Match of the Millennium

Description: Psychic Idol vs the Demon of Judo on the streets of Southtown, Athena finds her technique critiqued, her physique appraised, and her patience tested by the eccentric grizzled veteran of battle.

[JUBEI YAMADA]
It is a beautiful spring afternoon in recovering Southtown. The sun is shining, a light refreshing breeze is blowing intermittently in from the coast, and there isn't a werewolf in sight. With every passing day fewer signs of the Southtown incident remain, and today is no exception. After months of renovations to clean up the restaurant and surrounding area, Le Petit Chien is celebrating its grand reopening. And what better way to do that than 15 percent off any single scoop gelato cone, and a one of a kind fighting spectacle between two local heroes.
Having arrived early to beat out the after school rush, one of those legends has disguised himself in a broad floppy hat and a pair of oversized sunglasses, a heavy black trench coat dragging the ground behind him despite the heat. The mysterious stranger has spent the last couple hours shuffling between the outdoor tables, hiding behind potted plants, and propping up newspapers in a vain attempt to conceal the large Polaroid camera clutched in his wrinkled old hands. Two glorious hours of snapping photos of every girl unfortunate enough to cross his sight. Blondes, Redheads, short skirts and yoga pants, the amorous old coot has carefully collected each picture and squirreled it away in an accordion binder hidden beneath his coat, collecting them for his research.
Trailing a forest of dirty looks from cute girls and their very unamused boyfriends, the overdressed photographer is in the process of crawling out from under a large bush when the first of the local teens begin to arrive, reminding him that he is, in fact, here for a reason. To demonstrate the only thing that fills his heart with more passion than a pair of lovely young thighs, the glorious art of Judo!
Popping to his feet with far more grace than his silver hair and beard would suggest, he hurries off into the restaurant proper, vanishing mysteriously into the mens bathroom.
Moments later, Jubei Yamada bursts forth in all his silver-haired glory, team coat flapping as he pauses just outside the lavatory door to plant his hands on his hips. Shifting his body to hide the bulging canvas bag on his back, he offers the room a big, beaming smile full of off-white old man teeth.
"Juuuuubei has arrived!" he announces in a voice not unlike the deep-throated croaking of a frog. "Come, come, all who would witness the might of Judo. Today, just outside this cafe, I will face a challenge even greater than the beasts that roamed our streets. Today, I face..." big grin shifting into something a bit too perverted to be considered a smile, the tiny old man's eyes sparkle as a trickle of blood runs from one corner of his nose. "A pop sensation!"
Leaving half of the room confused and the other half incredibly uncomfortable, the Judo master rushes away from the bathroom he mysteriously arrived from and out the front door, bursting outside into the shining sun. Bounding his way between the tables, he hurries up to the 30 by 30 foot square that has been marked out in the rode by red ropes hanging from poles, weaving his way through the Neo League technicians and camera equipment before ducking inside.
He really doesn't have to duck all that far.
springing upright in one corner of the makeshift arena, the old coot totters a bit beneath the swinging weight of the black bag on his back, arms thrusts up and out in a pose of spectacular challenge. Silver hair fanning out behind him, beard rustling majestically, he poses for the crowd and his opponent.
"Behold, the beautiful and deadly Demon Of Judo!"

COMBATSYS: Jubei Yamada has started a fight here.

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Jubei Yamada     0/-------/-------|

[ATHENA]
Situated on a side street off the main thoroughfares, cordoning off a section of the road out in front of the Le Petit Chien cafe causes only limited disruption to the Spring day traffic. With business recovering, weather warm and inviting, there is a vibrant energy in the air throughout the small market street located within walking distance of some of the city's larger office buildings as well as two of Southtown's world-famous high schools.

Today, the crowd outside is larger than usual, an excited stir among those milling about clearly waiting for something with anticipation. As the Demon of Judo moves toward the roped off area with singular focus, he might easily miss the uniformed Southtown police officers off to the side talking with a couple of the local school girls. One seems to be jotting down notes while one of the girls pantomimes something approximating a wide brimmed around her head and the other keeps holding her hand out, palm toward the ground, as if trying to indicate the height of something. The second officer rolls his eyes and shakes his head as his partner works on jotting down their statements, but before long his attention has shifted to the crowd starting to fill in around the pending Neo League venue.

With all other traffic barred from entering this side street, it's easy to notice the white bus with opaque black windows parked against the curb just a little way further along. A square of cones and a couple of event staffers outside the vehicle keep anyone from getting close enough to hear the last minute exchanges taking place within.

Tugging on a dark purple, fingerless glove on her left to match the one on her right, Athena Asamiya, music idol, leans to the side as a stylist runs a brush through her long, dark violet hair. On the famous sensation's other side, a medium tall, slender man in a black suit with a light blue tie hovers around her, arms folded, a disapproving look on his face.

"...too close to a concert. If you scrape your knees, we can cover that up easily enough, but if you go and get a black eye... are you listening to me?"

Grinning, Athena starts to pull away from the woman brushing her hair, and another girl snapping closed the wide, rose-red ribbon choker around Athena's neck. "It will be all right. Besides, it's not like my fans don't know that I fight as well. They won't question a bruise here or there!"

She winks, holding up her right hand, two fingers raised in a peace sign, then turns to rush out the large side door of the luxury bus.

Athena Asamiya appears within the cordoned off area for the match a second later, seemingly having passed both through the crowd surrounding it and the ropes themselves all without being seen, a swirling helix of sparkling energy falling around her as she twirls on one foot and comes to a stop, right hand already raised in a wave to the crowd. Her outfit is simple while retaining the flavor of an idol. A white snug blouse with rose-red cuffs at the ends of short sleeves is tucked into a similarly light red pleated skirt with a white, lace trim along the hem. A matching red neckerchief around her neck is held in place by a single, violet large bead where the knot should be in the front. Thigh-high dark grey stockings end in ankle-high rose-red boots with white laces.

Beaming, she turns backwards slowly, taking in the gathering. Next to some of her larger venues, and certainly compared to her concerts, the volume of spectators is comparatively paltry. The Neo League doesn't make most of its money on venue ticket sales, after all, but rather broadcast rights, allowing them to be flexible with their filming locations. That, combined with relatively limited pre-announcement of this match, has kept the crowd to a manageable level by the few event staff working the scene.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming out!" she exclaims, voice projecting easily as coming from one experienced with addressing an audience without even the aid of a mic. "I'm so honored to be able to be a part of the recent reopenings of the business on this street as Southtown recovers!"

As she twirls, her long hair, so dark violet as to look almost black anytime she moves beneath she shade of one of the two tries bordering the cordoned area, swishes behind her back. She wears nothing to keep it in check but for a red band just behind her short bangs. A red ribbon with a small golden star adorns one side of the headband, the iconic hairclip being something everyone always expects to see her wearing.

Now and then, Asamiya hops on one foot, other leg bent up slightly, arm bent at her side as she waves to some random person in particular, sharing with them a smile or wink.

"And I'm so thankful for all of you that have come out to help support these shops that have served Southtown faithfully for so many years." She holds her hands together in front of her chest, fingers curled toward each other, making a 'heart' sign accompanied by another brief twinkle of pink energy in the center of it.

Pandering to the crowd over, she turns to find her opponent. She had read the file on him provided by one of her handlers. The Demon of Judo, a real monster in the world of fighting, though perhaps more renown and active in years bygone. It's easy to imagine the type - a towering, muscle bound physique, strong jaw, a solemn, laconic personality that still commands respect- no, wait, this isn't Goro Daimon... What was his name again?

COMBATSYS: Athena has joined the fight here.

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Athena           0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0     Jubei Yamada

[JUBEI YAMADA]
There are a few quiet coughs and shuffles as the closest members of the crowd stare confusedly down at the tiny man who has just made his grandiose entrance. However, it isn't more than half a minute later that Athena appears before them all in a dazzling array of sparkles, and those few onlookers that had deigned to notice him quickly forget he is even there. Surely such a crippling blow to his pride must be answered. He will have his veng--.
"OooOooh."
Staring wide-eyed at the twirling vision of youthful perfection before him, Jubei croaks out a groan of spellbound infatuation just as real as any of her fans. Mouth agape, he watches her bounce and wave, effortlessly controlling the crowd while his mustache flutters in and out of his wide open mouth.
There is a beat.
'Click.'
'Schshzuunk.'
When the shining idol finally does turn to face him, eyes lifted in expectation of a tall, powerful mass of muscular dignity, she finds nothing but open air. A foot lower and there is nothing, then still nothing...
Only once her violet gaze has fallen well below eye level does she spot the Demon Of Judo, magician of throws, master of momentum. For one,
'Click.'
'Schshzuunk.'
Bearded face half hidden by the bulky old camera clutched in his hands, Jubei aims a beaming smile up at the young girl from where he crouches, lens focused directly on the fronts of her thighs. Slowly, a glossy photo slithers out of the camera and into his waiting hand, before joining the rear shot he took in the open folder clutched between his bent knees.
It remains a mystery where an upstanding citizen like Jubei could have found such a camera, but both it and the folder vanish into the bag on his back as he springs energetically to his feet. This, does not help his overall height very much, but it does give his lustrous silver hair a chance to billow dramatically out behind him in a fashion not unlike Athena's.
"Aah. Athena Asamiya!" the old man exclaims, his excited croak sounding a lot like a dump truck disgorging a particularly cheerful pile of construction debris. "I am Jubei Yamada, the Demon Of Judo, and...I simply must have you as a student!"
Bouncing forward toward her with surprising speed for such a wizened figure, he bows twice in mid step, nearly toppling over beneath the jostling weight of his bag. Lunging forward, he makes to snatch up one of her hands in both of his, skin leathery and rough from decades of throwing around fools four times his size.
"Your height! Your complexion! Your FIGURE! A body as beautiful as yours would be the perfect home for a Yamada uniform. In fact..."
Releasing her hand, the rambunctious oldster darts forward, hands snapping out like angry snakes to pat up her sides from hips to ribs, rough old voice grumbling to himself all the while. Then, unless she can stop him, he will drop his right hand to her left elbow and give it a sharp tug, left palm shoving her other shoulder to help spin her dizzyingly about.
"Yes, perfect, yes..." he mutters to himself, eyeing the backs of her shoulders and hips while his hands pat down her outer thighs, eventually hooking one of her ankles and attempting to drag her foot up and back so he can measure her shoe size with the other hand.

COMBATSYS: Athena blocks Jubei Yamada's Quick Throw.

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Athena           0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0     Jubei Yamada

[ATHENA]
Asamiya twirls to scan across the cordoned off section of the street, hands out to her sides, fingers splayed, feet smacking down against the pavement as she comes to rest, her swirling violet hair falling into place against her back a second later. She had heard something right behind her as she stepped into the quick turn, which is why it's something of a surprise when there's no one in sight.

A slightly puzzled look crosses her youthful features as she starts to look down in a quick sweep of her environment, trying to make sense of the unseen presence. "Wha-"

Violet eyes come to rest on the crouching figure as the shutter clicks a second time, capturing a forbidden image in the process. Realization is answered with a sharp intake of breath as Athena staggers back a step, both of her hands moving on reflex down to press the front of her skirt between her legs as she leans forward slightly and takes a couple more steps back. Cheeks blush red as the girl begins to look back and forth quickly, her frantic search for an explanation clearly indicating she's wondering why staff hasn't done something to get this old geezer out of the area! "Excu-"

And that's when the old man springs to his feet and introduces himself as the one and only Demon of Judo, Jubei Yamada! The idea of an elderly master of a chosen martial art is hardly strange to the Kung Fu pop star. Her own shifu was easily dismissed as a harmless, old, shriveled drunk if one only paid attention to the surface level. But she had benefited from the old man's guidance for years now as he trained her and Kensou in how to hone their Psycho Powers and devote such strength to a force for good.

But to have this upskirt photographing creep be a master martial artist is something she simply can't wrap her mind around in the scant few seconds she's given to consider her bewildering circumstances!

"Y-you're Master Yama-" Athena stammers.

Outside of the ring, one of the girls near the two bored cops starts pointing emphatically toward the Neo League venue.

Inside the ring, Athena is in no position to defend herself from the suddenly advancing judo master, standing flat footed rather than in a ready stance, her hands still folding her skirt between her legs. Were he watching, Master Gentsai would be entirely disappointed to see his student caught so unprepared by a direct attack. And what would Takahashi-sensei think at being so flat-footed??

Jubei gets Athena's right hand in his hands as her outburst is cut off by the instant proximity. How did he move so fast?!

Looking down at him as he holds her hand, she gives no immediate fight. Mind still playing catchup. The speed at which he got close enough to snatch her hand helps her fill in the gaps for why she hadn't sensed him behind her though. Just like it was easy to dismiss Chin Gentsai as an invalid old man, it would be a mistake to assume that this grappling legend wasn't equally dangerous and capable of suppressing his presence if he wanted to avoid being detected.

"But I already have-" she tries to get a word in edge-wise. Had this match already started? In all her fighting career, Asamiya had never had a bout get rolling quite like this! Where were the formal greetings, the bows, the friendly fist bumps, and all other pleasantries one expected in polite combat?

Instead, as she raises her arms, ready to try and push him away, the girl finds herself being patted on the sides. "I must ins-" she tries to apply a shove when he grabs her extending arm, using it against her in deft applications of minimal but decisive physical force in spinning the girl around, feet moving quickly to keep from being twirled to the ground as a result.

Gritting her teeth as the invasive uniform-fitting inspection continues, Athena clenches her hands into fists, "I'm not your student!"

In the next moment, her left stocking-covered leg is pulled out behind her, leaving her to flail her arms and shift her right foot to keep her balance, eventually resorting to hopping desperately on her one planted foot.

"That's enough!" An explosion of vibrant, pink dangerous energy erupts up around the girl, her form shimmering into a translucent blur before outright vanishing. A second explosion of that energy appears on the opposite side of the cordoned area as Athena twirls back into existence as far away from the Demon of Judo as she can get. Immediately, the young Kung Fu artist enters a ready stance, extending her left hand, palm forward, her right arm held up at shoulder level, bent at the elbow and primed at her side for striking.

She was definitely caught off balance at the start of this match, but now that she's had a second, she's recovered, tapping into the fount of psionic energy within and letting down her psychic walls enough to pull in the excitement and energy of the audience crowded around the area.

"Master Yamada, I'm ready for you now. I'll show you what I can do!"

COMBATSYS: Jubei Yamada blocks Athena's TELEPOOOOOOOOTAH!.

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Athena           0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0     Jubei Yamada

[JUBEI YAMADA]
"Oooooo, OOOaaaah, UUuuhuhuhu..."
With every poke, prod, and squeeze the wizened master grunts and chortles to himself, brown eyes rolling with pervy delight. Having caught her, there's no way he'll ever let her go. All he has to do is charm her aboard the Jubei train and he'll be home free. Weeks, months, even years of hands on lessons with the greatest pop sensation on the planet! But what, WHAT could he possibly say to woo such a beautiful young thing? Certainly it will take every bit of his legendary Yamada char--.
"What beautifully delicate feet!" he cries, cradling her ankle in one hand and foot in the other. "So dainty! A perfect handful!"
Is, that something people say about feet?
It is now.
Mouth opening to deliver another totally killer complement, the old master gets that tingly feeling all down his spine that usually lets him know when mall security has been called. A sixth sense honed from decades of battle on and off the mat.
"HuuUAGH?!"
Brows lifting in a question, he has just began to grunt, hands lifting away from Athena's ankle, when her sparkling power swirls out to meet him. Grunt transforming into an alarmed croak, he flashes his hands up and out, palms coming together in a sharp, chest-height clap.
'Crack!'
Hair and loose uniform rippling out behind him, the old man stares wide-eyed into the sparkling blast of power as it disperses harmlessly around him, hair and loose judo rustling softly in a phantom wind.
"Ehh?"
Whether it be through the power of ancient judo secrets, or some trick of old man magic reality can't explain, the judo has managed to escape being teleblasted almost entirely unscathed.
Almost.
"Ooo, Aaah aah aah ah ah!"
Hands flapping wildly about, he attempts to work the burning, tingling pain out of his palms, every nerve feeling as if its waking up in a bad mood. Hopping about, he spins around to face the violet-eyed starlet and offers her his widest, most charming grin. Bringing both stinging hands up to his heart, he closes his eyes and tips his head back, serene.
"She's ready for me..." he groans, "I promise, I Swear to all the spirits that I will be gentle."
One eye creeks open, glitters, then winks.
"In this demonstration of the might of Judo! I will teach you what it is to learn under the firm, experienced hands of Jubei Yamada!"
That said, and most of the lingering pain gone, he sweeps his hands out before him, bends his knees, and begins to...walk toward her? Sliding his feet forward with a swordsman's balanced grace, he zips toward her with surprising speed, zig-zagging along in a fast-paced zombie shuffle that seriously couldn't be a real thing in Judo. But whether it is or not he's a surprisingly spry shuffler, closing the distance in mere moments.
That speed is amplified in the last 9 or so feet, the little man zooming across the distance with a deep, growling 'HUUUUUAGH!' of sudden effort. Arms going wide, he dives in like a swooping hawk, attempting to snag her in outstretched arms and gather her in toward his center, bearded face mashing against her slim middle as he scoops her up and spins, launching her up and over his left bicep in a quick, perfectly executed throw that will hopefully plant her firmly against the pavement a short 5 feet behind him.

COMBATSYS: Jubei Yamada successfully hits Athena with Tawara Nage.
Grazing Hit

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Athena           0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0     Jubei Yamada

[ATHENA]
Thus far, she had found he can advance on her far faster than his aged appearance would suggest. He was able to sneak up on her without her awareness. Even out of combat, when she tried to keep her mind walled off from the world around her, filtering out the stray thought, the random mental noise broadcast loudly by those who knew no different, she was still not someone easily ambushed. Normally she would have sensed any intent to hide oneself from her, but she had no idea he was there until she set eyes on him! And finally, she knows now that he is not immediately bowled over by her psionic energy like many of her opponents have been.

As she stands facing him, in a ready position, bouncing lightly on her feet, Athena's purple irises focus on old man Yamada. Chin Gentsai may stagger around like a harmless drunk, but she knew full well from the years of Kung Fu training he had given her that he was capable of surprising anyone who didn't take him seriously. As she focuses on the aged Judo master, she can't help but realize there may be more similarities than differences with the two old timers. Of course, shifu Gentsai never patted her down for a uniform fitting!!

"I think I've already learned all I need with regards to that," Asamiya replies, trying to keep any edge out of her voice after the flustering start to the bout. She can't lose her temper. Not only is it bad for her image, it's bad for her focus! And if there's one thing she needs to keep her fount of power directed the way she needs it to be, it's a focused, calm mind.

She's wary now. She's seen the speed with which he can move. She won't be surprised by that again. Muscles tense, stocking covered legs bracing as his threatening shuffle accelerates to bullet-like speed. But if there is one thing Athena is confident in, it's her ability to match speed with some of the fastest fighters in the world. She won't be beat by some octogenarian!

Jubei goes flying, seeming to throw caution to the wind as he leaps, arms spread, seeking to catch his slender opponent up in his arms. Athena reacts almost before his feet leave the ground, as if the pure, unfiltered desire fueling his leap is a siren easy for his target to hear.

But for her effort, the Demon of Judo's arms snatch Asamiya in a tight hold, his low center of mass allowing his wiry old strength to heft her up easily, the middle of her white blouse pressed against his face as Athena pulls her right arm up and back, bent at the elbow, power beginning to surge along her limb. The threat is immediate and obvious - while he might be motivated to extend the 'hug' for longer than some portion of the audience would feel is appropriate, doing so would leave him vulnerable to a point blank strike from the girl.

Perhaps it was wisdom then to heave the little fire cracker away, turning and sending her flying into a small arc.

This too ends up being a test for the agile fighter as Athena recovers from the brief flight with ease. Still fresh in the fight, she twists swiftly, flipping herself around to land sliding on her feet rather than crashing flat against her back, a trail of vibrant rose-hued energy lingering behind the sweep of her right arm before scattering into dozens of tiny twinkling motes that vanish as they fall. Long, dark violet tresses swish about her shoulders as the young performer twirls to a stop, a soft exhale breathed out as her hands snap back to defensive readiness.

"Master Yamada, I am honored you are so eager to teach me about your art..." Must stay respectful, she reminds herself. Maybe he's just addled by age... "But I already have two teachers as it is!" She bends her legs, feet planted, "I'll show you some of what they taught me!"

And then she leaps back at Jubei. If he was worried his opponent was going to try and run circles around the cordoned area while he had to keep chasing her down, such thoughts might be put at ease for a brief moment before the girl flips forward, tucking herself into a ball, and dropping at a sharp angle right back down at him!

As she plunges, her body becomes wrathed in a vibrant display of that same Psycho Power she used before teleporting.

"Phoenix...!"

If she crashes against him enough to drive him back off balance, she'll twist herself into a controlled landing, crouched slide. Planting her left hand against the ground, the fingerless glove covering her palm protecting her from most of the wear of the pavement, she kicks both feet out, toward Jubei's stomach then. Only her right leg fully extends, aiming to drive her foot into him!

"Arrow!"

COMBATSYS: Jubei Yamada fails to counter Phoenix Arrow from Athena with Ippon Seoi Nage.
- Power fail! -

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Athena           0/-------/=======|>>>>>>-\-------\0     Jubei Yamada

[JUBEI YAMADA]
When fighting someone with as much raw potential as young Asamiya, the threat of annihilation is never far from hand. Perhaps that is why the old perve does not linger in his throw. Or maybe he's just excited to show her what he is capable of. Whatever the case, the tiny old man flings her away over his shoulder and pivots to follow her with his eyes, bearded face breaking out into a broad grin as she turns the tumble into a graceful flip to her feet.
"So nimble!" he praises, calloused old hands coming together in a quick series of claps. "A natural talent. But it will take more than showy stage acrobatics to defeat the might of Judo."
Mirroring the dark-haired girl's return to stance, he flings his arms up and half crouches, silver hair gleaming in the sunlight as he prepares to receive her. Unfortunately for him, this mostly just serves to make him appear even smaller, like a tiny old zombie making ineffective grabby hands at the air.
And then she has the gall to bring up other masters, again. With him standing before her in the fullness of his majesty. He, Lady Slayer Jubei, Demon Of Throwing.
"HMPH." he grunts, watching as she gathers herself before leaping forward into a swiftly encroaching ball of supple teenage girl and sparkly rose-hued doom.
"Yes! Come and I will show you the error of inferior techniques!"
Chest swelling with pride, he holds his ground, bare feet braced and hands swinging up to meet her...
"UUooWAAAAAAAAAH!"
What he had intended to be a swav grasp of hands to sweep the glowing ball of girl out of the air turns instead into a flailing retreat, her momentum carrying her through his reaching hands and crashing into his chest with a solid impact. Arms flung wide, he windmills wildly, backpedaling in a desperate bid to keep his heavy pack from dragging him down to the ground. And yet...
Looking up from her crouched position, Athena can see the moment his balance returns. From one step to the next he goes from near falling to solid on his feet, a dark shadow seeming to fall across the sockets of his eyes. Face hardening, he locks eyes with her across the distance, a low growl of a grunt escaping his chest as his retreat turns into a blurringly fast advance, hands flashing down toward her oncoming calf.
And that's when his hidden gaze falls on the bare skin of her thighs, skirt sliding up away from the tops of her stockings with the swinging motion of the kick.
The darkness falls away.
Old hands divert away from the foot, body twisting in a too-late attempt to weave around her foot and get gnarled old fingers onto the pale expanses of skin.
THUD!
"GHLRK!"
The teen idol's foot impacts the perve's gut with enough force to turn his growl into a sputtering gag, lifting him clean off his feet and hurling him backward to bounce and skip across the pavement. Passing beneath the roped-off area of the ring, he impacts the wheel of a nearby camera truck, causing the vehicle to rock gently as he lies crumpled against the hubcap.
"...?"
Woozy and clearly a bit out of it, the silver-haired master unfolds to his feet,, stumbling first one way, then the other before staggering back beneath the rope with a wild shake of his head. Hair now sticking out in all direction, silver beard smeared with grit, he focuses his brown eyes on Athena and grins, gaze beginning to sparkle with something more than inappropriate lust.
"What a kick!"

[ATHENA]
WIth the combination of momentum from her aerial plunge from above and the force generated by throwing her whole body into the leg thrust, the final strike of the Phoenix Arrow represents the singularly hardest physical strike Athena Asamiya is capable of. The glow of her psionic aura has already vanished by the point of impact that sends the old geezer tumbling back toward the camera truck, but the air still crackles with lingering energy from the combination attack.

Her kick delivered, Athena's legs pull back to get her feet positioned beneath her as her body drops from the sidelong handstand into a crouch. From there, she rises to standing, transitioning fluidly from one position to the next, demonstrating the honed refinement of an attack that has been practiced countless times in her own training.

Violet eyes follow Jubei's tumble, widening slightly as his own momentum sets the camera truck to rocking. Both hands raise up toward her open mouth, fingers lightly crossing. Did she overdo it? Did she misread this man's confusing presence? Did she overreact due to the flustering initial encounter with the Demon of Judo and strike out harder than she should have?

Initial alarm passes swiftly, however, as the pint-sized menace to decency gets back to his feet quickly enough to stagger back toward the arena. Lowering her hands, the look of concern shifts into a wary study of Master Yamada's return to the cordoned area. She had seen the way his focus shifted in the frantic milliseconds of their exchange.

One instant, she sensed impending disaster for herself, that flash of knowledge that he had her dead to rights. And then... well, it seems like he got distracted. But with regards to his durability, there could be no doubt that he was made of enough tough gristle and leather that she didn't need to overly fret about utilizing her own strengths. Anyone who wills himself back into the ring after taking a tumble like that is made of tough enough stuff to be taken seriously.

"I have faced enough fighting styles around the world to learn that no one style can claim to reign supreme." the girl replies as she slips back into her ready stance, left hand forward, right arm drawn back, bent at the elbow at shoulder height, bouncing slowly and rhythmically on her feet. Memories of the wide range of styles she faced at the harrowing but exhilarating World Warrior tournament flash through her mind. It wasn't the styles those titans brought to the fight, but their strength, their skill, and their iron will that was put to the test...

"I'll show you more of mine!"

Once again, Asamiya demonstrates that she isn't about to spend the entire match trying to keep away from the gray-haired terror but rather chose to challenge him directly as she dashes forward, pivoting to the left a few steps away, and then braces her left arm with her right and slams her left shoulder directly for Jubei's chest. If she manages to get in close enough with the lunging blow, she'll pivot to the left with her next step, right hand snapping out in an open palmed strike right for his solar plexus, seemingly falling back on the Kung Fu Chin Gentsai has been teaching the girl for a few years now!

"HAH!"

COMBATSYS: Jubei Yamada blocks Athena's Fierce Punch.

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Athena           0/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\-------\0     Jubei Yamada

[JUBEI YAMADA]
"Yes, yes!" Jubei croaks, brown eyes nearly disappearing behind his wrinkled cheeks as his grin grows to eclipse the rest of his face. "If you show me yours, then I will show you mine!"
Every spectator gathered around their makeshift arena winces at that one, faces turning away in second hand shame. Surely this can't be legal. It certainly isn't following the divide by half and add 7 rule. Or is it 8? Either way. It could be divide his by half and multiply hers by three and she still probably wouldn't be old enough.
Behold, the glory of math!
Bracing his feet against the sun-warmed blacktop, the tiny terror lifts his arms, baggy sleeves dangling, and makes grabby hands at the onrushing teen. It is hard to say whether it is fortunate or unfortunate that she continues running at him regardless, her lithe form twisting to present a slender shoulder just before impact.
"HHHWAAH!"
Breath escaping the wizened Judoka in a whooping yell, he catches the incoming attack on his palms and twists, guiding her around his body and bleeding off the majority of her momentum as they nimbly switch places. That done, he tightens his right hand grip, balling up the shoulder of her shirt as he steps into the exploding palm strike, narrow yet surprisingly muscular chest nearly bumping hers as he bends his knees to body block the aborted palm against his sternum before it can gain too much power.
"You have learned the basics well." he comments, gazing up into her violet eyes. His face is so close that she can feel his breath through the front of her shirt, hot and calm despite her displays of power. "But you rely too much on your power. It is both gift, and crutch."
One dark eye winks, the words spoken quickly, matter of factly, as his smile fades away. And then, out of the blue, it's back.
Left hand snapping up from below, he tries his best to grab her full on by the chest, to take a hand full of teenage boobie and grope it with the raw, unfiltered delight of a pre-teen who has just discovered the female form.
"They've certainly fed you well, too." he comments, cackling like the wild-haired old lunatic he is. Sweeping his left foot up to brace against her belly, he levers The weight of his pack to drag himself over backward, harnessing their combined mass to propel them down toward the ground. Kicking out at the last minute, he aims to flip her up and over his head in a classic Judo throw, leaving himself to crash heavily to Earth atop his sack of treasures.

COMBATSYS: Athena interrupts Tomoe Nage EX from Jubei Yamada with Psycho Sword EX.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Athena           1/----===/=======|=======\=====--\1     Jubei Yamada

[ATHENA]
Even mid-charge, there's time to grimace at the old man shouting something she'd expect to hear from an immature kid. But it doesn't delay her in the slightest, the idol fighter pivoting into her shoulder slam, aiming to show him a touch of the forceful Kung Fu core of her training as well.

She's no stranger to facing opponents smaller than herself. Even though Master Gentsai was technically taller than her, the octogenarian stood with such a stooped over posture, to spar against him was to learn to swing for someone shorter than herself. The nice thing about a shoulder slam, however, is that it doesn't require much finesse or accuracy, to deliver its striking power. It works just as well against opponents that tower over her as it does tiny old men.

Youthful, toned legs tense then straighten, sending her tightened shoulder toward her opponent, potentially threatening to catch him in the face should his guard be insufficient. Torso and hip strength combine to dish out what could have been a simple yet staggering blow, leaving the old man open to the more focused palm strike immediately after.

But he moves fluidly around the attack, his hands guiding the teenager past him, her shoulder barely connecting with anything more than his hands briefly. She doesn't notice the grip on her shoulder tightening, white fabric balled up beneath gnarled old fingers, tugging at it enough to pull the bottom of the blouse out of the skirt band around her waist, exposing a bit of slender midriff on the same side in the process.

Instead she pivots neatly on her feet, not seeming to miss a step or be caught even slightly off balance as she sticks with the follow through with every bit as much commitment as the young prodigy gave to her shoulder slam.

But the palm strike has no teeth, blunted as it is by Jubei pulling in close, resulting in her delivering little more than a weak slap to his chest instead of the potentially bone rattling blow she had intended.

There is a faint gasp of surprise as she finds herself face to face with the Demon of Judo, clearly not having anticipated him steeling the thunder out of her strikes so effectively. Her eyes meet his as they are locked close together briefly. The smell about her is sweet perfume, hints of vanilla and orange blossom mingled with a touch of cotton candy. This close, he can see that her complexion is flawless, light makeup providing a faint blush to her cheeks and very slight violet emphasis above her eyes. Her lips are parted, mouth open in a state of some surprise. Flat footed for an instant, he would know without a doubt it won't last longer than that.

In that instant, the wizened relic issues his assessment of her technique. Her basics are solid. She has been no slouch in her training. But she hasn't pushed herself hard enough there either. And why would she - he can see the problem, her reliance on that deep fount of energy she's tapped into already.

Wide, violet eyes blink. How often has Master Gentsai chided her in the same manner? Albeit in far less... intimately close circumstances. She wants to deny it, answering in the way any youth seems to possess an overwhelming reflex to contradict anything someone older tells them. She'll show him. She'll use another one of her Kung Fu strikes to-

That thought train goes careening right off the tracks into a flaming twenty car wreck as she feels the old man's hand clamp down on her chest. The idol fighter's figure was not one most would describe as remarkably voluptuous, but Jubei's groping fingers would find ample supple breast beneath her shirt to get his hand on with his successful grab.

The response comes instantly, born of a reflex even stronger than youthful rebellion. Cheeks blush far red than her makeup suggests. Her knees bend slightly, perhaps giving the incorrect impression that the girl is about to try and pull away. Her right arm lowers, a flash of rose-hued energy already coursing along the limb.

Normally she would belt out the name of the attack - Psycho Sword - a crowd favorite, to be certain, likely in no small part due to the way that she takes to the air with the rising strike and then floats back down rather than free falling back to her feet, in a graceful, gravity defying spectacle, skirt swirling around her thighs...

But there is no performance to this strike, no showboating, as her legs straighten, her right arm swinging up, hand extended, fingers sticking out as if forming a blade. It's that power of hers that is the danger, however, a thin, slicing like projection of energy that slashes clean up the center of the wrinkled codger. It severs no flesh, draws no blood, but feels as if it delivers a cut keener than any steel.

Athena launches upward, right arm raising up above her, a thin line of Psycho Power trailing behind her hand, the attack accompanied by a cry mixing both alarm and disgust in the same sound.

The momentum takes Asamiya into a slow spin near the apex of her ascent before she begins to drive back down to the warm pavement below.

[JUBEI YAMADA]
Everything was going exactly to plan. With the young idol caught and well in hand (teehee), all he had to do was execute the throw and drive home his point. It was perfect! A lesson and invitation all in one. A glorious bit of flirting from the devastatingly handsome Demon Of Throwing!
Jubei has already begun the backwards tumble when he notices her cheeks flushing a delightful shade of red. Taking this for the sign of smitten reluctance a proper young Japanese girl should show in the presence of her strong, knowledgeable Sensei. Even the bending of the knees is a good sign. Her reflexes are excellent, she just needs that extra touch of tra--
"GGHUUAHH!"
EVERYTHING IS BAD.
The rose-hued blade tears a path up his torso even as the girl tears free of his grip, launching herself skyward in a brilliant display of power and rejection. Left with nothing but a waft of sweet perfume and a bone-deep feeling of total evisceration, the silver-haired lune slowly topples backward, crashing atop his sack of treasures with arms and legs splayed wildly. This is it. His death. Betrayed by the one he loves...
Dark eyes blink up toward the sky as he lies there like a dead beetle, watching the hovering descent of the avenging angel that did this to him. There is a beat, then another, and finally he moves a hand to his middle, finding his Judogi to be perfectly in tact, the flesh beneath it whole.
A croak of relief escapes the old man, ruffling his mustache and causing his whole face to relax. On one hand, he would have died doing the two things he loved most. But on the other? There is still so much to be done!
A little rock back and forth builds enough momentum that he can spring to his feet, heavy bag dragging him into a stumble as he wheels about to face his still falling opponent. The actual time of his recovery having taken only moments, he bends his knees, narrows his eyes, and raises his arms overhead, a shadow falling across his face.
"As I said," he announces, apparently having completely recovered from his 'near death' experience, "Even your gut reactions are Power."
Was he just testing her? Probably not, that was a pretty good groping...
Launching himself forward, the demon of Judo closes the distance to Athena in a flash, giving a little hop that gets him just enough height to collide with her before she has fully touched down. Arms snapping shut like a bear trap, he attempts to drag her out of the sky and touch down with her already over his shoulder, arms circled tightly around her hips. Then, with a whirling turn that leverages every muscle in his wiry body, he attempts to sweep her around and down to crash shoulders-first into the street, releasing her and thrusting his arms to the sky as he gazes around at his adoring publ--
Why is everyone glaring at him?

COMBATSYS: Jubei Yamada successfully hits Athena with Nihon Seoi Dash EX.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Athena           1/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\======-\1     Jubei Yamada

[ATHENA]
Asamiya's slow descent from her rising strike is clearly not necessary. She can drop from the sky and land on her own two feet at full speed just fine, which begs the question as to the reasons behind a fall too slow to be anything other than some form of levitation technique. Perhaps it's all for show, her arms extended out to her sides slightly, head bowed, dark violet hair rippling in the air behind her, like an angel descending down to earth. Or maybe it's to keep her skirt from falling prey to the mischievous whims of gravity and air resistance, falling just slow enough to keep it from rising up one inch further than she would have it.

Either way, the idol's return to the warm pavement below is cut abruptly short by the flying tackle. Eyes go wide as she realizes his intent a moment too late. So fast was his transition from flailing turtle to charging wrecking ball, there wasn't even time to simply let herself fall the rest of the way.

Instead she's yanked from the air entirely, seized by the grabby old man.

A gasp escapes her lungs when he lands with her held with her stomach against his shoulder.

"H-hey!"

She tries kicking her legs in a desperate attempt to make her far too much trouble to hold any longer, before reaching backward with her right hand to hold down the back of her rose pink skirt.

"Put me-"

She needn't really ask, as the next moment the world spins once and then a painful thud of her shoulders striking pavement brings a pain full end to her time in the Judo Master's arms. Sliding a couple inches before coming to a stop, Athena's face is twisted in pain as she responds immediately by sitting up, pulling one leg beneath her to kick back up to her feet. The back of her white sailor blouse is scraped with little gouges from the rough landing, and she has no doubt there will be a bruise there between her shoulders, but she's more than certain enough about continuing on.

There's no way she's stopping without teaching this old man a lesson!

"Everyone always tells me that!" she exclaims back, her cheeks still red from before, her tone heated. "That I don't focus enough on fighting the way they do. With their strikes and kicks and holds."

She stands with a charged stance, fists clenched, arms raised out at her sides if she's ready to punch anything that gets within her reach. Leg's bent, feet a little bit apart, body leaning forward slightly, she certainly doesn't seem to have fallen back to her normal Kung Fu influenced ready stance, but that doesn't mean she's not raring to fight.

"Maybe so. But that doesn't make my own style wrong! I know how to use what I have!"

He'd sense it then, the tensing. There will be no holding back now. She'll be coming for him, using every bit of her power to prove herself.

"I'll show you!"

And with that, she bursts forward, advancing on him with speed entirely unlike the earlier shoulder charge. Instead, the teenager closes to swing her left hand in an open palmed strike for his cheek before turning to sweep her right leg out for a snap kick to his chest, followed by a lunging knee with her left leg into a twin palm strike to the chest with both hands. The attacks continue, delivering eight strikes in under two seconds, finishing with a shoulder slam like before.

But that all seems to be just a prelude to the real attack. While her strikes have some sting to them, compared to the Psycho Sword he experienced moments ago, they barely sting.

But then the girl winds up, pulling her arms in tight, before stepping into a spin to the left, both arms swinging as if she was holding a sword and intent on cutting the old man in half at the waist. But instead of the glint of steel, the spark of another surging swath of that psychic power of hers follows in the wake of her swing, threatening to deliver a similarly unpleasant experience as last time if he can't avoid it!

Coming out of the spin, Athena would inhale, closing her eyes for a moment, drawing the energy back into herself with a soft exhale. She needed to get her temper back under control. However weird this man was, he wasn't evil. She shouldn't use her powers angrily!

COMBATSYS: Jubei Yamada counters Psychic 9 EX from Athena with Neko Jarashi.

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Athena           1/-<<<<<</<<<<<<<|====---\-------\0     Jubei Yamada

[JUBEI YAMADA]
caught completely off guard by the sight of so many young faces wishing bloody death upon him, it is a slightly distracted Jubei who responds to Athena's accusation, one bushy silver eyebrow raising as he turns back to face her. The girl is already back on her feet, flushed with passion, and staring at him with the sort of furious conviction he can't help but find stirring.
"Ooh?" he croaks curiously, arms lowering so that his hands hang loose and open before his middle, arms bent and shoulders relaxed. The comment about knowing how to use what she has causes his other eyebrow to join the first, dark eyes gleaming with just the right amount of old man lust to keep her engine fired up.
"Well then." he grunts, rough voice pleasantly inviting, "Show me."
Boy will she.
As the young prodigy comes rocketing forward fueled by vengeance and wounded pride, the old man smiles just a touch wider, that shadow of intent darkening the shadows around his eyes in dramatic fashion. A single step back clears him of the slap, fingers whistling past his nose even as he goes low, left hand flashing up to clip her under the ankle and nudge the kick a bit higher than she probably intended. Having enough time for the quickest of peeks, he is forced to spring backward to avoid the knee that comes streaking in toward his face, remaining low and ready for what comes next...
The double palm strike is launched, but rather than chest the slender girl's hands find only empty air. Having vanished beneath the blow like a pervy little ghost, the Demon Of Throwing reaches up and catches her wrists in both of his hands, jerking her forward and twisting his shoulder to slam hard into her pelvis as he drags her over his back, arms yanked in under his body to start her rolling forward.
One spectacular leap and they are flipping through the air, her tumbling in a dizzying series of front flips while the old man remains curled against her belly, rolling end over end as they plummet toward the ground. When they strike it is with her on the bottom, already bruised back smashing into the cement with her aging opponent on top of her, having somehow turned himself about so his knee can drive down into her stomach, body bent forward to pin her hands against the ground over her head.
"You misunderstand." he grumbles, brown eyes gazing down out of a halo of hanging silver hair. They are not alight with lust, or hardened by intent. Simply alive and twinkling with the joy of an old man doing what he loves. "Any master who sees you will have the same thought. Her power, that is a personal journey. But imagine what she could become if her body were made to match!"
Releasing her hands, the aged warrior reaches down to pinch her left cheek between gnarled old fingers, beaming at her as his other slips down to do the same to her right breast.
That pervy gleam is back again...

[ATHENA]
Athena darts in, unleashing a small arsenal of strikes against the seasoned opponent who has become a well-deserved target of the idol fighter's vexation. Her hand strikes out, swishing through the air. His evasion doesn't deter her, there's a lot more where that came from! She kicks out, left foot planted, right foot snapping into what could have been a noticeable hit to his center of mass only for the Demon of Judo to hook the back of her ankle, slipping around and under the kick. Pushing her right leg up, he interrupts the flow of her combination briefly, before chancing lowering his head well into knee-striking range all to secure a peek.

Likely aware of what the codger was going for, Athena snaps her left knee up quickly while twisting her right leg back, spending a brief moment where neither foot is on the ground as her legs exchange places, forcing Jubei to move his face or suffer a knee to the nose. And she does it all without losing her balance or aggression in the process. But even her quick reflexes aren't enough to prevent his lecherous reconnaissance, spying a splash of strawberry-milk pink against the pale white second layer of her idol skirt.

Still committed, Asamiya slams her palms out and is reminded of the deceptively nimble speed of the martial arts veteran as he slips under her strike then snaps both hands up to grab her wrists. The yank forward is enough to unravel her practiced combination as she falls forward off her feet and is hauled up and over Yamada's back.

"Hey-!"

The fierce spin into the air from so quick a grab is beyond disorienting and just a reminder of who it is she's facing as the horizon of Athena's world whips past her view time and time again, all sense of where she's at completely lost. She tries to tug her arms free amid the rare display of aerial Judo, but it does nothing to save the girl from the hard landing.

Slamming down against her back, a startled gasp is forced from her lungs as he knee drives into her diaphragm. It would be enough to force her to fold up in pain if not for his own weight wasn't being applied to holding her hands over her head.

Gaping for breath, the violet-eyed prodigy fighter stares up at her attacker with a look of abject surprise. She knew she was having a hard time pegging his exact skill level, only getting hints from time to time at this old man's own path down the Champion's Road, but after that display it was becoming much clearer just how dangerous he actually was. Recovering her shock and ignoring the pain in her stomach as best she can, she tries prying her arms free, twisting her shoulders left then right, teeth grit.

Her lungs recovered, she pants for breath, feeling the strain of not only her current predicament but also the combination attack that got cut painfully short after she had poured so much into it. Beads of perspiration glisten on her forehead as she tries to twist her hips to the side next - anything to get him off her stomach so that she can get a full breath of air - but the pin of the old man is as secure as steel.

Athena stops struggling as the old man Yamada clarifies his point from before and the idol's eyes narrow slightly, almost as if she's giving him half a bit of credence now that he's finally managed to wrestle her to the ground.

But then he releases her hands and rather than retreating as fast as possible as might have been prudent, takes the risk of prolonging his stay to pinch her cheek before his other hand reaches lower to do the same to her chest.

If his earlier grope invited a painful counter attack, this one triggers the nuclear response.

There is no warning, only a shout-

"Get off me!"

Before a storm of that power erupts over her. An aura of that rose hued energy surges around Asamiya herself, while two spheres of hyper-concentrated violet Psycho Power orbit around her in tilted orbits. Even if Jubei does beat a hasty retreat, Athena will kick to her feet and direct the sum total of all that gathered power into a singular orb of crackling energy before snapping her hand out toward the Judo Master.

The sound of it hurtling through the air is not unlike the crack of a bullet, the sonic boom of displaced molecules heralding the shockwave of kinetic force that even the audience can feel blow past them as it zeroes in on the old man!

COMBATSYS: Jubei Yamada just-defends Athena's Shining Crystal Bit+!

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Athena           0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0     Jubei Yamada

[JUBEI YAMADA]
"Hehh, hehehehohohoo..."
Leathery face wrinkled up into an absolutely enormous smile, the silver-haired master has just enough time for a squish and a squeeze before the purple-haired idol has had enough. Whether responding to her shout, or the Jubeisense tingling along the back of his neck, the crazy codger is up and off of her just in time to avoid being mentally fried like a bug in a zapper.
So alluring, and yet so very bad for his health.
Landing lightly on bare feet he glances down at his toes, wiggles them confusedly, then lifts his twinkling gaze to take in the glorious display of power that is one pissed of Athena Asamiya. Rising up like an avenging angel, the beautiful girl gathers her power, once again forgetting everything he has tried to tell her about bodily mastery, and aims it at him like the barrel of an enraged teenage cannon.
"Ooh..."
Eyes widening slightly, the tiny old man marvels at something other than Athena's figure, the sheer scope of her power forcing him to take a mental step back and reconsider. On one hand, sweet supple teenage boobies. But on the other, near certain doom...
The audience sways away as one beast as the backwash rolls over them, the loud Crack of sound shattering echoing off of the shop fronts.
To Master Yamada, time seems to slow down, seconds stretching out into eternity as dusty reflexes rarely used grind into action.
"HHHHHHHUUUUUUAH!"
Breath escaping in a croaking roar that sets his mustache to flapping and his loose top to rippling, he brings his right hand sweeping up from below, fingers flattened into a single surface. Catching the incoming bullet not two feet out from his chest, he tilts his palm upward, the briefest flash of chi shimmering across his skin as the Psycho Sphere glances up and away in a fierce ricochet. Hand flung away by the force of the impact, he staggers back and to the side, struggling to keep from toppling gracelessly to the pavement. Meanwhile, high, high above, the disappearing bullet explodes in a blossom of rose-hued energy, lighting the afternoon sky in a way no firework could.
"Haah! Heeh hehh hoo hoo hoh!"
Chest shaking in an uncontrollably mixture of exultation and relief, Jubei finally manages to regain his balance, right hand shaking to work out the residual sting.
"Woo, my heart is pumping." he croaks matter of factly, offering the pop star a large, beaming smile full of only slightly yellowed teeth and mostly good intentions. "You're quite the pistol."
He's pretty sure he's using that phrase right. What's important is to have confidence! Ladies love confidence.
"You must stop letting your emotions get the better of you! It's just flesh. Soft, yielding yet springy flesh..."
Croaking voice gaining a far away tone, he trails off, blinking after a moment and seeming to realize he was in the middle of a lesson. One that the girl probably doesn't want, and that the youngsters around him likely want to strangle him for. But that is the burden of being a teacher.
"Become the master of your emotions, Ms. Asamiya. Master them, and please sign my photos after the fiiiiight!"
This last bit is stretched into a wooping call as the endlessly energetic old coot bounds forward on only slightly wobbly legs, closing the distance in two quick hops that transition into a final, spectacular leap. Right knee thrust forward, he lunges in with a flying knee aimed squarely for the center of her chest, attempting to drive her off balance with all his meager weight and considerably more momentum.
Only if the opening strike hits will he drop forward and hook one hand behind the girl's neck, the other looping through her left arm to lock it in place as he drags her forward into a tight clinch, knee powering up into her gut once, twice, three times before he drops low and whips his left leg around in a quick sweep, upper body twisting to jerk her over the limb and into a pivoting toss.

COMBATSYS: Jubei Yamada successfully hits Athena with Benke Nakashi.
-* WILD HIT! *-

[                        \\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Athena           0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0     Jubei Yamada

[ATHENA]
Athena stands, right arm out stretched, finger pointing toward the Judo master, right leg forward, knee bent slightly, feet braced. Her hair still whipping in the air behind her, an buzzing aura of lingering psionic power only just beginning to fade, her eyes are fixed on the direction of her target, barely even able to see him from behind the shrieking missile hurtling his way.

The Shining Crystal Bit was not an attack she was used to opponents being able to defend against. After seeing the billowing psychic storm that gets funneled into it, most desperately try to throw themselves out of the way of the bit, though few actually succeed. Others, left with no other recourse, are struck dead on with what is almost always a fight deciding blow.

So confident is Asamiya in her attach that when it goes glancing off at a skyward angle it takes a moment for her eyes to even move to track it and longer still for her mind to fully comprehend that the old fighter not only stood his ground against an attack most had come to associate with certain defeat, he actually managed to deflect it entirely!

She lowers her arm as the aftermath of the storm passes and a radiant display of rose-colored energy erupts overhead with enough brightness to briefly cast shadows in spite the afternoon sunlight. The girl's hair comes to rest once more against her shoulders as she looks at the veteran fighter with an expression of confusion - a state mind not helped in the slightest by being called a pistol.

"What do you know about-" she starts to challenge the Demon of Judo's knowledge of her combat power, only to get chided on her emotional response to his repeated harassment and cut herself short, cheeks still blossoming red even after the light of her deflected attack fades away. She was used to being able to cow all but the strongest opponents she'd ever faced with that attack, yet here the old man stood, still lecturing, and seemingly no worse for wear! Does that put him among the best she's ever battled?

One look at the glare on her face is all one would need to confirm the teenage fighter is not interested in the wisdom he has to share, hands clenching at her sides briefly before she forces herself to return to her ready stance, one stretched out, other bent at the elbow near shoulder level.

He comes bounding forward, clearly intending to close distance once more, and Athena plants her feet. She'll show him she can handle his grappling techniques! Though defending against advanced holds was not core to her training, she did benefit from natural flexibility and enough guidance to navigate around most attempts to throw her.

But her confidence in trying to test her defenses against a man who has grappled with titans is perhaps most ill-timed when instead of reaching for her, he leaps!

Snaping her arms back, Athena tries to bunker down against the self-propelled projectile of skin and bone. Under normal circumstances, with better focus on the ebb and flow of her power or more aligned attunement with the surface thoughts of her opponent, she might have had one of her brief glimpses of foresight well enough to successfully defend against the direct attack. But the girl's flustered mind leaves that narrow gap for his knee to slip through, cracking hard against her chest, sending Athena recoiling, arms flailing, her guard undone

Securing a clinch from there is trivial and pulling forward in tightly, bending her down with his strong hold, leaves her defenseless against the knee strikes that follow. Still feeling the pain of his last landing against her stomach, the first knee strike to her gut brings all the pain of the previous attack back to the surface, forcing a pained gasp from her mouth.

She tries to pull free then, right arm reaching across, trying to secure some kind of hold so that she can free her left arm and slip out, but the attempt is cut short by the next thud against her stomach. The third follows so fast that there's not time to recover well enough to break free in the slightest.

By the time he transitions from the gatling knee strikes into sweeping the girl's legs out from under her while twisting her bodily to the side and slamming her back against the pavement, the survivor of hundreds of battles can already tell the younger fighter has just about hit her limit of what she can endure.

For a moment, Athena lays sprawled, flat on her back, both hands pressed over her stomach, right leg flat against the ground, left leg bent at the knee, her expression twisted in pain. The temptation to not get up again, to admit defeat now and begin the process of recovering her breath and healing from the bruises earned this bout is strong but lasts only a split second. Giving up was never in her nature. Not while there was even an iota of strength left to give.

Rolling onto her hands and knees, Athena pushes up to her feet, twisting in the process to face Jubei again. She points at him with her right hand, mouth opening to say something, but it's clear her lungs have yet to resume their duty of cycling air through her system and for now, the gifted singer is rendered mute.

Clamping her mouth closed, she decides to demonstrate her point with action instead, rushing in for Jubei rather than trying to pelt him from afar. Was it pride that sent her back into the proven dangerous reach of his gnarled hands? Or did she not want to chance another defense like he demonstrated against her impressive attack?

Either way, she pivots, twisting her left shoulder forward while sparkling pink energy surges over her right arm. It's easy to read the initial vector of her attack - a shoulder slam from her left - but failure to catch the follow through is where the true threat lies as she twists into the slam, bringing her right arm up, sheathed with the same vibrant power that she had cut through him so fiercely with before-!

COMBATSYS: Athena can no longer fight.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jubei Yamada     0/-------/---====|

COMBATSYS: Jubei Yamada counters Athena Explosion from Athena with Kumo Kuroshi.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Jubei Yamada     0/-------/---====|

[JUBEI YAMADA]
Natural,

Natural,
FLEXABILITY!
Gazing down upon his beautiful opponent's prone form, Master Yamada takes a moment to privately consider whether he's gone too far. Deep within his lusty old mind, disused cogs of decency groan slowly to life, powering a tiny voice that whispers how upset this gentle girl must be to try and psychicly nuke him. Perhaps he has stepped over a line an--
The imaginary machinery shatters into a million tiny pieces as Athena struggles up to hands and knees, that perfect peach of a bottom pointed his way. The voice of decency trails off as it erupts into a spontaneous nose bleed, a little cackle of joy escaping the real Jubei's grinning lips. Gnarled old hands rubbing together, he disregards any silly afterthoughts he might have. He's doing the lord's work here, surely that was a sign!
All around the arena, the onlookers have gone ominously silent.
Taking a single step back, Jubei separates his surprisingly powerful hands and brings them up into a loose zombie guard, brown eyes twinkling as he gazes up into Athena's reddening face. Embarrassment, lack of oxygen, the first sparks of young romance...He can only guess what she might be feeling right now. After all, it is not often a girl gets the opportunity to step into the ring with a dashing master such as himself.
If only he could read the fury in her eyes.
"Wonderful!" Yamada proclaims as her power surges for a final, titanic effort, the slender girl lunging toward him with wrathful intent. "Such spirit!"
Remaining perfectly composed, the white-haired master flexes his knees, dipping low as if to once more slip beneath her oncoming charge. However, as her sparkling shoulder slams into his open palms, she finds that he has once more protected himself, hands sparking with a thin response of carefully controlled chi. Not nearly enough to hold her back, but enough to protect himself as he leaps, pressing down upon her shoulder and arm to vault himself up and over her charge in a forward flip.
Allowing the youngster to pass beneath him, he hooks a hand around the side of her slim throat and swings himself down onto her back, legs wrapping around her middle as all of his 100ish pounds come crashing down upon her. Leaving her to unleash psycho-bladed hell on the spot he occupied just moments before, he crosses his shins against her belly and squeezes hard, forcing what little breath she might have gathered right back out between her lips. Burying his face in her hair, he draws in a deep breath through his nose, grinning like a maniac, and swings his arms around her neck, elbow locking in beneath her chin in a classic sleeper hold. A surprisingly developed bicep flexes against her throat as he tightens the hold, preventing her from drawing air into already taxed lungs.
"I can see how you have won all of those tournaments. You are quite the fighter." he informs her, breath whispering across her ear as her vision narrows, darkness closing in.
With her limbs losing strength, the Judoka rides his young opponent down to her knees, adding a last, "Dream of me, Ms. Asamiya." before she collapses to her front, the master releasing her and springing to his feet with both arms thrust high into the air, heavy pack thumping against his back.
"JUBEEEEEEEEEEEI!"
Street ringing with his happy croak, the old man waits for a moment, absorbing the absolute silence that follows. One eye cracks open, then the other, gaze taking in the stoic faces that surround him on all sides. Chins down, the onlookers stare with shadowed eyes of intensity, a mob of barely contained rage. Even the duo of police officers standing beside the marked area gaze upon him with faces of shadow.
Gulp.
"YAAAAAAAAAH!"
The creaky cry escapes him just moments before the crowd roars, surging in toward him. Hands reaching, teeth bared, they attempt to seize the old man who leaps spryly away, bounding and fleeing across the hot pavement as the mob pursues, parting respectfully around Athena's downed form and giving him just that little bit of extra time to increase his lead.
They can't throttle what they can't catch!

COMBATSYS: Jubei Yamada has ended the fight here.

Log created on 03:05:42 04/22/2021 by Athena, and last modified on 04:27:16 10/23/2021.