| Ryu Hayabusa VS Raven | |
|---|---|
| |
| Season | 6 |
| Overall Episode | 71 |
| Season Episode | 6 |
| Air date | October 15th, 2021 |
| Written by | Shadow7615 |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous Inuyasha vs. Kenshin Himura |
Next Jago vs. Strider Hiryu |
| “ | Ninja Gaiden VS Tekken! The Dragon and Talon face off in a duel between gaming's deadliest ninja! Only one shall be able to return to the shadows. | „ |
Ryu Hayabusa vs. Raven is the 71st episode of DEATH BATTLE! by Shadow7615, featuring Ryu Hayabusa from the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive series and Raven from the Tekken series in a battle between bird-named fighting game ninjas.
Interlude[]
Boomstick: In this world, I'm sure we can all agree that ninjas are pretty fucking awesome.
Wiz: Since its inception, the Ninja has become a pop culture icon. Many characters owe their inspiration to these lethal agents of stealth, such as today's combatants.
Boomstick: Ryu Hayabusa, the Dragon Ninja.
Wiz: And Raven, the Dark Talon of Death.
Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick!
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.
Ryu Hayabusa[]
Boomstick: Like all badasses I know, Ryu Hayabusa was a badass from the day he was born. He was descended from the Dragon Lineage bloodline, meaning he was destined to follow in the steps of the Dragon Ninja.
Wiz: Trained from his earliest days by his father, Jô Hayabusa, Ryu climbed his way to the very top, becoming one of the Hayabusa clan's greatest ninja. When he was 18 years old, he embarked on missions with his father, proving that despite his young age, he was more than up to the challenge of facing some of the world's greatest threats.
Boomstick: Makes me wish I had time like that with my dad. But Ryu didn't need to hang by his father's side for too long. Eventually, Ryu was a Hayabusa in his own right and bore the clan's title. Becoming the purest embodiment of what a Hayabusa clan ninja ought to be. And believe me, reading the notes ahead of time, there's a shit ton of stuff to go over.
Wiz: It's no exaggeration when we say Ryu Hayabusa has quite the inventory. Having spent decades training in the path of the ninja, Ryu has become accustomed to using just about every type of weapon imaginable. You name it. Swords, Staves, Shurikens, Bombs, Bows, Scythes, Warhammers, Nunchaku, Tonfas, Grappling Hooks, if anything, he's a human swiss army knife you wouldn't even be able to see coming.
Popup: For this analysis, Hayabusa's abilities and weaponry will cover both the original and modern series of Ninja Gaiden, as well as Hayabusa's appearances in the Dead or Alive series.
Boomstick: Even has his own Adamantium Claws called the Falcon Talons. Though Ryu's weapons aren't just simple weapons. Like Kitetsu, a sword he claimed from one of his many wins. Essentially a vampire sword, it needs blood to maintain itself. So Ryu can use it in battle to drain the blood of his opponents.
Wiz: The Fiend's Bane Bow, due to its composition of tensile carbon fibers, is directly comparable to modern-day sniper rifles. Its power is so impressive that it can penetrate 40mm bulletproof armor. The weapon itself is a product of the Hayabusa village. And being an archer perfectly compliments Ryu's training as a ninja.
Boomstick: Oh yeah, and about his goddamn Plasma Blade, you just know that's a lightsaber by any other name. Makes sense that since Jedi are Space Samurai Wizards that there would eventually be Space Ninjas. Just you wait, they'll catch onto it soon enough.
Wiz: Though without a doubt, Ryu’s strongest weapon is his Dragon Sword, given to him by his father at the age of 21. This would become Ryu's signature weapon and is usually his first option once it’s time for him to start using weapons. On top of that, the Dragon Sword can be joined with the Eye of the Dragon to unleash its full potential. Though it is considered an ultimate last resort.
Popup: The Dragon Sword and The Eye of the Dragon are not kept in the same place, as the True Dragon Sword is frequently stated as being capable of disrupting the balance of the universe. Undoubtedly for the sake of the world, Hayabusa will not use the True Dragon Sword unless absolutely necessary.
Boomstick: The Dragon Sword also has a good protection system. Only those of the Dragon Lineage bloodline can wield the weapon to its fullest. If you're not of the Dragon's bloodline, the sword will feed on you and consume your soul. Yikes. Should get that kind of stuff for my koozies, so people won't take my beers off me. I'm not THAT much of an alcoholic.
Wiz: Though even if you did disarm Ryu, you're still not safe. Hayabusa Ninjutsu has turned Ryu into a master of hand-to-hand combat. But Ryu isn't limited by his martial skill, Ryu also learned to harness the power of Ninpo. Thanks to his honing his spirit through decades of training, Ryu has complete access to the spiritual side of his ninjutsu. Allowing him to perform many, many Ninpo techniques.
Boomstick: Being the magician he is, Ryu can cast ninpo of Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Heart. Captain Planet! Though really, he can summon dragons, launch fireballs, create ice storms, and even his own version of a Kamehameha Hadoken, which he developed after the Torn Sky Blast he saw during the Dead or Alive tournaments. Though Ryu’s Ninpo is not just for offense.
Wiz: Ryu has learned other applications of his Ninpo. For example, he can use Ninpo to transform himself into a falcon. But if Ryu takes a hit that would otherwise be fatal, Ryu can focus his Ninpo on healing and regenerating. Thanks due to Ryu's incredibly strong spirit as the Hayabusa clan's greatest. And no modern day ninja is complete without the ability to summon a doppelgänger that mimics your every move.
Popup: The Torn Sky Blast is known in Ninja Gaiden as the Art of the Rending Wind, as it is used by Kasumi in both Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden. Following fellow Ninjutsu users Kasumi, Hayate and Ayane, Hayabusa developed his own version of the Torn Sky Blast and performed it during the events of Dead or Alive 5.
Boomstick: Hayabusa’s healing can also be used on other people, which comes in handy during his many, many missions. That's one of Hayabusa's greatest achievements, having become such a badass ninja that all the other ninja around him look up to him as what a true ninja can be.
Wiz: Ryu has defeated many powerful adversaries, including the Dark Dragon, twice! And many, many others, Murai, Genshin, Doku, Yaiba Kamikaze. He's even defeated clones and doppelgängers of himself, even gods and emperors fall before Hayabusa. He even overcame the Grip of Murder, a fiendish curse that inflicted all of his victims’ hatred unto him. He withstood its effects for an entire week and recovered.
Boomstick: Ryu's fast enough to dodge automatic fire and missiles, effortlessly. What's more impressive is the many times he's dodged lightning, with his greatest dodging speed putting him at Mach 1015. Safe to say that unless you yourself a ninja, you won't even be able to land a finger on this guy. He's practically untouchable. No wonder this guy won the second Dead or Alive tournament.
Wiz: Though keep in mind, Hayabusa is not invincible. His training is certainly impressive and his accomplishments more than match, but Hayabusa is still a human being, albeit an incredibly skilled and deadly human. Though even besides that, Hayabusa isn't devoid of weaknesses. One example is his Ninpo, while it has considerable applications, it is still a limited resource. Should Hayabusa eventually exhaust his Ninpo, he loses some of his abilities.
Popup: When using the True Dragon Sword, Hayabusa has achieved planetary level feats, namely his encounters with Vigoor and the Dark Dragons.
Boomstick: He also can't rapid-fire spam his Ninpo, but I doubt he'd want to do it anyway. What's more, although Hayabusa's Ninpo can be used to heal himself if he takes a fatal blow, this process is not automatic, or quick. He has to focus to make sure he doesn’t die. So it's not likely he'd able to Ninpatch himself up before his opponent can deal another fatal blow.
Wiz: Despite these shortcomings, Ryu Hayabusa is still an incredible force of nurture. Having overcome great odds and saving the world multiple times, it's safe to say that Ryu has more than honored the name of Hayabusa. If anything, he's rewritten the book.
Boomstick: And all of this while in his 20s?! Goddamn, I think it's time I got off the couch some more and did stuff.
Wiz: To so many, Ryu Hayabusa is truly the Ultimate Ninja.
Ryu Hayabusa: Nothing can hinder my spirit! Nothing!
Raven[]
Wiz: Not many know the story about this mysterious and ruthless intelligence officer. Aside from the "X" shaped scar on his face, and his codename, Raven. But we do know that he works for the United Nations, and served under his master... named Master Raven. That won't get confusing at all, trust me.
Boomstick: Damn, he looks like Wesley Snipes! That's cool! But how did the UN get their hands on multiple ninjas? Well, these ninjas that worked for the UN were intelligence agents, and it was their job to keep an eye on the two global superpowers, the Mishima Zaibatsu and G Corporation. Since they were on the brink of a worldwide war, Raven was sent in to figure out what was going on.
Wiz: He witnessed an attack on the Zaibatsu's leader, Heihachi Mishima. Understandably convinced that being caught in an explosion was enough to kill him, Raven declared Heihachi a dead man. So when he heard that the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 was starting up, Raven was caught off guard. Having no other options, Raven infiltrated the tournament to figure out what was going on.
Boomstick: Tekken has a lot of different fighters and fighting styles, so Raven did the logical thing and brought his Ninjutsu into the arena. Though his style was more like real-life ninjutsu, unlike the users of Manji style ninjutsu like that Yoshimitsu guy. Manji style is all about flashy moves, teleporting everywhere and stuff like that, but Raven is dedicated to his real-life traditional ninjutsu.
Popup: Raven has been known to perform a series of hand signs. These hand signs are the nine original Taoist syllables. All of them are utilized in Kuji-in practices, in addition to Ninjutsu.
Wiz: Although he's a master of the more traditional ninjutsu, and the eighteen disciplines that comprise it, Raven has adopted some of the more supernatural abilities that you'd expect. He can teleport with ease, create doppelgängers of himself, cover himself in a haze, or even mist and seemingly disappear from sight. And his insight into ninjutsu tactics has enabled him to use these abilities in interesting combinations.
Boomstick: Being able to use both a doppelgänger and teleport to trick enemies is a clever way to get the upper hand against opponents. Though when it comes to actual fighting, Raven focuses on grapples, fast takedowns, and heavy blows to his opponents. Since this stuff worked on the Samurai way back when, that's how you know Raven's the real deal.
Wiz: Leaning on the use of stances, Raven can use them to control a fight, throwing off unsuspecting opponents. Haze can set up all kinds of surprise attacks, teleporting punches and kicks, and even striking from above. Raven can even feign vulnerability to manipulate foes into attacking him, allowing him to trip up opponents. With his technique named "Quicksand", Raven can tap into his inner breakdancer to sweep opponents off their feet.
Boomstick: And who could forget the Tekken staple, the 10 Hit Combo. Using his impressive martial arts skills, teleportation and heavy blows, Raven will leave you on the ground thinking "What the hell even happened?!" Ninjas are so goddamn cool. I wanna do the cool thing where you stand on the outside of a plane while it’s flying! You think I could learn ninjutsu, Wiz?
Popup: Raven received the iconic "x" scar on his face during a battle with long-time rival, Sergei Dragunov. Their rivalry is significant enough the two are considered the Dark Talon of Death and the White Angel of Death respectively.
Wiz: Well, it'd take many years, and you'd have a find a way to be stealthy without people being aware of your shotgun leg. Though speaking of weaponry, Raven wouldn't be a ninja if he didn't have some weapons on hand. Or in his case, across his whole body. The most well-hidden of Raven's inventory is his optical camo, perfect for complimenting his stealth and hiding skills.
Boomstick: Raven was smart to not enter a fight with just his fists because his weapons are some next-level stuff. He's armed with shurikens and his twin kunai. Though these weapons are used primarily in fights that aren't set during a King of Iron Fist Tournament. And for good reason, because these bad boys have some incredible cutting power.
Wiz: Raven has used his weapons to easily slice through and destroy Jack-4s. And that's impressive considering how much Jack units have withstood in the past. Its predecessor, the Jack-3 survived a satellite beam. The destruction it caused yielded 2.779 Megatons of TNT. So imagine how powerful Raven's weaponry has to be to cut through and annihilate the superior Jack-4.
Boomstick: It doesn't even stop there. Raven's weapons were even strong enough to make clean cuts through the massive war robot NANCY! The size and weight of this big thing would suggest it weighs anywhere from fifteen to thirty tons. If that's not even, Raven was the one to actually bring down NANCY once and for all.
Popup: Raven's strength also applies to the effectiveness of his weaponry. In his Tekken 6 Ending, Raven threw a single shuriken hard enough that it cut through multiple stone pillars in a row.
Wiz: Though Raven's mechanical matchups didn't end there. When Jin Kazama regained control of his android servant, Alisa Bosconovitch, Raven teamed up with Lars Alexandersson to defeat her. Eventually, they faced off with Jin and defeated him. And if that's still not enough, Jin's entire motivation for starting a worldwide war was to awaken an entity called Azazel.
Boomstick: When it comes to big bads, you can't get much bigger than Azazel, him coming back at all would bring about the complete extermination of humanity. So you know what happened? Raven and Lars played Tekken Tag Tournament and defeated Azazel, forcing him to resort to his Golden form. Though Jin finally came to his senses and killed Azazel once and for all.
Wiz: Even in his base form, Azazel was incredibly powerful. With the powers of the Devil Gene at his disposal, Azazel can fire the same laser beams that Devil Gene users like Jin and Kazuya use. These laser beams are fast enough to hit a satellite in a fraction of a second. Since Raven was able to dodge these, it would put him at impressive relativistic speeds.
Boomstick: Helping put an end to multiple threats to the planet and setting things back on the right path really cemented Raven as one of the strongest fighters in the King of Iron Fist Tournament, and to think he didn't even need the Devil Gene to compete with the world's best. This ninja stuff sounds like it'll come in handy.
Popup: Prior to the release of Tekken 7: Fated Retribution, Raven's fate was unclear. But with the introduction of Master Raven, it has been suggested that Raven is alive, but currently undergoing training.
Wiz: Though Raven doesn't have any significant weaknesses, it seems that his only shortcoming was a need to be retrained. Following the success of his mission, Raven exited the Tekken spotlight and was replaced by his master... Master Raven.
Boomstick: Master Raven seemingly figured that Raven needed to be retrained since she made short work of Raven's long-time adversary, Sergei Dragunov. But mark my words, Raven will come back someday, and he'll be even more of a badass.
Wiz: Though Raven's future might not seem certain, it's undeniable that Raven more than left an impact on the King of Iron Fist Tournament, though his work from the shadows meant the world would never know the ninja that stepped in when there was few who would dare do the same.
Boomstick: Ninja School, here I come!
Raven: I'll see you in hell.
DEATH BATTLE![]
The world as we know it has many secrets hidden away, so much that only a few know of what the world truly has, and what the most powerful people can accomplish. Though those pledged to stop them have the means to combat them, and hopefully bring the world back into a peaceful balance. To keep things in order and ensure the safety of all, many carefully observed the world and acted only when necessary.
For the United Nations, this was a priority above all. In recent times, unusual sightings and reports indicated that something was awry, and could be dangerous if left unchecked. Knowing the best course of action, one of their most elite intelligence officers was dispatched to investigate and hopefully learn what was going on. One man rode on the outside of a fighter jet, standing sharply on the jet's hull.
This man had no name, only known by his codename: Raven. He was on a mission to look into a mysterious individual, the likes of which the world had never seen before. As the jet zoomed across the seas, he carefully focused his attention on the approaching country ahead. Without a single ounce of hesitation, once the fighter jet passed over the country, he looked for his exact destination. With a single leap, he launched himself from the fighter jet and seemingly flew his way there.
Anyone who might've had the chance to observe this would've thought they were looking at a bird, but he was no bird, but a ninja. With his landing zone in some forest area, Raven touched down and used his teleportation to make his landing softer, once he touched down. He slowly paced forward noticing that the terrain peaked as though he were on the side of a small mountain. As he cautiously approached, Raven's stealth served him well, allowing him to approach the edge.
Peering over, Raven looked to see what looked like a hidden village of sorts. Observing quietly, he noticed a man clad in black emerge from a stone entrance of sorts as if he had exited from a temple. With this part of the mission going accordingly, Raven quickly hid from sight and tapped his communicator on his right ear. "This is Raven, I've located the target. What are my orders?" he requested.
Just a moment or two later, Raven received his orders from the other side. "Eliminate him". Those words not being what Raven expected. "What?! Who is this guy?" Raven understandably responded. Whoever this individual was, orders to eliminate them caught Raven off guard, but he remained focused as he implored for more information. "Ryu Hayabusa, we know incredibly little about him. All we do know is that his full power could be a threat to humanity. Should we sent in backup?".
Looking over his shoulder to get a sense of his environment and any potential enemies besides Ryu Hayabusa, Raven waited to see if anyone else would appear, but it seemed as though Ryu Hayabusa was on his own. Having come to his conclusion, Raven responded to HQ, "I won't be needing assistance". Seeing that things were unfolding within expected conditions, HQ was content with the situation. "Very well, proceed with caution" HQ remarked as they prepared to cut communication. "Understood." Raven responded.
Walking through the temple grounds, Ryu Hayabusa observed his surroundings and noticed a pathway that led to an enclosed room, as he began walking toward it, he felt something unusual pass him by through the winds. Looking toward the sky while in deep thought. "I feel a storm is coming." Ryu Hayabusa pondered in his mind. It might not have been a literal storm, but something was coming.
As if he had predicted it, Ryu Hayabusa heard someone. "Rin! Pyoh! Toh! Sha! Jin! Kai! Retsu! Zai! Zen!" As Ryu Hayabusa heard those words, a kunai appears from nowhere and begins slicing the stone supporting the temple entrance, blocking Ryu Hayabusa's path. The Dragon Ninja carefully watched the trajectory of the kunai as it finally lost momentum and dropped to the ground. Knowing he was under attack, Ryu Hayabusa check his surroundings, though while his back was turned, Raven landed on the ground behind him.
Hearing the presence of a foe, Ryu turned around, where Raven stood. "Who are you?" Ryu Hayabusa asked. Deciding to let the conversation unfold, Raven responded. "I have no name. Some call me Raven, the dark talon of death." Seeing that things had progressed more formally than he had expected, Ryu Hayabusa continued the conversation, hoping things could be defused. "What do you want, Raven?" Ryu Hayabusa inquired. The look on Raven's face was undeterred as he responded.
"My only objective is to eliminate potential threats" Raven affirmed. Sensing that he was the potential threat, Ryu Hayabusa prepared himself to enter his fighting stance, seeing that this confrontation looked less likely to end without conflict. Preparing himself for that inevitability, Ryu Hayabusa attempted diplomacy once more, hoping something good may come of it. "This is your last chance to pull back." Ryu Hayabusa warned, knowing what could come. "It's useless to resist" Raven retorted.
Confident that he wouldn't be able to diffuse the situation, Ryu Hayabusa entered his fighting stance. "Prepare!" Ryu Hayabusa proclaimed. Seeing that a fight was at hand, Raven entered his fighting stance. The two ninjas maintain their positions, but carefully watching the other's movements. For a short while, it seemed as though neither of them was going to make the first move. Although you might not have seen it just by looking, the tension in the temple grounds had soared, and both ninjas were as still as a statue, ready to spring into action.
FIGHT!
(Cue Foot Ninja Elite Guard Theme - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003))
Initiating the battle, Hayabusa rushed toward Raven and leapt off the ground for a lunging kick. Seeing that the attack was easy to anticipate, Raven waited until the attack was just inches from striking him and activated his doppelgänger, at first Raven seemed to be physically flickering in and out of physicality. Meanwhile, the real Raven emerged from above and struck Hayabusa, knocking him to the ground.
Performing a series of backflips, Raven put some distance between himself and Ryu Hayabusa, making sure he wasn't in the way of a surprise counterattack. Taken aback by his foe's great speed, Ryu Hayabusa rose to his feet as though no attack had taken place. Though Ryu Hayabusa remained stoic toward his foe, his mind was carefully considering the options, and just what he would need to do to succeed.
Gazing over to the temple entrance, Ryu Hayabusa noticed the shuriken Raven had thrown just moments earlier. Sprinting toward it, Ryu Hayabusa made his way toward the loose weapon, Raven quickly caught onto what Ryu Hayabusa was attempting to do, and pursued him. Though the distance between them was too great for Raven to catch him in time. Ryu Hayabusa leapt toward the shuriken and grabbed it.
He rolled forward and used that brief moment to ready the shuriken, as the moment he was back upright, Ryu Hayabusa tossed the shuriken toward Raven, who countered by tossing his spare shuriken. The two shurikens were thrown at a precise trajectory that they collided and robbed the other of their momentum, causing the two to drop to the ground, a dangerous projectile no more. The two ran at one another, though neither of them attempted to teleport out of the battle.
Instead Raven and Ryu Hayabusa traded blows. Raven grabbed Ryu Hayabusa, looking to throw him into the air, though Ryu Hayabusa broke Raven's grip on him and used this opportunity to strike, landing a swift kick on Raven's face, knocking him to the ground. Looking to add another attack onto it, Ryu Hayabusa approached Raven whilst he was down, though Raven got back up in time, he had his back turned to his foe.
Seeing it'd be much easier to strike, Ryu Hayabusa swiftly approached Raven, though it was not successful. Acting decisively, Raven turned his body, avoiding Ryu Hayabusa's punch. Having created a perfect window to land a strong takedown blow, Raven struck Ryu Hayabusa with a quick punch from his right arm. He quickly follows up by spinning around a full 360-degree. In doing so, Raven raised his right leg and the momentum of his spin struck Ryu Hayabusa on the head.
Momentarily disorienting the Dragon Ninja, Raven knew this was the time to strike with his best. Once again activating the power of his doppelgänger. Ryu Hayabusa looked to see a second Raven emerging from behind the original Raven. The two Raven acted in tandem, the doppelgänger performing a leaping kick and the real Raven spun around a full 360-degrees once again, though this time turning his kick into a low striking one, hitting Ryu Hayabusa on the legs.
The two Ravens landed their kicks at the same time, launching Hayabusa backward whilst knocking him to the ground. The doppelgänger landed on the ground closer to Ryu Hayabusa before flickering and dispersing from sight. The speed and effectiveness of his opponent's moves all made sense to Ryu Hayabusa, he was battling an experienced ninja just like himself. It did not deter him, however.
Looking to end the fight quickly, Raven grabbed his shuriken and tossed it toward Ryu Hayabusa's neck. Though before it could reach him, Ryu Hayabusa reached out and grabbed the shuriken with his bare hand, and he hadn't even lifted his face off the ground yet. Without having to look, Ryu Hayabusa tossed the projectile back toward Raven, who narrowly avoided Hayabusa's returned projectile by backflipping out of the way. Though during his time in the air, Raven caught his weapon.
Landing on the ground and putting his shuriken back on his person, Raven looked over to see Ryu Hayabusa was standing once again. Impressed by Hayabusa's skill, Raven attempted diplomacy to see if it would diffuse the situation. "You can always come quietly" Raven remarked. Their conflict had demonstrated that Hayabusa possessed incredible skills, and how they could be a threat if they were in the wrong hands.
However, the thought of backing down and ending the fight in such a way did not sit well with Ryu Hayabusa. There was no going back, and Ryu Hayabusa knew it. "You should desist in that idea, my spirit will never yield!" he proclaimed with unrivalled vigour. In truth, Raven had expected this response. "I had a feeling you wouldn't." Raven responded has assumed his stance. Ryu Hayabusa did the same and the two again prepared themselves for whose strike would come out first.
Though Raven wasn't quite done talking just yet, as he could tell Ryu Hayabusa was undaunted by the idea of standing down. "I've also got a feeling you'll regret that decision." Raven remarked as he looked toward Ryu Hayabusa. Seemingly taunting Ryu Hayabusa, Raven knew that if he could provoke his foe into making a mistake, then he could more easily get around his impressive abilities. Similarly, Ryu Hayabusa knew Raven was not simply talking a big game, his skills in ninjutsu and techniques similar to his own were impressive by their own merits.
(Cue Kazakh Theme - Strider (2014))
Their fight was only just beginning. Both of them could feel it in their bones, their senses analyzing every slight movement, movements as slight as they were calculated. Making the first move, Ryu Hayabusa quickly performed a series of hand seals and muttering a chant of some kind. Acting on that initial instinct, Raven tossed both his shurikens toward Ryu Hayabusa, who seemed to remain in his position. Though as the shuriken closed in on him, Ryu Hayabusa vanished. The shuriken instead striking the stone pile that Raven had created.
Hearing the sound of something landing behind him, Raven turned around to see Ryu Hayabusa standing before him. Raven didn't have his shurikens with him, so resorted to his twin kunai stored on his back. Drawing the two weapons, Raven tossed them toward Ryu Hayabusa. Ignorant to the weapons being hurdled directly at him, Ryu Hayabusa flung his hand forward as though he were tossing weapons of his own. Though Raven sharply observed that Ryu Hayabusa wasn't tossing any weapons. The kunai impaled Ryu Hayabusa on the chest.
Seeing the attack succeed, Raven was moments from approaching his foe when felt two sharp slices on his back. He reached behind him and retrieved his shurikens, seeing they had been used against him with great effect. Seeing that Ryu Hayabusa had been harmed, Raven turned, expecting to see a potential ally of his. To his surprise, he saw Ryu Hayabusa. For a moment he was astonished, but looked back over to his victim, and learned that it was a doppelgänger of Ryu Hayabusa, and he momentarily dispersed, leaving the twin kunai on the ground.
Impressed by his foe, Raven decided it was time to meet his foes head-on. Activating his doppelgänger, the two Ravens stood back to back as Ryu Hayabusa activated his doppelgänger. The two doppelgängers charged toward each other as Raven jumped up to a walkway on the cliffside of the mountain. Following him, Ryu Hayabusa leapt into the air and used his teleportation to land in front of Raven. "There is no escape!" Ryu Hayabusa spoke aloud as he barred Raven's path forward.
Seeing that Ryu Hayabusa had no interest in letting the battle end, it only served to pester Raven. "This fight will accomplish nothing unless you come with me" Raven implored to his foe, hoping that words still had sway in this encounter. "You will not have your way. Not while I draw breath!" Ryu Hayabusa retaliated, knowing the many dangers the world have survived and will never know because of him. Though Ryu Hayabusa's lack of compliance was what finally dissuaded Raven from his attempts to escape.
"I guess you just won't listen to reason. I'll just have to beat it into you." Raven uttered as he lept off the side of the rocky footpath. Ryu Hayabusa, astonished by what he had seen, approached and peer over the side of the mountain footpath, only for Raven's doppelgänger to strike him, the kunai cutting across Ryu Hayabusa's torso. Acting purely on his instinct, Ryu Hayabusa reached behind him and retrieved a small bomb. Tossing it toward Raven's doppelgänger, it detonated directly on him. Though the resulting explosion affected the mountain they stood next to.
Ryu Hayabusa looked up to see that the mountain's peak was beginning to rustle and shake. His senses alerted him to the incoming danger. Immediately, Ryu Hayabusa lept from the footpath and began free-falling back down to the temple grounds where Raven was combating the Hayabusa doppelgänger. The small rocks that landed on the temple grounds first alerted Raven to look upward, just in time to see Ryu Hayabusa coming straight for him.
Armed on his wrists were his Falcon's Talons. Seeing the sharp metal blades coming straight for him, Raven lept out of harm's way where he put a fair bit of distance between himself and Ryu Hayabusa. The rocks that had initially fallen like tiny pebbles soon turned into boulders cascading into an avalanche. Raven immediately jumped onto one of the massive boulders elevating him higher into the skies. With a powerful leap, he launched the boulder toward Ryu Hayabusa, who sliced through the boulder with Falcon's Talons.
Knowing he had to chase Raven or be buried by the avalanche, Ryu Hayabusa jumped onto a boulder and began navigating his way up the avalanche. As Raven continued his climb to the mountain's peak, he turned to see how far down Ryu Hayabusa was but saw a projectile headed right for him. Tilting his body out of harm's way, he watched a bow fired from the Fiend's Bane Bow pass right by him. He followed the arrow's trajectory, where it pierced right through another boulder, breaking it into pieces.
Being made to run for his life, Raven continuously leapt his way up the falling debris. Though with each jump, Ryu Hayabusa got closer. Suddenly, the boulder Raven stood on collapsed as he saw another arrow pierce through the ground below him, his quick evasion just narrowly saving his life. Being forced to leap up the mountainside directly, Raven initially thought he couldn't turn back, since the arrows were all making very narrow misses, but then he figured out an idea.
As Ryu Hayabusa ascended to another boulder, he lined up the Fiend's Bane Bow, ready to aim at Raven. But this time, he couldn't locate him. Without warning, Raven struck Ryu Hayabusa from behind, causing him to lose control of his precise shot. With a successful kick, Raven launched his foe off the boulder. Now soaring his way back to the ground, the temple grounds were slowly being buried under the rubble of their battle. During his fall, Ryu Hayabusa tapped into his Ninpo. The very wind itself began to curve and bend to his will.
With a firm and precise blast of his Ninpo, Ryu Hayabusa launched wind blades in the direction of what remaining debris fell from the mountain. Without fail, they sliced through the boulders, leaving Raven with no other choice but to make an astronomical leap to the mountain's peak. Raven came incredibly close to landing on the top, but he landed just meters short. But that wasn't going to stop him.
(Cue I'm My Own Master Now (Spirit of the Wolf Mix) - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance)
As he was moments from colliding with the side of the mountain, Raven thrust his twin kunai into the thick rocky wall he found himself on. He gazed up to see the peak of the mountain just meters from reach. He even saw a falcon passing by him. Determined to reach the top, Raven used his kunai to lift himself up the cliffside, one stab at a time. A minute later, Raven finally reached the top and stood upright. But to his surprise, Ryu Hayabusa was standing on the mountain's peak as well.
"What?!" Raven exclaimed with shock "You fell from the side of the mountain!" His sheer disbelief overpowered his sensibilities. "I told you, Raven, my spirit will never yield. Nothing can hinder it. Nothing!" Ryu Hayabusa proclaimed as he and Raven stood eye to eye, knowing the fight was just about to resume. Readying his twin kunai, Raven entered his stance. Responding in kind, Ryu Hayabusa once again armed himself with Falcon's Talons. The two ninjas, for the last time, carefully watched the other's movements.
Throwing a surprise kunai toward Ryu Hayabusa, Raven charged toward his foe. Evading the projectile with relative ease, Ryu Hayabusa approached Raven and attempted to slash Raven with Falcon's Talons. Without warning, Raven dropped to the ground and spun, with his legs spinning a full 360-degrees. The technique, Quicksand, immediately swept Ryu Hayabusa off his feet and onto the ground.
As if he were breakdancing on the ground, Ryu Hayabusa had to get up without immediately charging back at Raven. Though Raven acted quickly and used his momentum to perform a somersault and strike Ryu Hayabusa, leaving him vulnerable for another attack. Raven struck Ryu Hayabusa with his left elbow, spun himself around 360-degrees striking him with his right elbow, a swift strike with his right hand, into a clenched fist punch, a rising kick to the head, a punch to the gut, a front flip into an overhead kick, a sweeping kick at the legs, and an uppercut punch.
To finish his 10 Hit Combo, Raven activated his teleportation once again. And used gravity to punch Hayabusa from above. The cumulative damage was a massive blow to Ryu Hayabusa, who was truly impressed with Raven's skill. Raven was quick to make another attack, but Hayabusa's doppelgänger emerged and grabbed Raven, attempting to replicate Raven's attempts to grapple him. Though Raven knew his way in a fight and stabbed his kunai into the doppelgänger's side, causing it to disperse. As Raven turned back to face Ryu Hayabusa, he was gone.
Looking around, Raven found Ryu standing with the sun resting behind him. In his right hand was the Dragon Sword. Hayabusa's spirit resonated with the blade, ready to use it at a moment's notice. With both his kunai at his side, Raven activated his teleportation and approached Ryu Hayabusa almost instantly. But Hayabusa had the same idea and teleported above. Allowing him an opportunity to strike. Ryu swung the Dragon Sword, determined to end the battle here and now.
Raven noticed Hayabusa's disappearance and turned to see the Dragon Sword coming straight for him. To guard himself, Raven interlocked his kunai in an "x" shape, using his strength to hold back the blade of the Dragon Sword. With the two just moments from hitting the ground, Hayabusa seemed to be exerting little pressure against Raven. It seemed unusual for Raven until he noticed Ryu Hayabusa drop a bomb at point-blank range.
Knowing the impact was imminent, Ryu Hayabusa used Raven as a platform and lept into the air, which left Raven within the blast radius of the bombs. The explosion again caused the mountain to experience collapsing boulders and debris. Though Raven was able to narrowly survive thanks to teleporting to where the explosion would not kill him. He gazed up to see Ryu Hayabusa in the skies. He held his two hands by his side as energy began to gather in his hands. The energy gathered in just a few seconds, but Raven couldn't muster the strength to teleport away.
With a focused blast of energy and a guttural shout, Ryu Hayabusa unleashed his version of the Torn Sky Blast. The attack followed its trajectory to the mountain's peak, where it impacted the entire surface of the mountain's peak. From the top-down, the integrity of the mountain crumbled until finally, the blast violently tore the mountain to smithereens, debris was sent everywhere and soon there was no mountain to speak of.
There was nothing left of the mountain, all that was left was a highly fortified entrance, likely where the temple grounds had led to. This was something Ryu Hayabusa hadn't expected. But before he could go and inspect the entrance, he had something to take care of. As he soared through the skies headed toward the ground. He saw Raven slowly coming back to consciousness. As Raven stood up on his own two feet, he looked around to see that absolutely nothing remained of the mountain that he had climbed not so long ago.
At that point, Raven noticed the entrance. Deeming it to be of significant value, Raven limped his way toward it. For a moment he thought he heard the sound of a falcon coming by. But without warning, Ryu Hayabusa landed. Instinctively, Raven grabbed his kunai and thrust it behind him with as much force as he could.
Blood began to spill. Raven turned to see his blade had impaled Ryu Hayabusa in the chest. The Dragon Ninja was in pain, but successful. Raven didn't need to look at his body to know the Dragon Sword effortlessly pierced through his body out to the other side. The two ninjas released their weapons from each other. Ryu Hayabusa prying the kunai from his chest whilst Raven dropped to his knees.
"Never did I ever think I'd come across someone like this. The world's mysteries certainly know no bounds." Raven weakly declared as he turned to Ryu Hayabusa, who remained silent. While his life was now fleeting and his consciousness slipping away from him, Raven looked toward that sunset and thought how beautiful it looked, especially here at the end. "I'll see you in hell, Ryu Hayabusa." Raven faintly uttered as his body dropped to the floor.
Refusing to leave Raven like that, Ryu Hayabusa sought to honor his demise. Pulling the Dragon Sword from Raven's body, Ryu Hayabusa picked up and carried Raven on his back, they headed for the fortified entrance, once there, Hayabusa laid Raven by the side as he attempted to unlock the secrets that laid behind that door.
K.O.!
Conclusion[]
(Cue Ninja Gaiden (NES) - Main Theme (Orchestral))
Boomstick: I know these two show up in fighting games, but this is some next level fighting!
Wiz: When looking at Hayabusa and Raven, these two are incredibly talented and skilled Ninja, and since both were masters of ninjutsu, it wasn't likely either of them could gain the upper hand. But these two had so much more to offer than just being really stealthy and tactical fighters.
Boomstick: So the outcome would depend on who's advantages would triumph over the over. Which wasn't easy since Hayabusa and Raven had crucial advantages. When it came to speed, Raven was faster. Dodging Azazel's lasers put him well above Hayabusa's lightning dodge feats.
Popup: Both Hayabusa and Raven were able to defeat beings who threatened the annihilation of humanity, though Hayabusa achieved these victories by himself, while Raven only defeated Alisa, Kazuya, Jin and Azazel with the help of Lars Alexandersson, especially since Lars is a descendant of the Mishima bloodline.
Wiz: Even the fastest of Hayabusa's dodges, which measured in Mach 1015, simply couldn't compete with the speed of a relativistic laser. If it came down to simply their speed, Raven could probably win the fight. But Raven sorely lacked what Hayabusa had in spades; training and experience.
Boomstick: No kidding, Hayabusa was trained from his earliest days and ultimately became the greatest Hayabusa ninja of all time. Those decades of training and experience prepared Hayabusa for a fight like this. Especially his Ninpo, which had so many applications that Raven's teleporting and doppelgängers were pretty basic abilities by comparison.
Wiz: Being able to match Raven's doppelgängers with his own, using elemental ninpo to overpower Raven, or using his teleportation and transformations to throw Raven off guard. And when it came to inventory, The sheer amount of versatility in Hayabusa's weapons put Raven's to shame. Especially Hayabusa's Dragon Sword. Nothing in Raven's arsenal could counter that, and Raven would be helpless if his soul got devoured.
Popup: With his absence from Tekken 7, it is unlikely Raven remains comparable to the likes of Jin and Kazuya, who he battled previously, as Jin and Kazuya have achieved or are comparable to much greater feats. More advanced Jack models have also accomplished greater feats than what Raven can be reliably compared to.
Boomstick: And if Hayabusa did get the True Dragon Sword, than his victory would be guaranteed. Raven would have no options to get rid of it, let alone counter it. We really could keep going, but you get the idea, right?
Wiz: Raven was an incredibly skilled and well-trained opponent, but his speed and clever fighting style just weren't enough to overcome Hayabusa's similar tactics, more powerful abilities, more varied inventory and superior training and experience.
Boomstick: You might say Hayabusa has "Tekken" flight and left the Dark Talon to his Death.
Wiz: The winner is Ryu Hayabusa.
Original Track[]
An Original Track for this fight would be titled "Fly into the Fight".
The title is a reference to the combatants' names being named after birds, and appearing prominently in fighting game series.
Trivia[]
- The connections between Ryu Hayabusa and Raven are that they are video game ninjas whose names are derived from birds (Hayabusa is the Japanese word for a Falcon, typically the Peregrine falcon, and Raven referring to those belonging to the Corvus genus). Both have appeared in fighting games (Dead or Alive and Tekken) and frequently ally with other ninjas (Hayate, Kasumi and Ayane, and Yoshimitsu, Kunimitsu and Master Raven, respectively).
- Raven and the modern version of Ryu Hayabusa both debuted in the mid-2000s.