Anchor
Written by: RinoaDestiny
#19 – Commonalities
"108 Shiki Yamibarai." Kyo said this while leaning against him, forearm propped against his shoulder. "Always noticed yours looks the same. Never thought to ask if the names were identical." Smell of sweat, heated flesh, and blood. Their latest sparring bout ended in a draw, with Kyo drawing attention to similar techniques. Iori wasn't too surprised, since the Yasakani and Kusanagi clans were allies at one point. Still, it was intriguing to dig deeper.
"Except your flames are crimson and you swing your arm upward."
"Why the downward swing?" Kyo asked, genuine interest in his face. "Is it easier? Or you just did it to counter me?"
Iori scowled. "Came naturally. Just happened to be your opposite."
"You noticed everyone else's projectiles are airborne?"
"Yeah. Ground travel's rare." Iori shifted, giving Kyo more access to the broader plane of his shoulder. They stood beside a bridge, supporting themselves against the land-anchored base on their side of the river. It was quiet, flowing water the only accompaniment to it. "Your old man's comes out fast."
"He has experience."
"Maybe yours will be like his."
"Hmm." Kyo shifted his forearm lower, introducing fresh wrinkles to the middle of his upper sleeve. "And our upward flame spin technique?"
"100 Shiki Oniyaki."
"Huh. Same."
"So even after the split, my clan retained the technique names." Iori wondered if the ancestral records mentioned anything about that. "Maybe they didn't want to forget their beginning." Yet, the original Yasakani techniques were brutal and direct and nothing like the Kusanagi-style martial arts. Kyo had adjusted his, mixing what appeared to be some form of Chinese technique into it. It certainly made for more interesting practice sessions.
"Or they named these two together and just didn't change it."
"Even once the blood feud was declared?"
"Yeah." Kyo was all muscle and although Iori's own bruises ached, he didn't mind the extra pressure on his arm. "What would renaming them do? Just move on, right? Go after the clan you declared your mortal enemy."
Iori chuckled, for Kyo stated that last bit with levity. Old history now belonging to their long-dead ancestors. "You're still very bold. Both arms? Why? You trying to punch someone twice?"
Beside him, Kyo snorted. "Just because you got style –"
"So you admit it."
"Shut up."
They stood there in companionable silence, grateful for the lack of a crowd. This time, Iori had caught onto Kyo's high punch decoying the blow to the gut and while his cheek smarted, his abdomen didn't. A decent trade-off when it came to discomfort. With Kyo beside him like this post-fight, all of that didn't matter. He breathed in the clean warm air and exhaled.
"You know," Kyo said, tone hinting at a slight change in the topic at hand, "I believe we might share some other commonalities."
"Such as?"
"There's another technique that seems similar to yours. Mine is 212 Shiki Kototsuki You. You know…the one where I grab you and set you on fire in the air."
He remembered that technique well, having received burns from it multiple times before. Kyo had a knack for seizing close range opportunities, setting many opponents aflame in the past. It did surprise him, though, how identical their differing techniques were in name. "212 Shiki Kototsuki In for mine."
"In, huh?"
"It's different enough." Whereas Kyo's grab went high, his pushed others to the ground, setting them afire only then. Kyo had also been the recipient of that technique in the past. He was savvier now and more so ever since they started sparring, sharpening skills and also observation. Iori wasn't able to pull off that particular technique so much now, since Kyo no longer fell for it.
Then again, Kyo wasn't as successful now, either.
If they were aware of each other's body language and tells before in a fight, becoming the best of sparring partners increased that. If they ever had to fight against someone together now, the other was in for a rude awakening. Would be lucky to leave alive, whole, and unscorched.
Iori lifted a hand and rubbed his nose, which itched. "Your three-hit technique back during your NESTS days is a bit like mine."
"Which one of yours?"
"127 Shiki Aoihana. My three-hit."
"Oh." Kyo made a face, which was amusing. "That one."
"Yeah, that one." Many an unfortunate soul had reason to dread his Aoihana, which Iori used to open his opponents up like cracking nuts with a hammer. "I don't see yours anymore, but that final hit with the flame hurts." Kyo's, like his, also had the added benefit of knocking others to the ground. "What'd you call it?"
"Aragami Konokizu Yanosabi."
"That's a mouthful."
"Between the 108 and 100 Shiki techniques, it's not that bad." Kyo shrugged, inducing a pleasant sensation against his arm. "You probably have some ridiculously long technique names, too. What about those fancy ones?"
"They're long, but nothing like that."
Kyo scoffed, but it was light and playful. "Right."
Still quiet without an audience. Perfect. "You up for another round?"
"Yeah. Just gimme a sec."
He could spare seconds. Minutes, even. "You know, Kyo…if Orochi tries to come back…we'll be ready."
"Kagura-san will be there this year. Don't sweat it."
"I'm not. Just saying we're better prepared this time."
"And together. Unlike before."
Together in a stronger way that Orochi and his followers probably wouldn't comprehend. It might make all the difference, though. "Kyo?"
"Hmmm?"
"Bring your ancestral records next time. Wanna check something out."
"You going all scholarly?"
"Why not?" He grinned. "Your recorded play, too, if it's finished."
"Should've let you make the call."
"Told ya." Iori laughed when Kyo punched him lightly in mock offense. "You seem ready. Come on, Kyo. Again. 108 Shiki – whatever you've got. Bring it."
"Gladly."
Warm air, warm sky, and warm skin leaving his. He stepped away from the bridge, cracked his neck and eased into stance. Met Kyo's challenging gaze and smirked in return. Violet flames in his hand – stab of pain quickly suppressed – and it was on.
Comments: So I let 'Anchor' percolate for a while since its last update, since there are intended character arcs being planned out. I felt like after the last two chapters, which were a bit heavier in feel, I needed something lighter (a breather). So I threw all matter of choices at the boys in my mind and let them decide. A few days ago, I sensed/heard mentally "108 Shiki". 108 Shiki, I knew, was one of their moves in-game and eventually, I realized Kyo and Iori wanted to do a comparison of similar techniques.
This meant going to YouTube to do some research by studying movelist videos. The games I mainly referenced for Kyo and Iori were King of Fighters XIII official character videos (Iori with Flames, KoF XIII Kyo, and NESTS Kyo) and King of Fighters '97 just to cross-check. It was fascinating to notice not only how they shared the same technique names for certain moves, but also how their grabs with flame finishers had only one major difference in how it ended. Eye-opening stuff. I did get a similar vibe for the last move they both mentioned (their three-hit technique with final knockdown), although they don't look alike. Almost makes me want to get the games again and start playing, because it's fun and research, haha.
Please note that Iori's three-hit with knockdown on his official KoF XIII video names it as 127 Shiki Aoibana; however, most sources I see online have always called this move Aoihana (Deadly Flower), so I kept the common move name.
Kyo's woeful attempt at a play is next (LOL!). Should be fun. :)