SNF 2005.04 - 2v2 Tag Match

Description: What was supposed to be Ryu as a main event requires a last second substitution... then Ryu arrives before Geese needs to get into the arena, and takes over anyway. I logged it for convenience nonetheless, though. (Draw)



The arena is packed and everyone is standing up to cry in unison to make the match start. Another roar from the gathered people happens once the announcer comes out to look about and take a moment to allow the people to quiet down. "Ladies and gentleman, welcome to Howard Arena for Saturday Night Fights! As always the arena is playing host to the main event. It will be a two on two match that follows the rules of sequential fighting. The second member of the team is only allowed to enter when and if their partner is eliminated. Introducing first on the left, the team of Leona and making a special appearance tonight her partner will be none other than Geese Howard!"
It appears that Leona is the first of the two fighters to exit out from the left side of the arena. The young mercenary stalks towards the arena proper as she pulls her dogtags off from around her neck and uses them to tie her hair up into a high ponytail before crossing her arms and waiting for her opponent to be announced. To her this evening is quite a surprised. Being in the main event was a surprise unto itself, but she hadn't expected to find out who her partner is. She tries not to let that thought distract her and she tries to keep her attention on where the other fighter will enter.

COMBATSYS: Leona has started a fight here on the left meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Leona            0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Cammy has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Cammy


COMBATSYS: Sakura has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Cammy
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                 |-------\-------\0           Sakura


COMBATSYS: Sakura has left the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Cammy


COMBATSYS: Geese has joined the fight here on the left meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Geese            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Cammy
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Leona            0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Sakura has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Geese            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Cammy
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0           Sakura


Geese is not the typical partner. He didn't even expect to be here, his presence was a last-second request by the SNF staff when Captain Hadouken failed to show up. So he agreed. The show must go on. But he doesn't care. He's waiting beside the arena already, one arm hanging out the middle of his gi-shirt. Geese is absolutely bored stiff with this, and couldn't care less about his teammate. Which is why he sent Leona in first.

Zaki has arrived.

Zaki leaves the arena through the large main entrance.

The other fighter doesn't take long to enter. "And her oppenent, starting on the right side of the arena..." the announcer begins to shout, as a small figure begins to step out from the opposite side of the arena that her opponent did. "Cammy White!!" And as scattered members of the crowd cheer, the young Doll begins making her way to the stone steps leading up to her designated side of the arena, her form covered in a crimson trenchcoat, the coat seemingly a few sizes too large for her. And when she reaches the stop of the stone steps, her choice for wearing such a large coat perhaps becomes obvious.
Silently regarding Leona for a few moments, Cammy reaches a red-gauntleted hand up to the collar of her coat. With a swift jerk, she yanks the coat from herself effortlessly, and flings it to one side, the coat fluttering as it travels down to the ground beside the arena, revealing that Cammy was dressed in what passed for a "uniform" for her. Snapping her fists before herself, she straightens her posture, and smiles a faint smile over at Leona, before shouting... "COME ON!"

Ensign Hadouken follows Cammy out to the arena, apparently unaware of her recent promotion. But really, she should expect rank to come along with the uniform -- which just happens to be in more naval colors. She seems pretty excited to be here, though, just the same -- leaning on the entranceway as she watches the two fighters step out to the middle of the ring.

The Ikari woman raises a brow some at seeing who she will be fighting. Of course she was involved in a match not too long ago that Cammy was also in, but the two never managed to tangle due to the free for all having other people keeping them distracted. Leona lets out a light 'tch in response and she raises her arms as she prepares to fight. She isn't so quick to jump straight at Cammy though, instead she starts to circle the other woman, taking her time to size her up and allow her the first chance to strike. She made some key mistakes against Haggar last week and she sure as hell isn't going to allow a repeat performance if she can help it.

COMBATSYS: Leona focuses on her next action.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Geese            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Cammy
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0           Sakura


And Cammy seemed just as fine to mimic Leona's motion. As the Ikari Warrior begins to circle her, Cammy returns that motion in kind, her light, bouncing footsteps bringing her around to circle Leona, tightening her fists as she does so. But as she does so, the small smile that was once on Cammy's lips begins to slowly drain away, along with any sort of fire in her eyes, her expression beginning to grow more and more blank by the moment.

COMBATSYS: Cammy focuses on her next action.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Geese            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Cammy
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0           Sakura


THe ground is starting to get restless now. They want a fight, not two women circling about not doing anything. There is even a chant of 'Catfight!' coming out of one part of the arena. It seems that Leona is finally ready to start her attack and she pushes off her feet and starts running at the other woman then once the distance is close she leaps up to flip over Cammy and while she is over top of the blonde, she throws a small object straight down at her. Said object seems to be very sensitive to impact and weather it hits Cammy or the ground, it causes a small explosion.

COMBATSYS: Cammy dodges Leona's Earring Bakudan.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Geese            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Cammy
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0           Sakura


Blank eyes watch Leona's charge, and Cammy seems to tense... before curling her back away, and throwing herself backwards and away from the point of impact, the explosion bursting on the ground, scarring the stone. Incidentally, the evasive manuever brings her closer to where Leona would potentially land. Landing on her hands, Cammy pushes hard off of the ground, tucking herself into a ball for her next backflip. A ball aimed straight for Leona. Right before Cammy lands on the ground before the Ikari, she would uncurl just a moment or two before impact, lashing out a foot aimed at Leona's shin. Should that connect, Cammy wouldn't waste any time in following up the attack. She would flow to her feet beside Leona's untouched leg, grab her shoulder, and sweep that leg out from under Leona, giving a harsh push with the hand on Leona's shoulder, hopefully bringing her painfully to the ground. Hopefully.

COMBATSYS: Leona blocks Cammy's Hooligan Combination.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Geese            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Cammy
[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0           Sakura


Leona lands in a crouch behind the other woman and she turns around with enough time to shift her weight to where the side of her leg is hit and then she just uses brute strength to stay on her feet. The sweeping leg bangs against hers and she winces slightly, but manages to stay on her feet. With the girl in so close, the ikari attempts a grapple of her own. She reaches to grab the girl by her hair and twist her hands in it to get a firm grasp before she tries to swing Cammy about and plant her head first onto the ground of the arena as if she was trying to spike a football.

COMBATSYS: Cammy dodges Leona's Ordeal Buckler.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Geese            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Cammy
[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0           Sakura


Ryu has arrived.

Despite the convenient handholds her pigtailed hair created... when Leona reaches out a hand for them, Cammy was already out of reach, dancing away with light steps away from the other girl, putting a distance of two and a half meters between them. But with a quick forward leap, Cammy crosses that distance in a flash. Snapping out a extended arm, Cammy's wide-open hand seeks to impact against Leona's throat, before she tightens her grip on it, Cammy then slamming into Leona with all the momentum of her leap. The intent was to knock the Ikari to the ground, to give Cammy time to flip away soon after the execution of the move. But things don't always go as planned...

COMBATSYS: Cammy successfully hits Leona with Flying Neck Hunt.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Geese            0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0            Cammy
[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0           Sakura


COMBATSYS: Cammy blocks Leona's Strike Arc.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Geese            0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0            Cammy
[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0           Sakura


Geese is completely bored with this. Absolutely and completely disinterested, until an assistant from back stage walks up and whispers something to him. "Well!" Geese laughs, "He's in time. Tell the announcer to make the change." Then Geese follows the assistant out, apparently abandoning Leona.

The foot doesn't reach the Doll's shoulder. With a lightning-fast movement, Cammy whips her forearm up to intercept the blow, her muscular body tensing as she absorbs the strike. But she didn't move. Taking a moment to step a step or two away, and incidentally giving Leona a chance to land, Cammy returns the flying kick with one of her own.Launching herself off the ground, Cammy whips out her right foot, the strike aimed at the head of the Ikari warrior, as she pulls her left leg out of the way, closer to herself... but Cammy's kick had a twist. The blue fires of Cammy's soul-searing power sheathe her foot as it arcs through the air, adding power to the strike.

COMBATSYS: Cammy successfully hits Leona with Cannon Spike.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Geese            0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0            Cammy
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0           Sakura


With the blow being blocked quite effectively, Leona is left landing at a bad angle and is slow to recover to put up a good defense against Cammy's attack. The kick slams across Leona's face and it sends the Ikari woman staggering back several steps and she raises a hand to whip at the blood that is coming from the corner of her mouth. She rolls her shoulders and falls back into her fighting stance again as she eyes Cammy for a moment before leaping back into action. She takes to the air again and slings her arms up to cross them at the forearm and then she throws her arms outward while coming down straight at Cammy, releasing an X shaped blast of chi to hurtle at the other woman.

COMBATSYS: Cammy dodges Leona's X-Calibre.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Geese            0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0            Cammy
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0           Sakura


COMBATSYS: Geese has left the fight here.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Leona            0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0            Cammy
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                 |-------\-------\0           Sakura


In time indeed. Ryu doesn't even have the excuse of traffic for his timing, after all.. But hey, he's usually a fairly punctual guy, at least by his own standards. That he's quickly ushered into the arena isn't too much of a surprise... That he's apparently taking Geese's place, or taking back his place which Geese took (something like that!)... Well, that's a bit more of a surprise. Even so, aside from a momentary glance to the departing Howard, Ryu doesn't pay too much attention to the quirks of this particular bout of scheduling, and instead turns his attention to the proverbial (and literal) main event. Clad as ever in his plain white gi, the World Warrior takes his place on his team's side and folds his arms over his chest, calmly attentive to the battle that unfolds, though his stern face reveals little of what he thinks of it. His attention remains, mostly, on Cammy, however. Almost thoughtfully.

COMBATSYS: Ryu has joined the fight here on the left meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0            Cammy
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0           Sakura


And again, the Doll proves to be just fast enough. Although this time... barely so. Throwing herself into a forward roll below the leaping Ikari, the chi slashes dig into the floor of the arena behind her, missing her by mere centimeters. Rolling along for a meter or two, Cammy then kicks out of that evasive roll, flipping unto her feet, before orienting herself towards Leona. But then again, the Zero Doll jumps towards her.
With the bottoms of her feet remaining pointed towards the floor of the arena, the Doll folds her weighted gauntlets over her chest as she begins the jump, spinning in the air as she flies towards Leona. As she does so, her right arm begins to glow with the blue fires of Psycho Power... and when Cammy hits the ground, she lashes out her right forearm at Leona's torso in a backhanded strike, the momentum of her spinning jump adding 'oomph' to the blow.

COMBATSYS: Cammy successfully hits Leona with Axle Spin Knuckle.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0            Cammy
[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            1/----===/=======|-------\-------\0           Sakura


Sakura's been hopping back and forth from one foot to the other, trying to keep herself warmed up and ready for the fight. She nods quietly as Cammy seems to be taking everything in stride, but quirks an eyebrow once she notices the sight of Geese moving away from the fight. Her eyes light up for a moment, upon noticing her sensei opposite her in yet another twist of fate. Ah well. She turns her attention back to the fight, just in time to watch Cammy kick back and away.

Given how this fight has gone, Leona wasn't too surprised that the quicker of the two women managed to get out of the way. Leona lands in a crouch again and she prepares for the counter attack and when Cammy comes in, the Ikari honestly thinks she can avoid this attempt. She is just a second too slow though and the back of Cammy's arm slams into her stomach and Leona's lets out a sharp gasp as the air is knocked out of her. She falls to her knees heaving a bit to catch her breath. She then slowly looks up at Cammy before hopping off her foot and attempting to sweep Cammy's legs out from under her and then knock her skyward with a series of kicks that leads into a brutal aerial beating that ends with a massive explosion of Chi as Leona lands on the ground again in a crouch.

COMBATSYS: Cammy blocks Leona's Gravity Storm.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0            Cammy
[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0           Sakura


The sweep catches Cammy completely off guard, the blank-eyed Doll falling backwards as Leona rises after her. Although, the air was Cammy's element, and she proves so. Snapping her legs backwards, Cammy completes the flip, and raises her crossed gauntlets in the path of Leona's onslaught, the ceramic gauntlets helping to absorb the blow. But still, the explosion of chi knocks Cammy backwards, the girl flying a few meters away to land flat on her back.
Drawing her legs to her chest, and arching her back to raise her behind off of the ground, the girl slaps her hands to the arena floor beside her, and sorta hops to her feet, landing in a run. A run that turns into a sprint. When within closing distance of the Orochi-blooded girl, Cammy does a short hop in front of her, tucking her left foot beneath herself... as her right snaps towards the underside of Leona's chin.

COMBATSYS: Leona blocks Cammy's Medium Kick.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0            Cammy
[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0           Sakura


Leona isn't going to make another mistake like her last one so easily. She is prepared for Cammy to get back up after that assault and she brings up her arms to absorb the impact of the kick. With that leg so close Leona reaches to grasp at Cammy's leg by the ankle and tries to swing her about in a circle one time to give her enough time to put her other hand onto the Doll's leg and she then tries to swing the woman upward and then back down hard as she can onto the hard floor of the arena.

COMBATSYS: Cammy dodges Leona's Strong Throw.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0            Cammy
[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0           Sakura


And while Cammy's foot was grabbed, Leona would find she had a hard time keeping a hold of the Doll. In fact, with Leona swings Cammy, Cammy jerks her foot harshly, breaking the grip, the Doll flipping around to land on her hands. Then, with another flip, her feet. Regarding Leona for a moment with her emotionless expression, the Doll begins to dash forward, but launches herself up into a jump, beginning a slow flip as she does so...
In the middle of that flip, when the top of Cammy's head was hopefully pointing down at the top of Leona's, Cammy would lash out with her hands, and grab the shoulders of Leona's uniform, Cammy then pulling her legs around midair so she could land safely on her feet... as she hopefully yanks Leona off of her feet, attempt to slam the back of the Ikari's head into the stone floor of the arena.

COMBATSYS: Cammy successfully hits Leona with Medium Throw.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0            Cammy
[                        \\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0           Sakura


The grasp on the Ikari's uniform is firm and Cammy is able to swing Leona around and slam her down onto the ground of the arena and finally taking the blue-haired down fully for the first time the whole match. She is a bit slow to get up and she pushes herself up onto her knees for a moment as a hand reaches into her jacket. She then leaps backwards while throwing another small object at Cammy that explodes on impact much like the first one. She is running out of options on what to do so she only hopes to slow the doll down for a bit to allow a breather.

COMBATSYS: Cammy dodges Leona's Earring Bakudan.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0            Cammy
[                         \\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0           Sakura


And a bit of a breather Leona gets. Although it's likely not the type of breather she was intending. Hopping a short hop to one side, and up away from the projectile, Cammy keeps her glazed-over gaze focused on the Ikari as she lands, her breathing carefully regulated as she then begins to move towards Leona with slow, measured steps, her fists snapped before herself in a defensive posture towards the other woman, her eyes keeping careful track of the Ikari's movements.

COMBATSYS: Cammy focuses on her next action.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|=======\-------\0            Cammy
[                         \\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0           Sakura


To say that Leona is quite annoyed is an understatement. She is usually calm and collected, but right now she is just trying to keep from shaking with anger as she eyes Cammy from afar. She leans down and pulls a throwing knife from each of her boots and she twirls the pair of them between her fingers as she circles Cammy. The girl just doesn't seem to have any openings and her defense just seems to be perfect tonight. Without much of an option left Leona leaps into the air and twirls about and one of the knives are released to come sailing towards Cammy, but it is a feint for the real attack, the second knife is slung right after it, though this one is different that it seems to be glowing, imbued with some of Leona's energy as it sails to plant into Cammy.

COMBATSYS: Leona successfully hits Cammy with I-Slasher.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1            Cammy
[                          \\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0           Sakura


Twitching her head beneath the first knife, Cammy easily avoid the blow. The second, however. Attempting to jerk herself to the side, but far, far too late, the knife digs a little into one side of her her belly, the Doll staggering back a step, Cammy then gazing blankly down at it. Without pausing to remove the knife, and without somuch as a cry of pain throughout the entire ordeal, Cammy lifts her eyes towards Leona again, and begins to charge her. Leaping towards her in a forward flip, Cammy attempts to land on Leona's shoulders. If she does so, she would clamp her thighs around the Ikari's neck as she crosses her arms over her chest, whipping herself backwards in a backflip... that would hopefully end with the top of Leona's head smashing into the ground below.

COMBATSYS: Leona blocks Cammy's Frankensteiner.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1            Cammy
[                            \\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0           Sakura


There is a bit of satisfaction at seeing a hit finally land cleanly and Leona lands with a bit of a smirk on her face. There is no time to celebrate though. Cammy is definantly the fresher of the two fighters and Leona has to prepare for the incoming attack quickly. The throw goes off, but Leona has the time to tuck herself some as she is flung to roll with the toss and she ends up rolling away from Cammy. She stands back up breathing heavily and she turns to eye Cammy for a brief moment before she thrusts her hands forward at Cammy while creating a greenish looking ball of chi that pulses and then bursts into a swarm of spike that try to impale the Doll.

COMBATSYS: Cammy interrupts Baltic Launcher from Leona with Cannon Revenge.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1            Cammy
[                                < >  //////////////////////////////]
Leona            1/------=/=======|-------\-------\0           Sakura


That punch slams hard into Leona's face and the Ikari woman reels backwards. That hit has pretty much started to cause blackness to come over her. She can't let things end like this though. Two weeks she has been embarassed and she at least has to try to do some damage to Cammy if she can help it. She staggers forward towards the Doll as a hand reaches into her jacket then she lunges forwad to try to grasp Cammy's hair to pull it around and quickly tie it around a explosive much larger than the previous two. The knot is loose due to Leona's fading strength, which she uses the last of to push Cammy away while leaping backwards where she lands on her knees and then slumps over.

COMBATSYS: Leona can no longer fight.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1            Cammy
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                 |-------\-------\0           Sakura


COMBATSYS: Leona successfully hits Cammy with Rebel Spark.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|=======\=====--\1            Cammy
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                 |-------\-------\0           Sakura


Still a bit dazed from the previous blast, the Doll was a easy target for a manuever like that. Twitching in random directions as her hair was grabbed, and one of her pigtails used as a bomb carrier, Cammy flicks her head as she stumbles away from Leona, in such a way that the bomb-laden pigtail comes in front of her face. Snapping up her hands to grab the bomb out of her hair, Cammy undoes the simple knot in a splitsecond, and pulls her arm back to toss it away from her... when it explodes. Flying outwards with the shockwave of the explosion, Cammy lands harshly on the ground some distance away from Leona, landing on the ground with her limbs splayed about herself. Unmoving. She very much resembles a discarded doll, perhaps giving a hint as to why Vega named her that. But she wasn't completely down yet. A moment passes, and her limbs twitch, before she slowly begins to pull herself to her feet once again.

COMBATSYS: Cammy takes a breather.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|=======\=====--\1            Cammy
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                 |-------\-------\0           Sakura


Well, Leona falling away is a clear enough signal to Ryu... As it doesn't look like this particular Ikari is going to be springing back to her feet right away. Obviously, that means the Ansatsuken master is next up... And even as Cammy wrestles with the explosive parcel she received special delivery, Ryu is shifting into a ready stance, lithely moving out into the arena more fully... Bare feet drift smoothly across the stone, the nomad's body loose, despite the ironclad clench of his fists, one hand leading, the other holding back... Guarding low, and high, in addition to providing a ready offense. It's not an offense he takes immediately, however, not inclined to charge up and boot the winded Zero Doll in the head, he instead flanks the unusually powerful girl through a patient half-circle, dark eyes intent upon her. In other words, Cammy's given that moment to right herself, unmolested.

COMBATSYS: Ryu takes no action.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Ryu              0/-------/-------|=======\=====--\1            Cammy
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                 |-------\-------\0           Sakura


That was both nice, and sporting of Ryu. Were Cammy in her normal frame of mind, she would've likely bowed, if not smiled at her opponent. At the moment, though, she couldn't really appreciate such things. As she finishes pulling herself upwards, she glances across towards Ryu, silently staring at his face for a few moments. And then, the Doll begins to charge towards him. Rapid footfalls light against the stone floor below, Cammy launches herself in a near-diagonal leap towards the face of the man as she draws within closing distance of him, snapping a foot out to attempt to strike him in the face, as she leans back with that leap, the backs of her shoulders pointed towards the ground. The kick would likely sting enough, but the flare of Psycho Power beginning to surround it would likely add a bit more punch to it.

COMBATSYS: Cammy successfully hits Ryu with Cannon Spike.
- Power hit! -

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Ryu              0/-------/------=|=======\======-\1            Cammy
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                 |-------\-------\0           Sakura


Just what /is/ Cammy's normal frame of mind? Ryu's recently been made privy to some information that's both unsettling and perspective-shifting where the strange girl is concerned. Maybe he spent a little /too/ much time thinking about the blonde Doll's plight, and not /enough/ time focusing on reacquainting himself with her fighting style, because her speed and strength are enough to overwhelm an attempt at a guard, the energy-laced foot slipping past a raised arm and slamming him squarely in the face, indeed. It's a jarring hit, there's no denying that... But it's not one that seems to slow Ryu down. He doesn't hesitate to reverse his backwards momentum even as a foot drops back to stabilizing him, that knee bending subtly...
To provide that extra 'oomph' to hurl himself back in at Cammy full speed ahead, a short, mostly forward-oriented jump carrying him a short distance skyward, but more importantly.... That instantaneous ascent is coupled with a sudden, three-hundred sixty degree twist, Ryu's right foot snapping out straight as he comes about, the kick sailing in even with Cammy's skull.

COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Cammy with Senpuu Kyaku.
- Power hit! -

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Ryu              0/-------/----===|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2            Cammy
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                 |-------\-------\0           Sakura


Even with Cammy's skull indeed. With a -crack- audible throughout the arena, the foot impacts solidly with the side of Cammy's head, snapping her neck that way as she then tumbles to the ground in a heap of limbs. Instead of pulling herself up to a stand, though, Cammy begins to roll away from Ryu, snapping a leg out to stop the roll once she got a fair distance away. Then, she leaps to her feet... albiet quite unsteadily. Shifting her blank stare over towards Ryu, Cammy pauses a few moments, not settling in her combat stance, but bouncing lightly from foot to foot, her mind running through a few calculations...
...Lock On. Those words flash through her mind as she then takes a few steps, before throwing herself into the air in a flying jumpkick aimed at a spot on Ryu's shoulder. Mid-flight, Psycho Power flares around her feet, it's fires lapping past her knees to her thick thighs. And somehow, she seemed to be gaining speed as she shoots towards Ryu...

COMBATSYS: Cammy successfully hits Ryu with Killer Bee Assault.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Ryu              0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0            Cammy
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                 |-------\-------\0           Sakura


The first blow was only to stagger the World Warrior. Psycho Power still blazing around her legs, Cammy recovers from the first strike in a backflip, and hits the ground, sweeping her legs out behind Ryu's in a sweepkick. But Ryu wouldn't be allowed to hit the ground, not yet. With another leaping kick upwards, Cammy slams both her blazing feet into Ryu's back, the harsh kicks launching him up into the air. And then Cammy flips over, her movements impossibly fast as she then leaps up after Ryu. Whipping around in a axe kick as she catches up to the now-falling man, she slams the back of her foot into his belly, hastening his trip downwards, the Doll landing lightly on her feet mere moments after he impacts the ground.

Tony has left.

Tony has arrived.

Once again, Cammy's speed and strength are just too much to ready a guard against, despite the suddenly refocused intensity with which Ryu examines the incoming assault, the instants it takes to take form long enough to give him an instinctual, if not entirely rational, grasp of what's coming next... He's seen the move before, but it's little defense, his raised guard once again smashed aside as the Psycho-powered fighter crashes into him... And then some. His little flight is certainly full of more than its share of turbulence, and when the World Warrior at last is allowed to crash back to the unforgiving stone, well... It's not a pleasant reunion. /That/ certainly takes a bit of the wind out of the wanderer's sails, but not enough to keep him out of the fight.
The momentum with which he hits the ground us turned to an intentional tumble soon enough, a hand shooting out to meet the ground and flip him back to his feet, albeit in the opposite direction with which the Zero Doll performed a similar correction earlier tonight.... But once again he comes out of the impact swinging, so to speak, and as drops back to a steady stance, his hands sweep forward, vibrant waves of blue-white chi surging forth, growing to impressive proportions in the scant time it takes for Ryu to complete the motion, bringing the heels of his hands together before him as the swirling bluish energies cascade together and blast forth, a flaring, densely packed sphere of searing chi gusting its path towards the powerful, if involuntary assassin, echoed by a forcefully intoned, "Hadooouken!!!"

COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Cammy with Hadouken.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Ryu              1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0            Cammy
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                 |-------\-------\0           Sakura


Shermie has left.

Shermie has arrived.

While she landed lightly, the strain of her hard fight with the Ikari was beginning it take it's toll upon the Doll, and that was evidenced in the manner of which she tried to avoid the ball of chi. What was meant to be a fluid dodge to one side, instead turns into a stumble, one slow enough so that the hadouken impacts her directly on her chest, knocking her backwards to land poorly upon her side. But as if some other force was compelling her, Cammy didn't stay on the ground for the briefest of seconds before beginning to rise to her feet again. Although, her movements were by no means steady.
Once she rights herself fully, her blank stare is again focused on Ryu, before she begins to charge the man once again. But this time... she flings herself to one side, and reaches down to her belly, yanking the mostly forgotten knife out of where it dug a inch or two into her belly.. With a expert flick of her wrist, she flings it in the direction of Ryu's face, the blade on a course for his throat.

COMBATSYS: Ryu parries Cammy's Thrown Object!

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Ryu              1/------=/=======|======-\-------\0            Cammy
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                 |-------\-------\0           Sakura


Vanessa has arrived.

Jacob has arrived.

This time, Ryu tracks the Zero Doll's quick motions a bit more successfully. Holding to his calm patience, the nomad's dark eyes follow Cammy's feinting motion, and there's no missing the sailing blade that soon flies free... Not to mention, judging from his initial observations regarding its trajectory, there's no missing the fact that he does /not/ want to be hit by this one. But rather than stand his ground, the Ansatsuken master actually /charges/ the hurled knife, as if he intended to impale himself right on the sharp, pointy end....
Of course, this couldn't be further from the truth, and at the last possibly instant, a darting weave that's more than a match for Cammy's own carries him slightly aside, a sweeping hand catching the knife perfectly on the flat of the blade, literally smacking it aside to expedite his trip towards the blonde warrior, his sprinting step nearly as quick as the fist that closes the last bit of distance, a potent right lashing out at in a hammer-blow angled down to collide squarely with Cammy's solar plexus, and drive her groundward, the strike's momentum further served by the synchronized step forward, courtesy of the corresponding foot, bringing Ryu's weight in behind the attack. He may not have target prioritization programming, but he certainly knows how to throw a punch.

COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Cammy with Sakotsu Wari EX.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >                                ]
Ryu              1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1            Cammy
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                 |-------\-------\0           Sakura


And while the punch takes Cammy down to her knees, Cammy doesn't stay that way. Immeadiatly rolling unto her back, despite the power of the bone-shaking hit, Cammy launches herself upwards in a vertical leap, Psycho Power filling the air around her feet. And lots of it. She was hoping to bathe the World Warrior in the flames. But... hit or miss... the girl seems to waver in mid-air, her eyes closing as she lapses into unconciousness. Soon enough, her body would strike the ground near Ryu, the medical staff likely having to pull her off of the arena before Sakura enters the fight.

COMBATSYS: Cammy can no longer fight.

[            \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Ryu              1/-----==/=======|-------\-------\0           Sakura


COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Cammy's Reverse Shaft Breaker.

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Ryu              1/----===/=======|-------\-------\0           Sakura


Mai has arrived.

Ryu's just too close to the Zero Doll to completely evade that upsurge in potent energy in time, and he knows it. Rather than try, the World Warrior crosses his arms before him, the blast surrounding Cammy searing painfully up his arms, but the force of it is mostly diffused... Which is to say, it /stings/... But it leaves him sizeably less dazed upon Cammy's exiting the fight than she was when his card came up. Well aware that Sakura will be coming in with everything she's got /right now/ (or at least, that's what the schoolgirl's Sensei /expects/ of her)... Ryu twists to face Kasugano, a second potent charge of blue-white chi conjured in an instant as both of Ryu's arms sweep forward towards the Ansatsuken prodigy, offering the talented girl one of her own favorite ways to start a fight, even if putting her on the receiving end might dull its favorite status. A focused call of, "Hadoooouken!!!" trails the wildly flaring, hurtling sphere of searing energy as it flares inexorably across the arena, swirling chi threatening to give Sakura a hearty welcome to the brawl, indeed.

COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Ryu's Hadouken.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Ryu              1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0           Sakura


Sakura's been on pins and needles throughout the fight, but there really wasn't much she could do until Cammy's body hit the arena floor. Whole reason for staggering the fight and all. But when she does, Sakura winces. "Ooh." At least Cammy tried her hardest, right? Tentatively, she steps aside so the medics can rush past to Cammy's aid, only to find that the instant she steps into the ring, she's getting one of the Ansatsuken specialties hurled at her! Flinging both hands before her in a cross pattern, she staggers backwards from the blow, grinning back as the cerulean chi washes over her cobalt handguards. "Nice to see you too, sensei!" But really, if he -expects- her to come in with everything she's got, then... well, isn't it only fair for her to stand her ground? Running her fingers through her hair, settling the mop back into position, she then tosses her hands back to her sides, bobbing lightly as she settles into her usual fighting stance, focusing her chestnut-hued gaze upon Ryu. "Y'missed me that much, huh?"

COMBATSYS: Sakura focuses on her next action.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Ryu              1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0           Sakura


"Just making sure you're on your toes." Ryu answers back, and to most any listener, there's little but steady matter-of-factness to the words. Of course, that's slightly misleading... But the smile involved in return is more of a silent and invisible sort of thing, at least... If one isn't well acquainted with reading the World Warrior's eyes, or his intentionally dry retorts, simplistic though they may be. Either way, Sakura isn't getting out of this /that/ easily... Evidently, he's even happier than /that/ to see Kasugano. .... Or something.
Muscles tense as his hands come to his side, bolts of white-hot, electrified chi surging down his limbs and arcing violently from his palms and fingers into a wildly fluctuating, rapidly growing sphere of intensely luminescent energies, "Denjiiiiiiiiiin......" Ryu incants, forcing still more seemingly scarcely-controlled power into the attack, before the shocking blast is levelled on Sakura, veritably /bolting/ across the arena along much the same path as the last, crackling through the air all but audibly, the lightning-inspired variant of the trademark technique also echoed by an even more forceful, finalizing shout of, "Hadoooooooouken!!!!!!!!"

COMBATSYS: Sakura slows Denjin Hadouken from Ryu with Small Hadouken.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Ryu              0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0           Sakura


This, that, and the other thing... the point is, Sakura knows her sensei well enough to know what he's thinking, and what lies beneath that faint smile. Though, really, she's confused, because she doesn't recall ever being on the receiving end of something quite that fast, or quite that =bright=. But even if it =is= coming straight at her like a bat outta hell, if there's one thing she's learned from training, it's how to throw a Hadouken! And in this particular case, that means punching a precision attack right through the core of the raging electrical fireball, dismantling it from the center out so that a much weaker wavefront is left to crash into her. Not to call it 'weak', by any standard, though... the jolt of electricity is still enough to send her small frame spasming into convulsions, even as she staggers backwards. "Yowch!" She somehow remains on her feet, though... keeping her focus on her master as she steadily sidesteps towards him, shaking the feeling back into her numbed hands.

On her toes, indeed. There's a faint, but legitimately visible smile that crosses his features at the skillful response to that attack... It's definitely the fastest thing he's ever thrown her way, since the time it got in the way of her Shinkuu Hadouken doesn't /begin/ to count. It's different with that energy racing down on a person directly, after all. Of course, Kasugano's talent is quite familiar to Ryu, and having it demonstrated once more is little reason to pause. Despite the double-dose of painfully palpable chi delivered at range, Ryu's answer to Sakura's measured approach seems to be to oblige her... Albeit much more quickly, and directly, than she might have intended.
With a sudden step that leads into a rapid, staccato series of sprinting strides, Ryu closes immediately with Kasugano, launching himself skyward and in at the last moment, not unlike the answer Cammy received to her initial strike, or at least, that's how it begins. With that three-hundred sixty degrees of ascending twist, though this time, it doesn't end there. Rather than deliving a single, quick kick, Ryu's momentum seems bolstered by his suddenly outstretched right leg, the sweeping appendage held parallel with the stoney ground as the World Warrior's frame comes about again, then again, and then again.... Rapid, gravity-defying rotorblade kicks levelled at Sakura's skull as he hurtles in at her, the wind-stirring technique focused with an intensely shouted call of, "Tatsumaki Senpuuuuuu Kyaku!!!!"

COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Sakura with Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Ryu              0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0           Sakura


Even though Sakura knocked some of the wind out of that Denjin Hadouken, it doesn't help that the remainder still dulled her reaction times a smidge. Numbness keeps the skin from being able to detect the latent signs leading to something like that Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku -- and without that split-second early warning, Kasugano's at a distinct tactical disadvantage! As if the feet slamming into the schoolgirl's hastily-raised shoulder weren't disadvantage enough, anyway. Buffeted about in a quick circle by the first kick, she's left open for the second, third, and fourth to continue slamming her around, until she's finally churned out of the whirlwind, deposited on the arena floor.

Uh, OW. "nnnngh.." mumbles Sakura as she pushes herself back to her feet, smacking her lips as she lifts her gaze towards Ryu once more. Maybe it's time she threw her own, eh? And in this case, it just happens to be a plain vanilla-flavored fireball -- one meter wide, a near-perfect sphere of blue energy forming in her coiled hands as she stands back. She then whips her hands forward with a cry of "HADOOOOUKEN!"

COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Ryu with Medium Hadouken.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Ryu              0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1           Sakura


Landing out of the powerful technique, Ryu is far too close to Sakura for comfort, considering the blast of chi suddenly levelled his way as she rights herself... The World Warrior lands lightly on his feet, but he only manages to dart halfway aside before the wider-angle fireball catches him squarely across his chest and shoulder, setting his sidestep to more of a side-stagger, Ryu forced to shift with the momentum just to keep from stumbling or losing his momentum... Two things that could be /very/ bad at this juncture in the fight. As such, the nomad adapts as the searing blast of chi sends a jolt of pain through his form, focusing past the impact and making the forced motion work for him.... Hopefully.
It's not nearly so dramatic as the last few offerings he's levelled Sakura's way, but she certainly shut down a lot of the immediate opportunities with her quick response, and so as he steps left, the right side of his body dropping back from the projected energy abuse, the wanderer simply snaps his left fist out and in, a simple, quick straight, aligned squarely with Sakura's face. At the least, perhaps he can keep her off-balance enough to get his own back where he'd like it to be.

COMBATSYS: Sakura fails to interrupt Medium Punch from Ryu with Small Hadouken.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Ryu              1/-------/=======|=======\===----\1           Sakura


If at first you succeed, keep it up! That's the thinking behind Sakura's attack strategy, anyway, with the main variations being in size, speed, and trajectory -- and really, with her hands still extended from that last blast, it just seemed like the right thing to do!

It woulda worked, too, if it weren't for her sensei rocketing above her guard to clock her square in the jaw. It builds character, she rationalizes as she flies once more into the arena floor, her only saving grace being the attempt to regain control after she's barrel-rolled sideways a few complete turns. Pushing herself back to her feet, Sakura pants heavily, leaning on her knees -- and a faint, if shaky, smile creeps across her features. Her body may be complaining, but it's far from over.

Of course, try and try again works best against an opponent without that certain knack for familiarizing himself with an opponent's style and tactics... Still, the fight is far from over, indeed. Ryu is quite familiar with Sakura's resilience, as well as aware of his own ebbing energy... The battle thus far has taken its toll, there's no way around that. He'll be sore later, win or lose... But right now, his aim is to fight with his all. To that intent his singular concentration recenters as he recovers from the previous blast, dropping back from Sakura only slightly. A step and a half, and a return to his ready stance, his breathing reflexively evening out. His first impulse is to push immediately in on Sakura, and in terms of the logistics of the fight, that would seem to be the /smart/ thing to do... Push the off-balance Kasugano further off-balance. But in much the same way as the wanderer wasn't inclined to clobber the staggered Cammy, the leaning, panting Sakura doesn't seem like the best choice of targets. Besides, as established, the Ansatsuken master could use a moment to breathe, himself.

COMBATSYS: Ryu takes a breather.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Ryu              1/-------/=======|=======\===----\1           Sakura


Well, that's a first -- for most of the times Sakura has ever fought against her sensei, it's always been =her= weakness that's slowed the pace, and usually the fight continues to be brought to her anyway. ... And in an odd sense, maybe it's also so in this case. But as Sakura stiffens her spine, raising her fists back into a ready position, and she notices her master -still- doesn't press the charge... well. This -is- a fight, after all! And while she might -normally- want to try and use her fists and feet to nail him... well, there's one big gun that hasn't been pulled out yet.

Hands slipping back to her sides, her fingers curl around themselves once more, even as her gaze towards Ryu remains unbroken. "Shinkuu...." Cerulean energies swirl about one another, accompanied by the faint crackle of electricity -- an orb that's suddenly expanded to about two meters wide. In reality, the process only takes a second to form -- but it might take the spinning projectile itself a bit longer to reach its target! "HADOOOOOOUKEN!"

COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Sakura's Shinkuu Hadouken.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Ryu              1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0           Sakura


Tony has disconnected.

Ryu's attention never wavers from Sakura, even if he is focusing on easing himself back into the fight, and giving her that moment free of kicks to the head to clear her own senses and finish this fight like it was meant to be fought. There's a grim satisfaction to the sensed upsurge in chi, even as the nomad's dark eyes narrow on Kasugano, standing his ground before the sweeping onslaught of the prodigy's version of the ultimate Hadouken. Rather than move from his (rather comfy?) spot a few strides away, Ryu simply crosses his arms in front of him, bracing for the blast with his own centered chi in opposition, the potent fireball detonating in a vibrant shockwave of shimmering blue that bursts outwards as much as inwards, coursing over the nomad's hardened guard with searing force... But much, much less impact than it would have had, otherwise.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ryu is in motion after the blast begins to dissipate... and how! The World Warrior's sudden closing of the gap between them may be obviously telegraphed as he rushes through the fading flickers of Sakura's chi-energy, though there's nothing predictable about the final angle of attack... With a lightning-quick, fluid motion, Ryu drops low at the last moment, snapping his right leg straight out just above the stoney arena floor. The simple, efficient kick has one singular aim - Sakura's shin.

COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Ryu's Light Kick.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Ryu              1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0           Sakura


If there wasn't any way for Sakura to predict or infer the strike aimed at her knee, then her rapid response can only be attributed to one of two things: luck, or instinct. Shifting her weight onto her trailing leg, Kasugano withdraws her leading shin from his foot's path -- just enough to take some of the sting off. Not =all= of the damage, though, as it's still jarred about from the impact. But, admittedly, she's a lot better off than she might've otherwise been.

Perhaps more importantly, the withdrawal of that leg also serves as a preparation for a counterattack -- a thrust kick delivered at her master's jaw, perhaps as payback for that discoloration on her chin! Never mind the fanservice of the move -- she has to strike while the iron's hot! "HYAAAH!"

COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Ryu with Medium Kick.
- Power hit! -

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Ryu              1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0           Sakura


[OOC] Leona would never wear something so horrid. e.e

[OOC] Sakura has a picture of Leona in a Mai uniform actually.

[OOC] Mai says, "That's why I tease her about it, Sakura. :D"

[OOC] Sakura laughs :D

[OOC] Leona says, "Yeah, seen it along with the Leona in the Vice&Mature uniform as well."

[OOC] Leona waves a finger about. "woo, or something."

[OOC] Cammy says, "Gooooo Sakura! ~_~"

[OOC] Whip dresses Leona in a uniform like hers instead. "There we go, much better. Oh! We'll need to get you a whip."

Sakura's capable defense proves Ryu's undoing, in this instance... As she dances away from the brunt of his strike, Ryu's left to rise /into/ that foot before he can even fully process the idea of getting out of the way, a sturdy, audible crack sounding as Kasugano's reward for her intuitive flow from defensive to offensive, lashing out at, apparently... Just the right moment. That certainly /stung/. It's enough to rattle Ryu's jaw, and likely raise a nice bruise of its own, but it's not enough to shake his determination. Whether a product of stubborn will, or his own realized opening, Ryu's momentum is halted as he leans and reaches for the front of Sakura's uniform, both hands seeking a firm grip on the cloth before the schoolgirl can fully withdraw from her potent forward momentum...
... And should he find that grip? Well, Ryu uses the strength and leverage of his arms and upper body to bring Sakura up and over, twisting his shoulder forcefully with the final descent to slam his capable student back-first into the hard, hard rock. It's a loving relationship, really.

COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Ryu's Seoi Nage.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Ryu              1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0           Sakura


[OOC] Sakura has more if this lands or is blocked.

[OOC] Ryu says, "So. A friend of mine just got a notice to report to jury duty. Thing is... She's a resident alien, and not even qualified for said duty. :D"

Geez. First Freeman, now Sakura's own master? What is it with people wanting to grab her uniform? Maybe it's just that she's too darn quick to catch hold of otherwise -- and indeed, the nimble schoolgirl leaps backwards, leaving nothing but air for Ryu's grasp. So much for that plan of action.

It's funny how she rarely does this well in training -- though, really, she has Cammy to thank for that! And thank she will, after this is all over -- but right now, her objective is capitalizing upon Ryu's outstretched arm -- as she makes a risky grab for it!

COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Sakura's Sakura Strangle.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  //////                        ]
Ryu              1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0           Sakura


[OOC] Ryu says, "Bearhug away."

Sakura's goal was to pull herself forward, and latch her own arms around Ryu's neck, and thus strangle the lifeforce out of him -that- way. Ah, the bonds between student and teacher. But... it doesn't look like she'll succeed completely in that attempt...

Tony has connected.

Now, this is familiar. It's not the first time Sakura's managed to establish that nimble choke-hold on Ryu... Though the relatively light schoolgirl hanging off his back doesn't seem to do a lot to unbalance Ryu. Granted, the constriction on his airway is rather painful, particularly this late in the fight, but that just makes him all the more inclined to get her the heck off of him! Of course, the options there are limited. The last time was an elbow to the ribs... But if that's what Sakura's expecting here and now, she's going to be sorely disappointed. Rather than fight her hold on the ground, Ryu makes a sudden, powerful leap /upwards/.... Sure, it puts a little more strain on his poor neck, but hopefully, the sheer strength and out-of-the-blue nature of the maneuver will throw her, just enough...
Enough for what? Well, he couldn't get a hold of the prodigy on the ground, so he tries it in the ascent, twisting violently to the side in an attempt to dislodge the hold, and snag her as he forcibly rotates.... Should that much work out, Ryu defies gravity in slightly less dramatic fashion than the Hurricane Kick entails, using a similar twist of his arms and shoulders to bring Sakura around and down... One more chance for her back to meet the arena floor, with a potent slam that, if successful, is actually used as counter-momentum to slow and alter Ryu's own descent to a safer distance.

COMBATSYS: Sakura endures Ryu's Kuuchuu Seoi Nage.

[                       \\\\\\\  < >  /                             ]
Ryu              1/---====/=======|=======\-------\1           Sakura


Ryu was right in thinking Sakura would be ready for that elbow -- in fact, her slight aversion to the counterattack may have weakened her attack to begin with. But as suspected, there's not a whole lot the Ansatsuken pupil can do once thrust into the air, and then flung right back down towards the arena's stone floor! She's not quick enough to land with catlike grace, though -- landing instead on the arch of her spine, which flexes as gravity exerts its pull, flattening her she's bounced back into the air. There's surely no smile on her face now, as it's pulled taut into a rictus of pain, but just the same, she kips back to her feet, adrenaline and the urge for to put on a good show for the audience giving her strength. And she pours a good deal of it into what -could- be her last attack -- dashing forward to meet her falling master with a leaping uppercut! "SHOOOOOOU'OOOOOU KEN!"

COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached second wind!

[                       \\\\\\\  < >  ////                          ]
Ryu              1/---====/=======|-------\-------\0           Sakura


COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Ryu with Shou'ou Ken.
- Power hit! -

[                           \\\  < >  ////                          ]
Ryu              1/--=====/=======|=------\-------\0           Sakura


[OOC] Mai says, "Wow."

[OOC] Ryu says, "Taking 3 power hits in one match = Ow."

[OOC] Sakura says, "That... should totally not have hit. :D"

[OOC] Ryu says, "83% dodge, heh."

[OOC] Sakura figured you woulda had a high dodge, yeah.

The graceful, distancing descent granted him by the successful throw does next to nothing to save Ryu from Sakura's suddenly upright posture, to say nothing of the potent rush that catches him squarely under the chin as he regains his stance, the rattling hit cracking audibly /again/ on about the same spot Kasugano's foot hit earlier. Count on her to find a weak spot, and just keep hitting there? Well, he did teach her to go for the direct, efficient route, so really... This is more a sign of a successful teacher, than a failing as a warrior, right? At least, that makes the rising fist a /little/ easier to bear, even as the brain-jarring smack sets Ryu staggering backwards. He's not unconscious... Doesn't even seem to be drifting there... but at the same time, the sum of the hits he's taken thus far are just too much for him to focus past, whatever stubborn demands his will makes.
.... Well, his will gets /one/ demand. That singular intent comes to the fore as he plants his feet sturdily beneath him, bringing his hands to his side. Kasugano's protested on several occasions that her mentor didn't give her current skill enough credit, and maybe he's taking her advice to heart.... "Shiiiiinkuuuuuu...." Ryu intones, breathing out the focusing call as a sudden spike in chi flashes brightly from between his cradling hands, the outward burst of light leaving a wildly swirling coalescence of cerulean-tinted blue energy devouring the air around it with reckless abandon, the inward vortex drawing the tatters in Ryu's gi, and the long tails of his headband to rampant fluttering. The World Warrior's own version of the ultimate Hadouken is fed more and more energy, the last of Ryu's will to fight, in a matter of moments... Before it's swept forward, the densely packed, coruscating blast swirling its wildly luminescent path towards Sakura, echoed by a finalizing, fiercely shouted call of, "Hadoooooooouken!!!!!!!!" .... It may not be the most perfectly executed variant of this technique Ryu's executed, but it lacks nothing in sheer power. Hey, Sakura's /earned/ it.

COMBATSYS: Ryu can no longer fight.

                                  >  ////                          ]
                                 |=------\-------\0           Sakura


COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Sakura with Shinkuu Hadouken.

                                  >                                ]
                                 |=======\==-----\1           Sakura


[OOC] Sakura XD

Jacob heads OOC.

Oh, great. All this time Sakura had complained, and only -now- he decides to quit goin' soft on her? Wonderful! At least she has something to think about while she spends the following day (or two, or three) laid up in bed from this.

But there's a more pressing concern now! And that would be whether or not she can survive a dose of her own medicine -- that swirling, cotton-candy-hued mass of energy rocketing her way. Does she try to get out of the way? Well, sure, she -tries-, but after that last burst of energy, there's not a whole bunch left dedicated to motivating her scrawny frame out of the way. So all she does is hope for the best, squinting her eyes and gritting her teeth as she raises her shoulder to meet the blazing orb head-on, as she falls to one knee, trying to withstand the wavefront of energy threatening to bowl her over...

COMBATSYS: Sakura takes no action.


COMBATSYS: Sakura can no longer fight.


... but when the energies collide with her, she finds she can't hold her ground any longer, and is knocked backwards, once more finding that a collision with the arena's stone floor really frickin HURTS. Groaning lightly, she looks back over to her master with a brief smile. But standing... isn't on the agenda right now.

Log created by Geese, and last modified on 17:57:58 05/03/2005.