property of GunMage Productions. The GameFAQs Character Battles is the property of GF Industries. All characters are properties of themselves, although their words and actions are the property of GunMage Productions due to a fine print in their contract. The near Apocalypse is the property of Kefka and GunMage Productions is in no way responsible for it, those who do not believe us can go over the contract and look up the Near World Destruction clause. Lots of people died and were harmed in the recording of this production, but don't worry, they got better. ---- "...am I the only one who finds it amazing how they were able to record and edit everything while we were all fighting for our lives?" Lucca ponders aloud. "...well, big business is big business and I guess End of the World coverage make for some fine videos." Brock mentions. "Anyway, now that we're done lambasting our employers of questionable ethics, let's finally get this show moving." The scientist says, much to the delight of the impatient viewers. "The next battle is one of the stranger ones yet as two competitors as different from one another as night from day face one another in a battle to the pain." "Alucard and Kirby," Brock intones, "both have shown that they are not to be messed with in the first round. On one hand, we have Alucard, a half-vampire who's part Death on two feet and part Swiss army knife. Between uncountable amounts of weapons, spells, familiars, Alucard has more tricks up his sleeve than practically all the contestants here combined. He has shown what he can do last year by making it all the way to the sweet 16 before bowing out to Cloud, and this year? He used Bomberman's own weapon against him in a literally explosive match." Lucca continues where Brock stopped. "However, do not think that Kirby will fall easily in this match, if at all. If he has shown us anything in the last match, having a lot of really cool abilities mean jack squat if he can get his mouth on you. Ramza had a variety of classes in his disposable, and all of them went against him when Kirby got close enough to swallow him. Kirby may look cute and harmless, but he is not the hero of Dreamland for nothing. Underestimate him at your own risk." "And it looks like the first fighter is about to enter the arena," Brock says as the first song is played. An eerie chant floats out of the speakers as the sacred hymn of Prayer welcomes the son of Dracula. The spectators sit there in confusion as no sign of the dunpeal can be seen at first. Then the mist comes, much to the horror of some of the more traumatized members of the audience. Like the Lifestream released from the Master Materia in the previous match, the fog spreads out rapidly as soon as it appears. However, unlike the Lifestream, the fog remains within the arena, as it gradually grows thicker and thicker. As the solemn chant comes to an end, the mist converges in the middle of the ring and solidifies into the crouching form of Alucard. Much applause ensues for the impressive entrance, however the half-vampire does not notice them as his mind is somewhere else. Sephiroth had saved Mario's World from getting imbalanced and entering a time of chaos. Before that, he had saved Crono and him as well from certain doom. Something did not fit there. From what he had seen of the Soldier in the previous year, Sephiroth does not go around doing things out of good will. Every action he does, every word he speaks, every place he visits, always has an ulterior motive. In a way, he is much like his father, Dracula. Both have powers that rival gods. Both suffer from megalomania. Both see everyone around them as inferior. To believe that Sephiroth would do something out of the goodness of his heart is sheer naiveté. While other people see him as one of the heroes now after his nearly fatal saving act during the last moments of the battle with Kefka, Alucard is not as quick to judge based on face value alone. His battle with Richter and the Dark Priest Shaft has taught him that much. "What are you planning, Sephiroth?" Alucard mutters to himself. "Just what are you planning?" The crowds do not answer his query as they awaited the second competitor of this match. "And from dark and angsty, we now go to cute and cuddly. Here comes the puffball with a lot to prove this year, Kirby!" The upbeat tune of A New Day in Dreamland hops out of the speakers, carrying with it the cheerfulness and joy of the character it represents. Kirby and Meta-Knight walk out to the arena in the midst of much applause from fans of both creatures and cute things in general. As Kirby happily waves and poses for the crowd, Meta-Knight just stood there brooding, his sword thrust into the ground, his cape flapping in the winds. He is very much disappointed with the commercial of A Time for Heroes. More than a dozen clippings shown, and not one of them had the masked resident of Dreamland in it. Apparently, they could not appreciate his greatness or marketing value, opting instead to give those strange humans a more prominent appearance in the sample footage. Oh well, their loss. At least they aren't so stupid as to exclude him from the actual video. He had to admit; the shot they made of him saving Kirby's behind was excellent. Never would he have thought that he looked that impressive in action. But enough idle thoughts, there's a match to be had. "Kirby!" The pink hero waves to his fans one more time before turning to face his rival, his face showing some confusion, wondering what Meta-Knight wanted. "Good luck in your fight." The smile returns to the rotund resident of Dreamland and he cheerily nods his head repeatedly then proceeds to comically march down to the ring. "And know that if you lose, I will make your training ten times harder." Meta-Knight sighs and runs over to help his nemesis and temporary trainee get back up on his feet. At times like these, he wonders how he could have lost to Kirby. "Both fighters are now in the ring and are just waiting for the Ref-Bot's signal. So Lucca, what are your thoughts for this match?" The scientist cups her chin in thought. "Hard to say Brock. I see this as something similar to Kirby's last battle. Like Alucard, Ramza had a lot of different skills at his disposal and looked to have the advantage. However, once Kirby absorbed those skills, the tables turned and the tactician found his own powers used against him. I see the same situation here. If Alucard can somehow prevent Kirby from sucking him in, he will very likely win. However, if he finds himself exploring the insides of the puffball's bottomless stomach, then chances are high that Kirby will have a second win on his non-existent belt." The Ref-Bot hovers between the fighters silently, as though waiting for some unknown signal. Suddenly, the robot raises one flag and faces Alucard. "Player 1, ready?" The half-vampire draws two swords, his calm eyes masking his confidence and determination. "Ready." The robot then raises its other flag as it faces Kirby. "Player 2, ready?" The pink mascot nods his head enthusiastically, his expression still as cheerful as ever. "Combatants ready. Raise Force Barriers. Match 43, Alucard vs. Kirby. 3, 2, 1... fight!" "Power's on; Game's started and Alucard makes the first move throwing both blades at Kirby. Now, while it may look like a stupid attack to most, those are Heaven Swords he's wielding and they return to their owner like a pair of boomerangs." Brock pauses as he watches both swords whirl in the air and fly back to Alucard. "See?" "And it would appear that Alucard has decided to go for a distance game, a good tactic against the likes of Kirby. Ramza's mistake in the last round was to bring the battle to sucking range, and he paid for it big time. With the Heaven Swords, Kirby will have a hard time getting close." "At least, that's how it should work in theory. However, as Kirby shows, there is a big problem with the long-ranged weapons." Brock says as Kirby sidesteps both swords and quickly flies towards Alucard. "The Heaven Swords may have range and power, but they also have a bit of a lag-time before they return to their master. With Kirby's speed, the small lag may become fatal for the half-vampire, but why is Alucard smiling down there?" "That's why!" Lucca exclaims. "Both swords suddenly zoom back to Alucard, nearly decapitating Kirby moments before he dived out of their path. Those blades are more than just one-trick ponies and Alucard is about to show everyone what they can truly do. The Heaven Swords dance around the vampire hunter like a whirling barrier of death while the hero of Dreamland keeps his distance, wondering what the strange weapons will do now." "He wouldn't need to wonder long! The swords multiply right before our eyes, becoming four then eight then sixteen. Those aren't illusions folks, every single one of those blades are as real as the original pair and Kirby is about to find out how real they are right now." Brock shouts as the swords fly straight at Kirby in rapid succession. "Say what you will about Kirby," Lucca says, impressed by the roly-poly hero's performance, "but that little pink thing can really dodge. He slips pass a good number of the deadly blades and eventually flies above the range of the attack, getting multiple grazes but nothing major. He dives in for the kill as the special move ends but Alucard back dashes just in time. The white-haired noble brushes a strand of hair out of his face and, is it just me or did I see a frown beneath those pale locks of his?" "I don't know Lucca, but he's now putting away the Heaven Swords after they proved to be a dud against the agile Kirby. From somewhere within his cloak, the son of Dracula draws out four Chakrams and throws them at the Jigglypuff clone in rapid succession. Man, look at those things fly like Frisbees of death!" "For the uninformed, the Chakrams have a boomerang effect just like the Heaven Swords. However, that's where the similarities end. The death discuses has a smaller range than the blades and they are not as strong, however, they fly out at a much faster rate than the magical swords. Kirby is moving as quickly as his two little feet can take him just trying not to get hit." "The pink balloon thing is finally out of the range of the Chakrams, but Alucard is far from done as he brings out his massive collection of shurikens. The ninja stars fly all over the place in the dunpeal's attempt to make a pincushion out of Kirby, but the pink midget is just too fast for the projectiles. Now he brings out the fire boomerangs, hoping to add randomness into the equation, but even with the erratic flight of the weapons, Kirby's agility easily gets him past the storm of fire. Now Alucard switches to the faster Magic Missiles and look! He almost got Kirby with the first shot! And the second one was just inches away! And the third one almost hit him on the face! And the fourth one... went right over his head. Guess Kirby got used to the Missiles rather predictable flight path as none of the subsequent shots even get close. But wait! Alucard is switching to Javelins! And now he's going for Iron Balls! Now he's chucking dynamite! And now he's... he's..." Lucca gives the stuttering Pokemon Trainer an amused look. "Are you done yet?" "Yaaaagh! This fight is going nowhere!" Brock cries as he bangs his head against the table. "From the looks of things, Alucard's abusing the Duplicator to give him an infinite amount of projectiles, and Kirby's just running and flying around, dodging everything that gets thrown at him. Just how much longer is this little stalemate going to last?" Lucca removes her glasses and starts wiping them, "Oh... I'd give it around one more minute then Kirby will probably turn the tables" Brock blinks "One more minute? Are you sure?" The scientist continues wiping her glasses, giving an aura of nonchalance. "Give or take a couple of seconds. Unlike you, I've been paying close attention here. If you hadn't been too busy just staring at Alucard's plethora of weapons, you would have noticed that Kirby's been getting closer with each and every dodge." Brock blinks again and pays more attention at Kirby's movement. "Hey, you're right!" "And once he gets close enough, he'll probably jump at Alucard with his mouth wide open when the half-vampire switches weapons." Brock watches in awe as Kirby does just that. "Hey! You're right! Again!" Lucca inspects her glasses and angles them towards the sun, watching with some satisfaction as it reflects the rays. "Of course, unless Alucard has been as inattentive as you, he probably expected Kirby to do just that. I expect him to do something to get away without risking a sucking. Probably a teleport or something similar." Now, Brock's jaw drops a bit as Alucard disappears from his opponent's path in a beam of light, leaving behind a confused Kirby. "Amazing! You truly are a genius!" The purple-haired time traveler puts back her glasses and grins at Brock. "Why, of course I am! Anyway, Alucard reappears behind Kirby and launches three fireballs heading straight to the pink puffball. This could be the end of the match right here." "Kirby turns around just in time to spot the three fireballs, and instinctively sucks them in. Oh dear... Kirby's on fire! Kirby's on fire! Someone help the poor guy, he's going to get burned to a crisp! Aaa! Aaaa! Aaa-ow!" Lucca puts her Wondershot back to her holster as Brock rubs his bruise. "Stop panicking, Kirby is NOT on fire, he IS the fire. He's absorbed the properties of the Helfire fireballs and he's now one himself. He flies straight at Alucard and now it's the dunpeal's turn to play dodge ball. The fight is now starting to get interesting." "Interesting or not, Alucard seems to have had enough of the little game and appears to be ready to finish this. The half-vampire neatly sidesteps the Kirby fireball as he draws the deadly Vorpal Blade. He smirks confidently at his flying opponent and waits for him to fly back. Folks? I suggest you cover your children's eyes. When the Vorpal Blade does its job on Kirby, it's going to be a bloody mess." There is a whooshing sound of air being combusted. For the viewers whose seats were near the arena, the air suddenly feels a little warmer. "Ah, but it looks like Fireball Kirby has one hidden trick up his sleeve. The hero of Dreamland had just turned up the heat, making the fire around him go bigger and get more intense. The son of Dracula had not expected his opponent to be able to be able to go from a level one Hellfire Fireball to a level two one and instinctively jumps over the nearing Fire Kirbyball." Lucca says before blinking, "But wait, what's this? Kirby's stopped right under the falling form of Alucard." There is another whooshing sound, but this one is distinctly different from the previous whoosh. For one thing, it is followed by a rather audible gulp. A weird expression crosses Brock's face as he watches Alucard's boots disappear with the rest of his body. "And with the pink legend's excellent feint, Alucard had gone the way of Ramza. Straight down the puffball's gullet. Truth be told though, I'm still rather uneasy about the Kirby method of power stealing. While I myself have never experienced the fun journey down the stomach of the pink creature, those who have usually describe it as something akin to regurgitating food, only with your entire body having the same sensation as your throat." "Ah, it looks like Kirby has finally spat out the half-vampire much to the relief of his fangirls." Lucca says, accentuated by the wet splat in the ring. "And Kirby is well... Kirby has obviously absorbed Alucard's powers, and you must admit, he looks absolutely stunning for someone who looks like a pink party decoration." --- Down in the ring, Alucard slowly comes back to his senses and wipes away the strange juices all over his body. The last few seconds seem like a blur to the 500-century young half-vampire, a blur that is filled with the colors of pink and black. He remembers landing from the jump, and then... nothing. What could have happened? Then he sees Kirby and the pieces of that puzzle immediately come together to form a rather irritating little picture. A picture of a pink bulbous thing with a mop of white hair on its top, black gloves and boots covering its stumpy arms and legs, a formal black cape flapping dramatically behind it, a small mockery of a sword scabbard on its side, and what looks like a painted on shirt and frock coat motif on its round chest. Oh, and a pair of overgrown fangs that are probably meant to look like a vampire's, but ends up looking like a pair of walrus tusks. Ever so slowly, Alucard's eyebrow begins to twitch. Considering how Alucard has many, many years of controlling his emotions, the slight twitch is equivalent to a man frothing around the mouth. It's basically the borderline between great annoyance and murderous rage. Still though, while Alucard's temper is being strained, he's still in control of it. He has gone through gremlins, imps and bitterflies, a little creature parodying him will not be enough to make him mad. Then the creature speaks. "Vla vla!" Kirby pronounces with his usual cheery high pitch, albeit a little muffled thanks to the fangs, "I vill drink your vlood!" The snap you hear is Alucard's temper going from a mild simmer to a raging volcano. "I do not talk like that!" ---- "Woah! What the heck just entered that guy? He just pulled out the Crisseagrim and is rushing Kirby at full speed. Alu-Kirby responds in kind and the entire arena sings with the sounds of blades clashing with each other at a rate of ten strikes per second." "I'm rather surprised that Kirby can keep up with Alucard considering his height. All that jumping around of his reminds me of a fight scene I once saw in an American Sci-Fi movie." Says Lucca as an amused expression dancing over her face, "Anyway, both sides are showing much speed and power, but I sort of wonder how long they can keep up that swordfight before their weapons..." There is a sharp crack, followed by the noisy clatter of metal on stone. "...break. Huh. Guess that answers my question. But Alucard isn't letting a small thing like that stop his offense though. He immediately morphs into a wolf and he tackles into Kirby with a Wolf Charge. Considering the large difference in size, getting slammed with that much speed and power must feel like getting hit by a runaway street car." "Kirby tumbles up, over and behind wolf Alucard, and morphs into his own version of a wolf before landing on his feet. At least... I think it's supposed to be a wolf." Brock says while scratching his head. "Looks more like a pink warthog to me. Kirby pays back the son of Dracula and then some! A Wolf Charge rams into Alucard's ribs while he's recovering from his attack, sending him staggering in pain. Mini-wolf Kirby follows it up by biting into the larger wolf form of Alucard like a deranged Chihuahua while the prince of Castlevania tries to dislodge his mimic." "Alucard eventually decides to turn back to dunpeal mode. He grabs Kirby and tosses him across the ring, but Alu-Kirby was able to stop his meeting with the ground by turning into a pink bat. Or a giant pink bumblebee, or whatever you think that thing's supposed to be." "How can his wingspan support that much mass?" Lucca wonders loudly, "Anyway, a Wing Smash almost takes off Alucard's head, but the half-vampire was able to duck under the mid-air dash attack. The white-haired hunter counters by casting Tetra Spirit and four ghosts come out from thin air and bombard Kirby out of his bat form." "Alucard is not letting Kirby recover. One quick teleport later, and the dunpeal is right behind the fallen Kirby with a Stone Sword pointed down at him. This could end the match right here. One strike from that blade and you'll be petrified or a good long time." "But no, Kirby rolls away from the stab and gets back to his feet. An Iron Shield that the Dreamland hero pulled out blocks a downward slash and a second slice is met with Kirby's own Stone Sword. It's back to swordplay with the two as the dull sounds of stone on stone echoes with each swing." "I still don't get how Kirby can keep up with Alucard." Brock comments while watching the two, "Even if he did absorb his skills, shouldn't Alucard have an edge in experience?" "I've been pondering about that too since the Ramza battle, Brock, and I think I know why he hasn't been slaughtered yet." The Pokemon Trainer raises an eyebrow. "Really? Care to enlighten us, Lucca?" Lucca pushes her glasses up her nose before going into her long explanation. "It's like this. Whenever Kirby swallows an opponent, he absorbs the abilities of his opponent, right? But the question is, what would you consider as abilities? Some are obvious, like special techniques and magic, but what about some of the less obvious things like master swordsmanship and accurate marksmanship? Aren't they considered abilities as well? The way I see it, not only does Kirby copy the special attributes and techniques of his opponent, but he also copies their instincts, reflexes and experience." "So... what you're telling me is that that's not just a Kirby with Alucard weapons down there, but a mini-Alucard in Kirby clothing?" "Of course not, if it was as simple as that, Alucard would have won already. Remember, he fought two copies of himself before. Mirror matches are easy for him." "Then what..." "What Alucard is fighting is a combination of Kirby and himself, both aspects making up for the weaknesses of the other. Add in Kirby's unconscious ability to taunt people to doing stupid mistakes just by doing what he does best, and we get the reason why I said that Alucard's chances of winning are slim if Kirby sucks him up." Brock shakes his head. "I still find that hard to believe. You make Kirby sound like some sort of higher level doppelganger. A mixture of the best aspects of two fughters? He's just a cheery puffball that enjoys to imitate, he can't be that strong can he?" "Oh really? Then watch how the battle closely." Lucca says before returning to the commentary, "Kirby blocks another sword slash, and counters with a thrust that is blocked by the dunpeal's own shield. Now he jumps over a low horizontal slice, lands on the flat of Alucard's blade and, what's did he just do with that sword of his?" The deafening cheer of the Kirby crowd and the crestfallen cries of the Alucard fans mix with the explosion that sent the dunpeal bouncing repeatedly on the arena floor. "Well, though I didn't expect that, I think it perfectly confirms what I just said earlier, yes?" Lucca mentions to a gaping Brock, "Kirby just used his Final Cutter, sending a shockwave straight down Alucard's Stone Sword and breaking their little stalemate in a very painful way. Alucard is getting back on his feet, but that had got to hurt. I think it's safe to say that Kirby currently has all the cards for this match and that Alucard is as good as finished unless if he can think up of a plan." "Well, maybe Alucard does have a plan as he equips the Fists of Tulkas and taunts Kirby to do the same. Now here's a tactic that looks familiar. Kirby puts his own set of gauntlets and both fighters charge at each other. The distance between them quickly lessens as they both pull back their fists for a possible final blow and..." The smack is heard. Males wince. Fan girls scream. Sadists laugh. A random fan boy shouts "Kirby sucks! Dante rules!" "...and Alucard falls over in great discomfort and pain as gauntleted fist meets not so protected nuts." Lucca continues for Brock, who was currently imitating every other male in the stadium, "Kirby had definitely learned from his last encounter with Ramza and adapts properly to the fist-fighting style of melee. As for Alucard, well... the Ref-Bot is currently counting to ten so he looks to be out cold. And Brock? Stop over reacting. It's not like you are the one experiencing great pain in the extremities." Brock continues to whimper in sympathy and spiritual pain. "Oh fine, you continue doing that while I continue the narration on my own. Alucard gets back on his feet, with much difficulty no doubt, on the six count and just stands there, staring at a waving and smiling Kirby. He's probably trying to think of a way to salvage this battle against what probably looks like a metaphysical brick wall right now. So far, every blow that the dunpeal lands is returned ten-fold by the parodying puffball. Things must definitely look grim for someone who's been so used to being a powerhouse for so long." "And it..." Brock clears his throat a bit, trying to lower the pitch of his voice back to normal while Lucca snickers in the background, "And it looks like Alucard is finally doing something. He draws out the massive Great Sword before charging his mini-clone, a good choice as the mass may put Kirby at a disadvantage. Alu-Kirby imitates the half-vampire's actions by drawing his own Great Sword, which doesn't seem so great when in comparison with the much larger vampire's" "The two join in swordplay for the third, and possibly final time, and the first clash of blades ends with Kirby getting thrown back from the force of the impact. He easily adapts though, and now he's using his agility to dance around the almost unwieldy weapon of his opponent rather than meeting it head on. Looks like Alucard's plan is about to backfire on him, the Great Sword has power, but it comes at the expense of speed. Kirby ducks under a diagonal slash and immediately rushes in with his own weapon. Alucard's in no position to recover from his swing and defend himself. Can he find a way out of this?" "Looks like he can. Alucard escapes defeat by turning into poison mist. The noxious gases spread all over the arena leaving no place for the choking Kirby to escape. It appears that Kirby has no choice but to turn to mist himself, and he does just that; with a pink color scheme no less. Pink and yellow mix in the air, turning into an interesting shade of orange." "An excellent delaying maneuver by the vampire hunter, but I'm afraid it's going to disadvantage him in the long run. Alucard had been expending his magic a lot more than Kirby has in the battle, so he will be out of the mist form first. And even if he survives the poisoning to his systems, he will still have to battle Kirby with both their magic spent. Considering how Kirby has some extra attacks that doesn't use magic, Alucard will lose out in the end." "That's true Lucca but- wait, Alucard's getting out of his mist form. He couldn't be out of magic already, could he? He draws out the fire blade Marsil as he staggers around the pink fumes that comprise of Kirby's body. Now he's pulling back the blade and powering it up for its special. Just what is he planning to do?" Lucca's eyes widen as realization dawns. "Good Lord! Is he insane?" "Huh? What do you mean?" Lucca grabs the Pokemon Breeder by the collar and starts shaking him violently, "Think Brock! Since the poison mist form probably has various substances mixed in it to create something that can kill pretty much any life form, it's also probably very combustible. But since the thing is so dense, most fires get extinguished before they can even hope to cause a flicker in it. However, considering how the Marsil can generate so much heat that the very air around it explodes from too much expansion..." Brock's own eyes widen as he finally figures out what the scientist is trying to say. As if on cue, Alucard finishes the motions for the Marsil's special, causing an explosion of fire in the heart of the gaseous form of Kirby. The explosion causes a chain reaction within the poison mist and, like the birth of a star, the gas combusts into flames, turning the very arena into a scene from hell as the very air lights up into a blaze. The fire spreads outwards, but finds its path impeded by the audience shielding. Having nowhere else to go, it climbs up into the skies and, for a moment, the Delfino Stadium looks like a volcano for those who see it outside as a spectacular pillar of flame rises out of the open-air building, turning the hevens sunset red even though it was still far from the end of the afternoon. The thing eventually dies down only a few seconds after it happened. Tiny wisps of smoke converge into the charcoaled form of Kirby. The puffball spins around a few times before falling over on his back; his eyes all swirly and his Alucard form disappearing as unconsciousness claims him. As for the half-vampire... "Amazing..." Brock says, astonished not because of the fairly impressive ending, but because one of the fighters is actually still standing. "Not only did Alucard survive that explosion, but he looks completely refreshed as well." Lucca chuckles softly to herself as she turns off the telescope feature of her goggles, "Heh, a Ruby Circlet. Bait Kirby into Poison Mist form then strike him with the Marsil while he's too spread out to morph back to normal form. A risky plan that would surely take out both competitors, but with the Ruby Circlet equipped, the flames that can turn anybody to ash would actually heal his wounds. Very clever." Down in the ring, the Ref-Bot gets out of his personal force field and makes the mandatory ten-count. "The match has ended. Winner: Alucard" The crowds cheer and much applause and praise are showered upon the white-haired vampire killer. However, he ignores them all, lost in thought much as he was before the match began. The battle had been too close. The final plan had been done in desperation, out of a hunch. Had the Marsil's flames not been able to affect the toxins contained in the poison mist, or the Ruby Circlet proven to not be strong enough to absorb all that heat, he would have surely lost, or worse. Kirby had proven to be a powerful and worthy foe, and in a way, he was glad that he also survived the ordeal. Much like his own chances, he was not sure if Kirby would have still been able to reform after such an explosion, and he curses himself more for actually risking the fate of the unassuming fighter. He had allowed his darker nature to take over in the latter half of the match, and the pink hero almost paid the price. That was something he would need to be more careful of if he returns next year. To mercilessly take the life of innocents in an arrogant show of power was something his father did, not him... But the worries of his struggling dual nature should come later. The most important matter right now is Sephiroth. He would most likely be his next foe, and if he had troubles with Kirby, what were his chances against that monster? Especially if he proves to not be the hero that everyone thinks him to be as he had suspected? If he is to survive that battle, he will need to give everything he has. It's strange; he had defeated gods and demigods before, yet Sephiroth worries him this much. He had believed that none can best him in battle before, but this tournament had a way of humbling the mightiest of warriors. That encounter with the Strife boy had been a lesson to him, one that taught him the bitter taste of defeat after so long, and the high cost of arrogance. He wonders if this was how his father felt when the first of the Belmonts showed him how he was not as invincible as he thought... "Both fighters gave an excellent showing today," Lucca says to cheering crowds, "and while Alucard was the winner of this match, Kirby had definitely removed any stigmata of being a weak competitor from the last tournament. The half-vampire continues to brood in the middle of the ring while the pink puffball is carried out of the arena by Meta-Knight, no doubt to train him for the next tournament." "After the maintenance crew fixes the arena, we will be heading straight into the next and final match of this day. Max Payne vs. Sephiroth! Both are veterans of this tournament, though one has been far more successful than the other. Survey says that Sephiroth will win this in a blowout, but who knows? Maybe Max can squeak out a victory. Whatever the results are, you better not change that channel. Vs. Mode will be right back after these messages." Next Entry Back |