Master Championship - [R2] Daigo vs Chun-Li

Description: Two honorable fighters, two drastically different fighting styles. It's another insanely close match, but in the end... (Winner: Daigo)


Red Arena
   While the ground-level White Arena is used more often than the
upper-level Red Arena, the Red Arena is where the really spectacular fights
are held. Seating sprawls in all directions around this circular arena, the
high-price box seats providing shade for the lower seats. Shade is important,
as the arena ceiling is retracted almost all the time, even during bad
weather (nets are stretched over the seating at these times). Twenty-foot
high glass separates the spectators from the arena, the glass polished and
protected to reduce glare and other visibility impairments.

   The arena itself is a work of art. Fifty yards in diameter, the arena
manages to represent three different landscapes; light forest at one end, a
strip of sandy beach in the middle, and shallow water with stepping stones
strategically placed at the opposite end. All is quite real; this arena is
obviously intended for veteran fighters and those who think they can step up
to the challenge this offers versus a flat arena floor. The open air and wide
space allows for fighting masters to really exercise their talents without
worrying about limited space. The Red Arena is the centerpiece of Masters
Stadium, and it shows.


So one fight ends.  That would be when there's a short intermission to clean up
the place, trim the trees, and get things ready for the next fight!  

 *INSERT TEN MINUTE INTERMISSION HERE*

And so we return to the tournament!  Next up on the tournament fight card?  A
match that has been anticipated in this bracket since the pairings were
released.  A match between two people who know what a real fight is all about.
One, a master of the streets, a punk, a gang boss, and one mean mofo with his
fists:  Daigo Kazama!  The other?  The lightning-fast kicking queen of the
martial arts, she's rumored to be able to kick through solid concrete without
breaking a sweat, the Strongest Woman in the World:  Chun-Li!  Give them a round
of applause, folks...

Needless to say, the next fight is here, and ready.  The first one in the arena?
Daigo Kazama!  Spotlights, lighting on the tall-walking Gedo boss whilst he
makes his entrance, wandering his way steadily to the far piece of the
tri-environmental arena, the forest.  The awe of the arena was novel for his
first fight, but now Daigo's more intent on his fighter than his surroundings.
He knows darn well what's going to come, and once he's picked the spot he's to
stand in for the time being, he leans up against one of the many trees, and
awaits the arrival of his opponent...

The Gedo boss' opponent is not far behind, punctual as ever and professional as
she steps out into the brightness of the arena. Her soft brown gaze scans the
surroundings for the first time from a fighter's perspective, noting various
nuances of the scenery and.. noting the crowd. To them, a bright smile is sent
along with a high wave. This entrance is not quite so popularity-drawing as her
longer one before the previous bout... but today, she needs all the focus she
can muster. The instant her hand falls, she is drawing back into herself, eyes
hardening with the edge of steel and posture tightening just slightly. A glance
is shot towards Daigo, and she turns to face him, pausing before she makes her
way to meet him at the forest's edge.

"Daigo Kazama..." the young woman states rather quietly as she looks the big man
over, from scarred face to the hem of the thick coat covering his imposing form.
It strikes her as odd.. his youth, even given her own age, is surprising for one
of such high achievement. Even if not widely known on an international level,
his deeds and his power can hardly be overlooked by those 'in the know' and she
is included among these. A smile tugs at her lips and she looks up to meet his
cyclopian gaze, her hands rising from her sides to come together at her breast,
palms pressing lightly together. "I'm honoured to meet you. Let's make this a
good match." Her head lowers as she bends at the waist, sending off a quick
polite bow.

On straightening, Chun-Li's smile has already faded and she shifts back into a
fighting stance, one leg before the other, her arms raised around her upper
body. Hardened eyes are fixed onto Daigo and she moves just lightly in place,
feet subtly sketching a rhythm against the grass. It appears he'll be free to
move first, should he so choose.

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has joined the fight here.
COMBATSYS: Daigo has joined the fight here.

Xiangfei is here? You damn -right- she's here, she wouldn't miss the next fight
if her life -depended- on it. She stormed in during the intermission, racing
past people whom were moving to seats to try and get to a decent on herself,
sign tucked under her arm, a soda in one hand, and one of those beer-caps on her
head, though it's filled with refreshing iced tea. Straws in her mouth and
headphones in her ears, the chinese gal hops into an available seat, singing
with the song she's listening to as Daigo enters, "o/~ All night long.. Leeet
meee see that thoo-o-o-o-ong. I love it when yo' booty goes: Duh-dun d- Holy
cow." Were thugs always that big? But the real rise comes when Chun-Li enters,
she jumping to her feet and clapping as she cries, "Banzaaaaaaaaaaaai!! Kick him
right in the head, Chun-Li! Right in the -HEAD-! ...... Twice!"

Another one of the competitors from the tournament is here to view the match as
well. She takes great interest in the match for one of these two may be a
potential opponent. Leona sits back in a chair watching the two competitors
intently. She still has Haggar to get by first, but she my as well get a chance
to observe this pair to study their moves in case of a third round encounter.

Daigo Kazama watches his opponent enter the arena.  It's hard to miss amid all
the cheering and spotlights and such of the chinese woman's arrival.  So that's
the sort of recognition you get when you're an international fighting star?
Huh...  Daigo would have mixed feelings about that.  His ambitions can be great,
but he has...a school to run, and kids to watch over in Southtown.  Doin' this
for them, the big Boss muses, pushing off the tree he was leaned up against
whilst Chun makes her advance to the forested arena section.  

Once addressed, Daigo half-grins, and bows his head first, then matching a more
formal bow of hands-together, upper-body bent, one eye closed.  He has respect
for Ms. Li.  The thought that he has the chance to match fists with a real
warrior is nothing short of exciting.  The bow finished, Daigo opens his good
eye, and gives his knuckles a good cracking.  "I'm sure it will be a good fight.
I will do my best not to disappoint you..."

He means it, too.  No sooner does Chun fall into her battle stance, than Daigo
follows suit, relaxing first, and then lifting his arms, boxer-style, to lift
his guard.  ...He's being given the honor of first strike?  Hmm...  Well in a
serious fight, between two respectable fighters, it would be an insult not to
accept!  Besides, Daigo is just given the opportunity to open with that which he
has used for darn near every other fight he's been in.  The one move that tests
his speed verses the other's, and gives him an idea what to expect.  Thus it is
that the Gedo Boss, hulking form and all, hops forward the few steps it takes to
get within striking range, and lashes out with his left hand.  A poke to the
sternum, nothing more, but even the softest poke can sting sometimes.

COMBATSYS: Daigo successfully hits Chun-Li with Jab Punch.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li endures Daigo's Jab Punch.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Daigo            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0          Chun-Li

Exciting indeed.. and all that hard determination from the world's strongest
woman is based on exactly that. While part of would love to throw herself in,
blood pumping and heart pounding, she knows that's no way to win a fight - or to
respect your opponent's strength. Also why she grants the first blow.. she needs
to know exactly what she's up against, and how fast, how cunning, she needs to
be. Chun-Li's eyes scan carefully as Daigo approaches, marking the nuances in
his own positioning as she did the layout of the arena... one step short of
being truly analytical, she none the less takes great care and won't be
underestimating the man. How could she? His form is excellent, and his strength
obvious.. almost palpable.. to her. Another hint of a smile before she lets
herself fall completely under the spell of one hundred percent focus, watching
his fist draw back and the relatively lightweight punch move toward her chest.

It lands. It lands solidly, right where he planned, but Chun-Li is ready and her
body only shifts slightly to compensate for the thump. "I see.." she murmurs, to
herself rather than to him - a verbal confirmation of everything she'd
assumed... for such a small blow, that had a sting. A real weight behind it, and
now she'll match the weight in her own response. And then some. "HYAH!" Suddenly
wrenched from her near-revery, she slips her extended leg back and shifts her
entire weight upon it, pivoting her body and leaning back as the right leg
raises, bent at the knee before it.. whips out, in a perfectly straight kick
aimed high - for the side of the big man's head.

Maybe Xiangfei's wish will be half-fulfilled already?

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Daigo with Medium Kick.
- Power hit! -

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Daigo            0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0          Chun-Li

Thus is how Daigo learns a good, hard, lesson in combat.  Even his 'playful'
little jab-poke can have staggering consequences when one goes and jabs the
wrong person.  Then again, in one way, Daigo is also given a good, hard, lesson
in the skill Chun wields in her legs.  Such is the speed of her attack.  Daigo's
fist no sooner goes back to his ready position, than the big Gedo boy ends up
with a boot thunking the side of his head!  Worse yet, that was his /good/ side,
with his good eye!  End result:  Daigo discovers that Chun-Li does not like
getting poked in the chest.  Note:  Do not punch Chun-Li in the chest.

Daigo staggers back, momentarily blinded by the blow. His guard, lifted a notch.
That stung...  He shall have to see if he can't prevent that from happening
again.  "...I see why they call you the Strongest." Dai mutters, his respect for
the female fighter, growing.  But words have little place in a real fight.
Daigo, his guard thusly raised, pauses a moment to gather his wits...

COMBATSYS: Daigo focuses on his next action.

Thunk. Chun-Li feels her booted foot connect even before it truly does, that
split-second before impact sending a slight rush through her body. In truth,
that's just the heart rate accelerating as it always does.. not something the
human form can help.. but it always feels like something much more mystical. The
exhilaration of battle. Drawing in a breath after the blow, she's already
rapidly spinning away with a reversal of her momentum, turning onto the lowering
right foot and taking a hop in the opposite direction to Daigo. The short
journey brings her full circle, through three hundred and sixty degrees and into
a low stance facing him - leaning back upon her right leg with the other firmly
set at a right angle in front of her, foot gripping to the floor.

"Thank you, Mr. Kazama.. but we've only just begun..." this in quiet response to
his compliment.. after all, it's true. This could go either way, and one solid
hit does not swing the course of a battle. Not so early. As she spoke her hands
had ridden back to her right hip, fingers curled lightly around an imaginary
ball. "Let's continue!" With that both hands come forward, a pinpoint of gold
light flaring at the centre of out-thrust palms, the woman leaning over her
extended leg as she aims this sudden flare towards her opponent. The gold
blossoms into a small pulsing sphere, and as it rockets from her flesh it
becomes shrouded in a similarly organic shroud of white-blue chi... "KOUKEN!"

COMBATSYS: Daigo blocks Chun-Li's Kikou Ken.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Daigo            0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0          Chun-Li

Xiangfei squeals from the well delivered kick, and she slumps into her seat,
eyes lit up as she cups her cheeks, "ooooooh... -Wow- what a kick," she sighs.
Perhaps she needs a cigarette? But then sits up before she misses everything
else by accident, and grins even wider now as she slurps from her cray-zee (tm)
straws, "Yaaaaaa-hoo! It's like fighting an electric storm, nothing can make
this moment better!" au contrair, Xiangfei, as a vendor man is making rounds
along the stairwell, 'Getcher hot popcorn heah! Foah bucks a bag!' "I'll take
5!" she immedietly responds, raising a finger. She's feels she's been blessed by
the gods today! .... A god with expensive taste.

Projectiles.  The one art Daigo isn't all that fond of.  Sure, he's got his own
distance-type move, but he's much more the type to worry about getting in and
getting his hands dirty than trying to play keep-away.  They are a tool, used to
continue an assault when close combat isn't always there.  Which is what Daigo
notices about the golden sphere of energy coming his way.  A projectile...
Those are...easy to block.  

And so Daigo blocks.  Both arms raised, waves of the chi-blast wash over him,
deflected by those big meaty arms of the Kazama.  Even the blocked projectile
stings...  Everything about this warrior woman screams pure strength, hidden
until it's used.  Daigo will have to step up his efforts if he's going to stand
a chance at keeping pace...

"...Just begun." Daigo echos, and flexes his arms.  He's got a little distance
to catch up, but that doesn't bother him.  He already knows what he's going to
do before he even moves.  Planning.  Watching.  Keeping his defense.  Don't let
it falter.  ...GO!  

Daigo tilts his head as he moves next, his legs hopping, left, right, left
again, getting within arms reach for the second time this fight.  It's hard,
keeping an eye on every move your opponent makes when you only have one eye, but
Dai's coped before.  He can cope now.  His left arm, extends with another jab.
But it's more of a feint attack.  There to poke, and annoy, and mimic his
starting move, so that his follow-up punch, the right cross, can have a chance
of scoring.  A kick for a punch, upside Chun's pretty head.

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Daigo's 1-2 Smash.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Daigo            0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0          Chun-Li

Chun-Li gracefully unfolds from hurling the projectile. In many ways, she'd
agree with Daigo.. they are annoying things, and that's the purpose she employs
them in for the most part - poking, gnawing at the distant opponent and forcing
them into re-closing the distance. While hardly an up-close brawler, she prefers
being within easy reach to unleash her more powerful attacks, and simply to
experience the fight. It's more honourable, more interesting and.. more fun, in
truth. Though that side of things is rarely admitted to during... only after,
when the need for focus is gone. Speaking of focus, as she slips back into her
stance she's ready and waiting for Daigo.. no point in turning to run, or in
pre-emptively dodging. He moves with a canny grace for his size, and she's sure
turning tail would be like running from a tank - all well and good, but sooner
or later you'll tire, make a mistake, and the heavy vehicle will move onwards.
As his first blow comes in, one hand flickers up to cast the jab aside from her
face, straightened fingers shifting it nigh-effortlessly.

"Hmph." It's not a dismissive sound, one of affirmation again - she can see that
next blow coming in, and it's a beauty. Her other hand raises, forearms linking
across her face and catching the punch cleanly just above the spikes of her twin
bracelets. She is jerked back through the grass a few inches, and a little pain
carries down her limbs.. but no time for pain, no pause needed. She drops with
the momentum into a half-crouch, left hand dropping to brace to the floor as she
swings her body upward and into a thrust kick from the right leg.

"TENSHOU KYAKU!" As the first kick is delivered - or even if the man gets aside
- towards the chin, the other leg is kicking off from the floor before
straightening out itself, and the woman's arms raise perfectly placed around her
body. Her form then spins through one hundred and eighty degrees, continuing to
rise as a second identical kick is aimed from the opposite leg. The attack is
finished with another spin and a third blow, the uncanny grace of the move like
many of the woman's actions belying the power underneath.

COMBATSYS: Daigo blocks Chun-Li's Tenshou Kyaku.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Daigo            0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0          Chun-Li

Grace and power.  That describes enough the way both combatants move.  The
'greeting' parts of the fight over, now comes the real meat.  Where all of one's
skill is pitted against the other.  Daigo is once again impressed with the speed
of Chun's arms, noting how they move to bat aside, shift his momentium, and then
block altogether his attack, and while his arm couldn't be completely stopped,
shown by Chun's slight backskid, it was cushioned enough to be somewhat
ineffective.  Daigo learns, though...  The last time he poked at Chun, he ended
up with a boot to the head.  As his right hand fails to strike effectively, the
big man steps back, and has his left arm all set to protect the big man's body.
Sure enough, the attack comes...  

A chin-kick?  Daigo's left arm is already in the way to absorb that one.  From
the first block, one of his legs tenses and lifts to help deflect the second
kick, and by the time the third blow of that three-part combo comes up, Daigo's
hopped backwards to avoid it.  There's no time to keep the pressure away.  Move,
Daigo, move!  

A mere second, that's all it takes for the Gedo Boss to move in again, seeing if
he can't capitalize on the graceful Chun's finishing position.  It's his way.
He knows defense.  How to have it.  How to keep it.  And in many ways, how to
break it.  This fight is turning out to be a grand test of his skill in that
regard, and this fact alone gets Daigo's blood pumping more than ever.  His
fight with Hyo wasn't even this matched...  Daigo, upon stepping in, seeks to
lead with his right fist this time.  His last attack was two strikes, this one
is more of a three-part combo.  A right cross, a left uppercut, and a final
right downwards smash.  All three, carrying with them a little of Daigo's own
fiery-red Phoenix chi, for that added punch...

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Daigo's Phoenix Fist.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Daigo            0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0          Chun-Li

Only a partial scoring of damage for the young woman this time... and it pleases
her. Too many hits like the first would have led to a quick, and easy match. No
challenge, no personal gain - she already experienced relative ease against Guy,
and to perform so startlingly again would achieve nothing towards improving
Chun-Li's style. As she hangs lightly in the air from the delivering of the
final kick, she becomes aware with something of a start that.. power builds up
below. Chi? She only saw Daigo utilise one move of that sort against his young
opponent, and with eyes narrowing, resolve strengthening in a rush, she drops
down from the air to land cleanly on her feet just in time to meet the first
hammering blow.

Hammering indeed. The initial strike takes her heavily, and she jerks to one
side, stumbling with less of her habitual agility than she would have liked. The
crowd give up a brief roar - in support for a seeming shift in the flow of the
battle. Will she really be struck all three times? Not so... and as the second
comes in she moves with a rush of air, ducking underneath the uppercut and
twisting her body out around the big man's left flank. "Nice try!" She gasps
out, vision still in part recovering from the stars brought by the cross. He's
strong alright, and now she's felt it with full impact. This time she tries
something a little different, no flurry of kicks or even a single perfect attack
like her first... instead she steps in quietly as Daigo recovers from his third
attack, and braces a hand to either side of his body, leaning in to apply a
quick and simple body slam. Here's the trust test of her own strength - using
such a large opponent's weight against them is never as simple as it appears.
"HAH!"

COMBATSYS: Daigo blocks Chun-Li's Koshuu Tou.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Daigo            0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0          Chun-Li

Ahhh, throws...  Another of those moves that Daigo has become fairly decent at
coping with recently.  Hyo used many of them.  Kelvin, even more so.  Daigo has
become somewhat adept at shifting his own body mass around to make tossing his
bulk somewhat difficult to control.  This, Chun shall find out.  Sure, she'll
get the hold off, and start Daigo plummeting towards the ground, but somewhere
along the way the Gedo Boss twists, and jerks out of the grasp, to spread out
the pain along his body, and even out the damage.  Soaking up another brutal
attack.  Up to now, Daigo had thought that most of Chun's strength came from her
legs.  Now it's apparent that her fighting style is hardly based on one aspect
so small as that.  Her arms hold considerable strength as well!  

Already, Daigo can see the shape the fight is forming.  She has an
advantage...but it's too early to see if it holds.  The crowd shall see the
final results for themselves!  Daigo rolls, after thudding into the ground,
almost bouncing, and once the Kazama gets to his feet...it's back to the brawl.
This time, no light-hearted tap.  But no chi, either.  A straight-up punch,
Daigo closing in to make an attempt at checking Chun's lower defenses, by
ramming his meaty right hand in a low body blow to her gut.  The sort of thing
used to set up greater pain, later.

COMBATSYS: Daigo successfully hits Chun-Li with Medium Punch.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Daigo            0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0          Chun-Li

Chun-Li straightens with a softy breathed sigh, slipping back a pace once her
throw is sent off. Standing in a casual posture for a moment, catching her
breath and her wits, she reasses Daigo Kazama. It's clear he knows what he's
doing, and his defences are expert - one solid hit out of several attempts, and
he's fast enough that her own attempts to defend have been barely made. But it's
a cunning speed, a deceptive one.. a lot of it lies in the mind, in believing
his movements to be more lethargic than they truly are. And she can think of no
way around it, save perseverance.. eventually, a weakness will be found and
exploited. Her master taught her how to bring down such mountains, but it's
never easy. Her eyes narrow then as she rapidly assumes a defensive stance on
seeing Daigo return to form, her legs spread evenly.. one hand fisted at her hip
and the other extended in front of her at chest-height. (Here he comes...)

And she moves, feet shifting to carry her smoothly around to his flank once
again.. to try again for a weak spot at that angle. But once more his motions
deceive her, and as she twists the fist is given a perfect opportunity to plant
itself into her gut, impacting on wound material and tense flesh. But it's none
the less painful, and she buckles at the waist, gasping in a quick breath. Her
groundwork just isn't working out it seems, and she quickly backs off, taking a
few deft steps with her guard raised before her hands lift to her chest and she
tucks into an incredibly graceful flip... carrying her twice her height upwards,
caught in the lights of the arena, before coming down with one leg extended and
one knee raised up to her body, just below her hands. Where does she aim? For
the base of the big man's neck, attempting to plant her hard knee right into
that spot and send him crumpling - while she rebounds and continues in a shorter
jump away from him. No words, no exclamation, just an agile attempt to turn the
tide.

COMBATSYS: Daigo blocks Chun-Li's Medium Kick.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Daigo            1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0          Chun-Li

Like a goddess descending onto a field of battle.  Now there's the strength
Daigo already knew about...  Legs so powerful, they're able to propel a human
body more than twice their own height.  Jumping and kicking skill that's
infamous.  Much like this particular move of Chun's.  Daigo's seen a few fights,
he knows about aerial attacks, and this one is no exception.  He was even given
time to prepare by the jump itself, shifting back to a defensive stance as soon
as his previous punch struck home.  So now, both of the big man's arms lift to
the sky, and act as another platform entirely for Chun's weight, allowing her to
rebound off as planned, but without the desired effect of crumpling Daigo down.
It earns a grunt of effort from Dai, having to hold up Chun-Li's weight through
that jump.  A good move...  Testing many of Dai's own defenses in ways he needs
them tested.  

Yet as Chun lands, there is Daigo, turning to face her yet again.  Ready to
continue the heated battle, and hoping to use his block to his advantage.  For
he has had a precious second to attempt to prepare a greeting for the woman
warrior's landing, straying from his normal punch-happy style to try a quick
sweep instead, his right leg jerking out to try and kick Chun's legs out from
under her.

So far, an even match...  The crowd should be enjoying this fight.

There's just something really fun about watching someone get kicked above the
neck. Well, it's not so much that it's the kick up there, but in Xiangs eyes
it's just so.. So graceful when the chinese girl does it, she'd say it was even
better than /Kim/ kicking people in the face! So she cheers yet -again- when
another blow is delivered, and nudges the person sitting next to her... hey,
it's the same guy as last time! "Hey, hey! Did you see that??" she cries, "It
doesn't matter -how- big a guy is, he can count on getting his head kicked, it's
like -pow-! And the other guy is like, 'Ah! Your footprint is on my cheek!'.
Haha, I definatly wouldn't want to be.. Uh... Uh..." she peers down at the guys
program, "... Daigo right now!" The man sitting beside her just sighs, shaking
his head, and he replies, '... But he blocked it.' "What?? Booo! Booooooo!
Yellow flag!"

COMBATSYS: Daigo successfully hits Chun-Li with Light Kick.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li endures Daigo's Light Kick.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Daigo            1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0          Chun-Li

Chun-Li's eyebrows shoot up as she notices the re-positioning of her blow, and
though it doesn't affect her planning in any way it does.. interest her. Most
try to dodge that particular kick, often finding themselves unable to judge its
movement and falling foul - others manage the dodge, as Guy did three days
previously. A small amused smile touches her lips though as she bounces back
through the air, landing neatly in a half-crouch a short way from Daigo. He's
sensible. He analyses, interpets her movement and then cleanly blocks it - no
snazzy tricks, nothing too risky. It's a steady fight, and one that could last
quite some time...

But as she does land, these thoughts flowing through her mind in that familiar
rush of ideas, she already has an attack to deal with. To spring back up or to
weather it out? She knows she has no time to prepare a truly adequate defence,
and must choose between a potentially costing risk or.. a way of turning it to
her advantage. She lets the sweep come. It knocks her from her toes onto her
back, and with a soft grunt she takes the full force.. but rapidly slams her
hands down and rolls with the hit, flipping up into a handstand then jerking her
fingers into the grassy surface. This begins an attack all should know well -
it's the one most identified with her, and something Xiangfei missed in the
previous bout. Let's hope she's paying attention!

"SPINNING BIRD KICK!" Chun-Li's hands leave the floor and propel her into a
spin, both legs kicking out at chest-height as she rips in towards Daigo, the
flurry of blows that come as a result carrying the sting he'll now be familiar
with. She only hopes this can be a solid landing, as it's given her all, extra
speed going into it out of sheer desperation to find and attack an opening...
will it be so?

COMBATSYS: Daigo blocks Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Daigo            1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1          Chun-Li

Fortunately for Daigo in this particular circumstance, that was the reason why
he tried the sweep.  His arms are needed to deflect the subsequent
counterattack.  Now Daigo is far from being a battle tactician, but he's fairly
good, much like Chun, at guessing what people are apt to do next.  He knows an
attack will be coming, and his guard, while a little bruised from the constant
battering, is still nice and solid.  So it is that this desperation attempt of
Chun's is studied in the split-second Daigo has to lift his arms and move into
action once again.  It's a good move, the Spinning Bird Kick.  Powerful.  The
near-perfect representation of the strength that lies in Chun-Li's lower body.
Daigo does his best to deflect those evil spinning kicks, one by one, some of
them he's able to step back from.  Others, he has to lift his arms and take the
glancing hit.  On two occasions, he's struck solidly in the chest, and sent
spinning, only to lash his arm out again to bat the next powerful boot away.  By
the end of the spin, Daigo's just a little dizzy, but not too much more bruised
than he had been before.

"That was a great move..." Daigo notes, his arms almost throbbing from the abuse
given from that massive spinning attack.  That must be why he attempts to try
another kick instead, giving his arms a moment to cool off, and adding a little
half-turn of his own.  It's more like a donkey kick, and potent, but...almost
perfectly obvious at the same time.  That must be why Daigo...doesn't kick
often.

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Daigo's Medium Kick.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Daigo            1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1          Chun-Li

Xiangfei shakes a fist in Daigos general directions, and then winces slightly as
Chun-Li takes Daigos kick, and nibbles her lower lip nervously. Well, it's made
quite clear that thugish-looking or not, this man was definatly no pushover,
"Aah, come on, come on," she whimpers, her hands tighetening into fists, but
when the female fighter prepares the handspring, Xiangs heart skips a beat as
her eyes widen, "Oh shoot," and she gets to her feet, "Oh shoot!!" and the
spinning bird kick is executed, causing the girl to just completely lose it,
completely flipping the hell out, "AAAAAAAAH!! AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" she screams,
flailing her arms as she jumps around wildly, unable to express herself through
normal human language, the bells in her hair jingling like crazy,
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!" the abrupt action certainly causing a few spectators nearby
to jump out of their seats. But they just don't understand! Wow. Ok, maybe she
is a fangirl. But only a little teenie tiny bit.But at this rate she'll miss the
rest of the match with her joy-gasm.

Blocked, evaded, batted aside... that might disappoint Xiangfei when she leaves
her moments of joy! But a few hits connected, and against Daigo every little
would seem to count, all the while the young woman pecks away at his guard..
waiting for another hit like the first to sway the battle. One thing seems
certain - when the sway comes, it will be decisive. Even as she's flying through
the impressive attack, the familiar bloodrush coming to her head and the slight
disorientation that is just as known to her coming simultaneously, she can feel
her body asking for a break. But there's no time for that, there can't be..
she's willing herself to continue, as hands come down at the end of the Spinning
Bird Kick to propel her down and around, legs tucking in smoothly, to land in a
deft crouch. Surprise as she lands comes in the form of another Dai-powered
kick.. not especially fast, but once more she doesn't feel confident enough to
brush aside it as she so frequently can with the attacks of others...

"Nngh!" Chun-Li's mouth locks in a faint grimace as a shockwave runs up her
arms, which have come out to brace against Daigo's foot, preventing it from full
impact with her low-placed chest. There's only so much she can do from here, and
since they seem to be going the way of close combat - hardly moved at all,
comparatively, since the beginning of the fight - she swings her weight into a
flip, over the gripped shoe and towards her opponent. As she comes around her
legs kick out once more, the Chinese fighter performing a gymnastic split in
mid-air, releasing Daigo's foot and coming around in a speedy kick, aimed to
slash across almost the full length of his body, and bring her back to the
ground in one smooth motion.

COMBATSYS: Daigo blocks Chun-Li's Sen'en Shuu.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Daigo            1/-----==/=======|=======\=------\1          Chun-Li

It's a confusing display of agility, and one that Daigo isn't all too sure of
blocking this time.  His foot, trapped, his balance unsure, Daigo looks for all
intents and purposes like a wide open target for the oncoming gymnastic flip and
kick attack aimed his way.  The only chance Daigo has for this, being to finish
losing his balance altogether, and crouch down to present the smallest target
this big man can make.  That, at least, allows for Daigo to tuck his arms up,
and absorb this new assault using both crossed wrists, and a bowed head.  The
top of his head, being a fairly hard target to injure, don'tcha know.  

The close-call guard gives Daigo one opportunity for a counter-attack.  From his
crouched position, it wouldn't take much for Dai to simply reach out, and try to
grab Chun by a leg, or an arm, or even a part of her outfit as she lands, to
repay her for the throw she gave to him not too long ago.  A simple toss,
really, but when used in the forest setting like they're fighting in, even a
simple toss can have a bad consequence.

COMBATSYS: Daigo successfully hits Chun-Li with Quick Throw.

[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Daigo            1/-----==/=======|=======\==-----\1          Chun-Li

Xiangfei's screamining eventually has to come to an end though, as she goes
rather red in the face and gets a whopping headache as a result. She clutches
her head and groans as she falls back into her seat, feeling a bit dizzy as
well, "Ow.. ow ow ow ow.." one eye closed as she keeps her eyes on the fight,
groaning again as Daigo succesfully blocks the attack. Well, there's only one
logical explanation: He simply isn't a human being. Yeah, that's the ticket, but
now she's hunched over, letting the blood rush away from her face as her head
throbs, "..... ugh.."

That's a problem with landing whilst doing the splits... however fast the blow
might come, Chun-Li ends up very open to a clever opponent. She finds herself
grabbed by Daigo before she can slide back to a crouch, and her eyes promptly
widen as she goes sailing over his shoulder and straight into the forest proper,
barely avoiding one hefty treetrunk as she enters the relatively gloomy area of
the fighting stage. (Too slow.. I'm not acting quickly enough...) She tucks her
shoulder in which a wince as she comes in for the landing, feeling the shockwave
but ignoring it and flipping to a squatting position before immediately surging
up into a full-pelt dash towards Daigo. If she can't break his guard, she'll
just have to try and bust it down with force...

"It's been fun!" She gets out towards him, flashing a lopsided smile.. less
intent on focus or pure agility, at least for the moment, she allows herself
this luxury. Then she surges forward with a sliding leap, one foot brushing the
floor before it tucks underneath her and she covers the final distance between
them, whipping her other leg around in a staggering roundhouse kick - aimed to
take him dead in the side and propel him past her left flank, towards the edge
of the forest nearest the audience. If he hits a tree or the glass... all the
better, but the kick itself is already a beauty.

COMBATSYS: Daigo blocks Chun-Li's Strong Kick.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Daigo            1/----===/=======|=======\===----\1          Chun-Li

Speed is one way of fighting.  Power is another.  Defense, a third, and
willpower alone can be a fourth.  Daigo has a very good art of defense.  It's
been stated.  Marvelled at.  And busted through on more than one occasion.
Every time Daigo takes a hit, he learns from it...  In this fight, he's learned
a great deal about how Chun-Li fights.  Her speed.  Her tactics.  Her power.  It
could, in some way, be considered a small victory that he's managed to put up
this much of a fight.  Enough so that certain options are running out.

Unfortunately, running out on both sides...  There's really only so much abuse
one can take before they can't take any more.  Daigo feels his body aching.
Fast approaching that point.  And yet, the match is far from over...  Even as
Chun launches off in one mother-of-all kick, Daigo realizes just how much energy
is still in his opponent.  Almost too much, for all that's happened.  Even so,
Daigo knows power more than he knows speed, and this...this kick, he can deal
with.  Both arms lift, and firmly accept the impact, his shoes skidding over the
grassy parts of the forest, almost making him crunch into a tree.  If anything,
the tree acted as part of a brace for the impact.  Dai's arms sting after
that...but he's still standing, and ready for more.  So much more.  

"It has!" Daigo answers, offering his own half-grin, before his face enters a
mask of concentration yet again, using that big, meaty right hand, and stepping
in to try and uppercut underneath Chun's guard, returning the 'pat' right back
to her.  "...but we're not done yet!"

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Daigo's Medium Punch.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Daigo            1/----===/=======|=======\====---\1          Chun-Li

Xiangfei is still momentarily out of it, much to the relief of the guy sitting
next to her whom doesn't even ask if she's ok. How rude! But he'll get his soon
enough, Xiangfei just wincing as the throbbing sensation in her head finally
starts to wear down.. A very important lesson was learned thus far this evening!

It was a kick with everything behind it... almost everything. Just occasionally
Chun-Li can reach deep inside and pull out something even more damaging, just
every so often - when it's really necessary. And it seems like something similar
might just be necessary now, a real overstretching of effort to deal as much
damage as possible. She's trying to remain optimistic, but for all her own power
and speed it looks like she's found the perfect foil to herself.. the opposite
to her own abilities. Can she pull through? As she swings around still from her
kick, she can only pray so... and she, too, slips back into stoic determination,
spinning almost one hundred and eighty degrees with the deflected force of her
own blow, and feeling herself start to drop. But before this can be prepared for
there's another blow rocketing into her back, only grazing for a split-second,
and that's all she needs.

Chun-Li's right hand lances around behind her, coming into contact with Daigo's
forearm and gripping it tightly. It's not painful, but it's enough for her to
use to pivot away from the very worst of his uppercut, only landing with a
slight stumble as she subsequently releases his limb, lands facing away from him
and then spins to correct this. (You're right, it's not over.. not until I've
done my best!) Her eyes narrow, and she starts to rise from her crouch fluidly,
one leg slightly in front of the other.. leaning back on the one set behind with
hands drifting to her hip again. And once more cupped around that imaginary ball
- but this time, Daigo can likely feel the force building. This is no 'poke' on
the scale of her Kikouken projectile.

"KAAA-" the Chinese woman begins a low cry, which builds on her lips and
heightens in volume, all the whole chi flaring and boiling up between her
fingers. It seems to take an age, as if she's moving in slow motion.. at least
to her.. but to the spectators and to her opponent it is a much quicker action,
the blue-white energy raging outward in maybe half a second to form a rapidly
spinning ball between her hands. "KOUSHOU!" She roars, and thrusts both hands
forward, the accompanying chi-winds ripping at her dress, sending it rippling
along with the ties in her hair and the few loose strands at her brow. Her eyes
half shut against the torrent, as with little warning the orb of power is rammed
in towards Daigo at close range, blazing out and opening into something far
larger than it might have appeared to be... hitting multiple times as it spins,
battering against that seemingly unbeatable guard.

It's the most powerful way she can think of busting through. Fingers crossed.

COMBATSYS: Daigo just-defends Chun-Li's Kikoushou!

[              \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Daigo            1/----===/=======|-------\-------\0          Chun-Li

Daigo feels it alright...  The building of energy.  The aura of chi that seems
to be drawing in from the very surroundings of this gloomy side of the arena.  A
breeze, blowing through the trees and leaves, drawn to Chun for this one,
infinitely powerful attack.  You bet Daigo can feel it...  The slow-motion
Chun-Li feels seems to expand, to extend, Daigo's awareness of his opponent
growing that much more, in the mere second or two that passes in real-time
before the storm to follow.  Daigo is...strangely calm.  It's as though in this
serious fight, he has somehow managed to click with Chun's powerful style, adapt
to it, and...now, faced with the ultimate in chi-bursts, Daigo is calm.  

Winds rage around, the chi building, bursting forth in what could be one of the
biggest chi-bursts ever seen.  It's huge, nigh-undodgeable, and filled with the
strength of the woman behind it.  Respectable...and yet, Daigo sees a flaw.  A
single flaw in this chi-filled rage.  Daigo knows he can't merely block this
mighty blast with his defense alone.  He has to ruin it.  Stop it in its
entirety with the first touch.  After it's all said and done, Daigo couldn't
tell you how he did it, but somehow, when that mighty ball of chi came to him,
he forced himself to wait until the very last moment, and then both arms lifted.
As though he accepted the chi, it flowed around him.  Around his arms, around
his body, to be broken when his arms flung out, the entirety of the ball of
energy, torn apart in a similar windy explosion.

Strangely enough, Daigo doesn't even feel winded from this effort.  As though a
minute amount of chi from Chun's attempt...soaked into him.  Helping him
understand further what makes this female fighter tick.  It's with this
understanding that Daigo marches forth, both arms raised yet again.  Closing the
distance.  "...I'm impressed." Daigo comments, stopping a few feet away from
Chun-Li, his arms raised.  Seeing what sort of shape his opponent's in.
"...I've never seen a chi-blast that big.  Now come, let's end this..."  As Chun
had done before, Daigo now gives her the chance to strike again.

COMBATSYS: Daigo focuses on his next action.

Xiangfei sits up again, feeling back to normal, and pretty chipper. No better
way to celebrate than to sip from her hat-cup... Which is now empty. "Augh.."
she grumbles, and when her attention is back on battle, it's just in time to see
Chuns impressive Kikoshou, which she raises a hand to shield her eyes as she
grins broadly, "Woooooh!!" she cries, but the result of the attack just makes
Xiang-Fei's jaw just DROP. Jaw going slack, she simply just /stares/ at Daigo
simply just taking the attack as if it were nothing. She certainly can't
comprehend it and is at a complete loss of words, "......" He must be.. Some
sort of super advanced android, or something!

Chun-Li loses herself in attacks such as those.. she even suffers a slight lapse
in consciousness from the simpler projectile. They just aren't her preferred
method of offense - fast still, and useful beyond belief in some cases, but..
somehow not -her-. Additions to her style, rather than flowing effortlessly with
it as do her other motions. She feels something wrong halfway through, the
familiar sensation of pain at the end of her projected energies not echoing back
to her, no thumps sounding and no cries. Not even a groan. She has to fight
desperately for a moment to stave off a feeling of helplessness, one that only
once has she been made to feel before... against another monster of defence,
though in that case it was simply a monster, period. She has respect for Daigo,
and there'll be a meeting after this - whether she wins or he does, she wants to
know more. To know more about the youth who can take so much damage, and handle
her so perfectly.

Coming out of her attack, she sees her suspicions confirmed, eyes widening on
the still form of the Gedo boss, untarnished by the massive blow struck against
him. Her hands lower and her mouth tugs downward at the edges, a frown hacking
its way into her brow, eyes darkening in disappointment... in herself though, as
though she has failed. That might be rethought later, but for now it's
impossible to avoid. She doesn't pause long on the ill thought, flipping over
backwards even as she struggles to resume her composure and handspringing off
the forest floor behind, to eventually land some eight feet from Daigo, her
chest heaving. "After you.." she offers, inclining her head then drawing herself
back into her stance. She'd attack if she could, she wants to, but so much has
been taken out of her - mentally, moreso than physically. And she needs a
moment.

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li takes a breather.

Being the honorable guy he is, Daigo really doesn't like to fight someone who
isn't ready for it.  Not that street-fighting, or gang-fighting ever leaves much
for that sort of honor to shine, but it's there.  It's one reason why Daigo is
the leader he is for his kids.  It's why he didn't up and try to punch someone's
face in when they're winded.  It's not how he likes to work.

Of course, after Chun flips back, and takes a break from beating on Daigo's
defense, the Gedo Boss feels he can go back to 'business'.  As much as he'd love
to follow up Chun's big ki blast with something of his own, he once again sticks
to the simpler forms of damage, as though he'd started over in his fighting
list.  Only he's not testing this time.  He knows she's got some energy left,
some fight in her still, and he's going to find out how much...  That's what
this tournament's all about, right?

It'll take him a moment to step in close again, but when Dai does, it's with a
fury.  Or a one-two attack.  One left jab, for the shoulder, and one right
cross, for the head.  He used it before, but it's one of his most effective ways
of inflicting pain...aside from the Phoenix Fist.

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Daigo's 1-2 Smash.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Daigo            1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0          Chun-Li

Xiangfei manages to pull herself togeather somehow after a moment, shaking her
head as she watches both fighters pause for a very tense moment.. It seems that
Chun-Li seems to be wearing down, and she can't tell really how Daigo is doing.
Her hands in very tight fists and teeth grit hard, she starts to look very
worried, but the fight isn't over until it's over, right? "Let's go
Chun-Liiii!!" she then cries as she manages to unclench her fists and cup them
about her mouth, "You can do it! Wooooooooooh!!"

Whoosh! Xiangfei is just too busy paying attention to the fight to notice the
hot dog with all the fixings on it flying towards the back of her head. Leona
leans back in her chair seeming quite satisfied at possibly shutting the girl
with the large forehead up for at least a moment. And if all things work out
perfectly she is hidden well enough among the crowd to where she might not be
seen. But the time for silly antics is over. Leona goes back to watching the
pair square off intently. If she manages to make it to the next round, both of
these opponents will be very tough for her.

For Chun-Li this tournament has been a way back into the life of a professional
fighter... she's spent too long amongst paperwork, and biding her time in safe
tournaments and sparring matches after the crushing showdown with Vega two years
before. To have come even one round in might be said to be an achievement, and
she'll have other challenges here.. unofficial ones.. if she should fall to the
might of the Kazama fist. But there's always a part of the human that desires
victory, and will keep trying for it. There is something else too - the fans.
She never realised truly how well-loved she's become in so few public
appearances, and the Master Tournament has been sinking that home very steadily
indeed. Now she has to do her best for them, too, the audience.. those who
believe in her. So as she sees Daigo advancing again, the fist raising to open
that self-same attack from earlier, she throws up one hand to catch the jab.
"No."

Twisting it down and to one side forcefully, her other arm then raises to bear
the brunt of the second more staggering blow. She barely moves, though there's
pain there it gets suppressed. Pushed deep. "I'm not done yet!" A smile darts
into view, and at that point Daigo might care to realise that her right foot is
already lifting from the floor. Her left shifts inward, moving to attain better
balance as she pushes away his second arm. Then she's back on one leg, perfectly
drawn up and kicking the right knee out... leg unfolding to release a kick at
chest-height; straight, textbook in nature. But it doesn't end there. On the
first blow landing, her foot and leg become a blur, and a whole sequence of
similar strikes are hurled to pepper Daigo from chest to shin in a machine-gun
round of the Chinese martial artist's kicks, each punctuated with a short
martial cry.

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Daigo with Hyakuretsu Kyaku.
COMBATSYS: Daigo endures Chun-Li's Hyakuretsu Kyaku.

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Daigo            1/-======/=======|===----\-------\0          Chun-Li

..Oops.

Daigo, not usually one to underestimate people OR their breathers, suddenly
realizes a half-second too late that his earlier thought of prematurely ending
the fight was...an error, at best.  He let his guard down.  He gave her an
opening...

And now he pays for it.  A blurrish series of kicks that, even if Dai HAD a
defense going, he couldn't stand any hope to block.  They pepper his chest, his
arms, his legs, and they hurt...  Given Daigo's bruised body, boy do they hurt.
Soft grunts, several choked gasps escape the Kazama's lips throughout the
onslaught.  

After it's all said and done?  Daigo still stands, though he staggered back a
step or two in the process of being royally stepped on.  "..."  There's another
part to defense...  There's being able to block.  And there's being able to take
a hit when it hits.  Daigo has all but mastered one form.  And isn't too shabby
at the other.  Where any normal man would have been kicked to death and back,
Daigo's able to shrug even these damaging kicks off enough to concentrate on his
opponent.  Concentrate enough to step forward, back into the firing range, and
aim a swift, chi-enlightened gut-punch...meant to stun more than damage.  The
opener to something much more devastating...

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Daigo's Phoenix Fury.

[                  \\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Daigo            0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0          Chun-Li

Xiangfei's attention is focused solely on the fight, she's in deep deep
concentration it would seem, and the suspense is quite high. However despite all
the tension and the cheers, her eyes narrow as a spark blips in her head- Her
Xiang-sense is going crazy! He nose twitches, and she suddenly turns around, her
mouth opened wide, annnnnd! SPLUT. The hot dog spatters right in her face and
then into her hands, jaw still slack, but then raises back into place, eyes
closed. ".... Uh... Thanks!" she calls, assuming it was a vendor or something,
the thought of it actually being an attack toward her doesn't even cross her
mind! With mustard and relish dripping down her face she suddenly spins around,
chomping the newly aquired hot dog nervously as Daigo busts out with the big
guns, her heart ready to jump out of her mouth, "Nnnnnn.. Oman oman oman oman
oman.." she whimpers, as the man sitting next to her stares at the girl.
'....... uh.'

The Lightning Kick. Pure Chinese class... there's no denying that, even if
Chun-Li herself made take any such compliments with more than a hint of modesty.
It's a classic, simply relying on her intense speed coupled with a healthy
streak of that dangerous inner power.. and here it yet again doesn't let her
own, her booted foot bringing up bruise after bruise with each time an
accompanying healthy thump given to punctuate her cries. "YA! YA! YA!" As she
comes out of it, the cries end with an intaken cry, lower in pitch, more of a
comedown from the exhilaration that series of blows always draws her into. Her
leg flips down at the knee, and then said knee tucks up into her body, her arms
drawing around her with fingers spread and locked into perfect compliment with
any subsequent movements. Hardened gaze finds her opponent across the small gap
between them, and as her mouth snaps shut from the cry it twitches once more to
a smile. She really isn't done yet.

With fans in the audience set to drooling as a famous blow lands successfully,
she is forced to block out cries similar - but no way near as unique - as those
of Li Xiangfei, making herself focus again after those moments of hesitation.
Can that solidly landed attack form the path to victory? As Kazama comes back
toward her, she knows it's the moment of truth.. he looks too determined, too
powerful to be able to weather. And she throws herself into the fight, all or
nothing... a dodge, the woman twisting on her one grounded foot and laying the
other down, to carry her into a balletic step around the incoming blow. It
works! And she feels the rush of air and chi behind her, as she worms around the
big man in the same graceful movement. A look is sent to the crowd through the
few thin trees near the forest's edge, before with another cry - loud,
empassioned - she twists about and flings herself into a firm stance right
behind Daigo, shoving her hands forward in a gigantic double palm-thrust aimed
towards his wide open back.

She won't be kept down.. she'll fight until there's nothing left to fight with.

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Daigo with Sou Hakkei.
COMBATSYS: Daigo endures Chun-Li's Sou Hakkei.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Daigo            0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0          Chun-Li

Avoided...  Dodged aside, as though it was a slow attempt at swatting a fly.
Daigo understands more and more about this chinese warrior the more he's locked
in battle with her.  She presents agility, strength, and willpower all in one
fiery ball of fury.  Once again, his respect for her technique grows, as his
starter to the Phoenix Fury is avoided altogether, allowing her to slip behind
him and strike his back with her double-palm thrust.

Funny how Daigo doesn't budge.  His shoes skid all of an inch from that 'push',
and though it did hurt the big man, he has no time to show it.  He grunted, and
then he gathered a mass of his phoenix aura in the palm of his right fist.
There's no delay.  Daigo can't /afford/ to delay anymore.  He simply spins on
his feet, and throws his right hand out, both as a way to clock Chun with a
spinning fist, and to pepper the area with leftovers of his fiery aura, each
spot able to damage as much as the fist itself.

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Daigo's Phoenix Backfist.

Xiangfei gives a huge gasp, to Daigos Phoenix Fury attack, gulping down the hot
dog in the process, and wipes the relish from her eyes with the back of her hand
as she's suddenly back up on her feet again and clasps her head, "Aaaaah!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!" she yells, almost flipping out again, "Yeaaaaah!!
WOooooooooh!!" she's totally back into the fight now, pumping her fist in the
air, hooting and hollering as things seem to somewhat be getting back under
control, though even that's hard to say as Daigo's just coming off as a giant
walking wall, "Keep on him!!! Don't give up! Waoooooooh! Waoooooooooooh!!"

Another hit, and another surge of optimism for the strongest woman in the world.
It seems like she may finally be getting through to Daigo.. her speed and power
taking control of her, and not the other way around, to see her at last gain
some ground. But something seems.. wrong.. like maybe he has a greater plan
behind this. It would certainly fit events so far, and she has no reason to
doubt that this is likely the case... she only needs to force herself to turn
any such plan into something that can swing in her direction. Her palms retract
from the atomic push after a moment, and she has barely enough time to glimpse
an incoming inferno of backhand oblivion. (There!) Her eyes snap wide open, and
she gasps as she quickly drops to a crouch, avoiding the energised fist and
feeling the subsequent wash of phoenix chi heat the air above her.

However.. that's the air Chun-Li now decides to occupy, continuing her own
pressing assault by shoving her hands down and executing another instance of
that legendary move. First comes the acrobatic thrusting into a handstand,
and... "SPINNING BIRD KICK!" This time it's hasty indeed, the handspring almost
clumsy in execution given her starting point and the attack still dissipating
above. Though while the first of the kicks may be sloppy, by the third she has
found her flow and is whipping around as well as ever, her legs extended and
rippling with muscle. Maybe she can end this.. or maybe not.. but the audience
can rest assured that tonight, they receive the cost of their tickets, and then
some, in sheer spectacle of fighting spirit.

COMBATSYS: Daigo blocks Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick.

[                       \\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Daigo            0/-------/-======|====---\-------\0          Chun-Li

The audience can rest assured of that, yes.  But just because two hits pummelled
the big Gedo Boss' inner defenses, doesn't mean he's completely out of steam!
Oh no, now that Daigo's facing Chun again, and realizing just how ineffective
the 'berserker' side of fighting is against someone so...remarkably agile, he's
hiding behind his tired arms again.  Arms that continue to take a beating.
Especially when Chun whips out another Spinning Bird kick to capitalize on her
momentium, Daigo is right there, ready to do as he had done before, and absorb
the damage with those massive arms of his.  This time, more of the kicks are
blocked than before, only one breaks through, but that one makes him stagger
back a step.  Bruised.  Battered.  Daigo is fighting on his own stock of pure
willpower now...

Ahh, but what willpower it is!  Almost as strong as the man's physical form, and
able to keep him standing long after the aforementioned 'normal man' would have
fallen.  Like now...  It's willpower that gives Daigo the strength to, after
Chun's beautiful kicking maneuver, hop forth, and attempt to re-turn the tables
once again.  Another uppercut with that right hand of his...  This fight will
end, one way or another!

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Daigo's Medium Punch.

Woah, is someone trying to give poor Xiang-Fei a heart attack?? The girl is
already y on her feet, going nuts, but then Chun-Li once more sets up, "Wait!!
Can it be?? Can it be???" and Chun-Li performs her trademark move again and
Xiang-Fei completely flips out and loses it, nearly falling over the seat in
front of her, "Spinning Bird Kick!!! Spinning Bird Kick!! Spinning Bird Kick!!"
she screams at the top of her lungs, her eyes watering at the dramatic fury!
This battle is really starting to get to her emotionally, despite the hardships
and fatique, her heroine is still moving like water, "Oh my goooooooooooooood!!"
she yells, unable to contain the excitement and energy welling up in her. She
could probably pick up a car and throw it across the street in this state! ....
Ok, maybe not.

Willpower indeed. And although the young Chinese woman might have a lot of
energy left, in truth without that very thing she'd have given up long ago..
allowed herself to slow down, to become predictable. But now it's doing more
than that - giving her the ability to see more, to pre-empt her opponent's
movements... maybe, as he was learning about her and becoming able to counter
it, she has finally realised just how to deal with his own deceptive movements.
It seems like the tide is turning, however temporarily, in her favour. One of
her kicks lands.. and that's enough, Chun-Li unfolding from -that- attack with a
feeling of inner appreciation, flipping back up to her feet in time to see an
incoming uppercut. Now this she's dealt with before, and almost in the same
motion she used to rise, one leg shifts back and she leans away from the blow..
a sidestep carrying her fully around and in Daigo's moment of overextension she
dances close.

"Shall we finish this?" She gasps out, mouth hanging open and heart hammering in
her chest, filling her ears with its pulse, after such a complex series of
manuevers. Her bones are tired, her muscles tensing and her bruises glowing
beneath her clothing. This has been a long fight.. it has to end soon. "YAAA!"
She roars a cry and whips a knee up inside the man's guard, before opening it up
into another lightning sequence of kicks, aiming to propel him back with the
first couple of blows and then nail him with another rapid volley. She's relying
on her signatures now, her most associated attacks. It's definitely one for the
fans.

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Daigo with Hyakuretsu Kyaku.

[                        \\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Daigo            1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0          Chun-Li

*THUD*

No, that wasn't the sound of a block.  Nor was it the sound of the attack.
That's what Daigo heard when he flew back, and landed on the ground.  For the
first, and quite possibly the last, time this fight.  The Gedo Boss felt his
guard break, felt his arms give out on that one, and the end-result...well, just
look.  Oddly enough, there's a serene sort of calm over Daigo's face, when he
makes an attempt to get up, to his knees first, and then to his feet.
"...That..was...impressive."

Call it impulse.  Call it desperation.  Call it anything you want, but Daigo
decides to do something different.  He knows he's about out of steam, but he's
not about to let Chun get off with the satisfaction of a win without at least
one last attempt.  It's...pitiful, really, but it's all Daigo has left to try.
He's staggering by this time.  Calmly, but staggering.  That's not the part that
matters...

What matters is when he gets within lunging range, that's exactly what he does.
He lunges for Chun, in a final attempt to grab her, and if he's successful,
he'll spin around, and throw her through as many trees as his fading, though
still considerable strength, will allow.

Or he'll fall flat on his face if she does something...like dodge.  But them's
the breaks.  You can't win'em all, kid, and really...there's something to be
said for doing /this/ well against an International Star, anyway.

COMBATSYS: Daigo has reached second wind!
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li dodges Daigo's Strong Throw.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Daigo            1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0          Chun-Li

Xiangfei is still a'hooting and a'hollering, she is completely dumbfounded and
astonished by Chun-Li's agility and relentless attacking, and Daigo's just being
the wall that absolutly will NOT GO DOWN. She's on the edge of her... Uh..
Standing position, generally just being loud and energetic, getting red in the
face from the force of her own volume. Though it isn't long until she needs to
take a breather, kneeling a bit and setting her hands on her knees to catch her
breath.

Chun-Li comes out of that one with less style, simply lowering her leg to the
floor.. and dropping her gaze likewise, glancing at the now-bedraggled grounds
of Masters' manmade forest. "Huh..." she lets her breath out in a sigh, then
draws it back in.. long and slow.. as she looks up to peer towards Daigo. Her
eyes now are partially bloodshot, and definitely glazed. With tiredness, she's
weary to the very bone and close to passing out through sheer force of effort.
It's unlikely she's ever been in such awful condition while taking so few real
hits. "Thanks..." she acknowledges his approval with a faint nod, a smile coming
across her expression that is as true as she could ever show.. but so
pathetically small. A hand rises though, to defend an oncoming attack.. the
other moving to her hip, and her legs spreading, rooted firmly despite a little
shakiness.

Then comes the expected attack, and it's slow. Predictable even, compared to
what she's been saying. A simple swatting aside of Daigo's grasping arms is
followed by a quick lunging step past him, a shifting of the weight onto one
muscular leg, and a hefty kick across the back with the other. "HYAH!" Spittle
flecks her lips as she gives the cry, but it comes with full vigour despite a
sore throat and a mind that can barely remember what 'vigour' means. He seems to
be down.. but she has to be sure, with a mountain of a man like that... and now
she has to wonder, has she toppled the peak? Has she achieved what she was
trained to be able to achieve?

COMBATSYS: Daigo dodges Chun-Li's Strong Kick.

It continues...

Chun wanted to make sure that Daigo was down for the count.  What kind of girl
kicks a man when he's down!?  Don't ask where, but Daigo, upon hitting that
forest floor, finds a moment of peace.  A moment's worth of unconsciousness.
And a moment of a breather.

But just for a moment.

Something interrupts the peace.  The feeling that something's coming.  A sense
that goes beyond Daigo's normal perception.  The same sense that he's been using
lately to barely defend some of the most brutal attacks he could possibly face.
It saves him from going completely under, as some hidden reserve of energy
pushes the big man up, and out of the kick's way.  To his knees, Daigo goes!
Still in the fight!  "...I'm...not done..." the Gedo champ growls, and seeing as
Chun is still /right there/, he tries to attack.  Using the momentium of him
getting up, and his lethal right arm, the Gedo Boss flares up a sudden burst of
his good ol' Phoenix energy, and unleashes an uppercut that brings him to his
feet...and hopefully manages to knock Chun off hers.  Let's see if it's a true
second wind!

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li blocks Daigo's Phoenix Fist.

[                       \\\\\\\  < >  //////                        ]
Daigo            1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0          Chun-Li

(Missed.) A single word pounds through her skull as her booted foot whistles
through the air, and with a rustle of skirts she withdraws from the kick..
setting the limb down heavily. "Are you-?" The question is coming anyway.. in
case that was really enough, maybe her last blow was overkill. But Daigo is
already answering her... does it please her? It's hard to tell now, with so much
power having been thrown around and so many blows landed on both sides. She'd
expect nothing less at least, and Daigo's second coming was only to be
anticipated fully. So many of the best fighters are capable of pulling back from
that utter brink, and she counts him among those - whether or not he believes it
himself. There'll be that compliment to come, when she knows the outcome and
their next meeting place... for now, there is still The Fight.

Hands rise to take the brunt of the rising fist's power, and an audible moan
comes from the young woman. These blows are hurting more now, the weariness
causing pain to resound at high velocity through her form... tough for a woman,
she may be. But she's still a woman, and still a human being. There will always
be pain. "I know." These two words come out with startling clarity as Chun-Li
subsequently takes a step back and aims another kick at head-height, spinning
back on one leg to fling another blow with full abandon. What was she responding
to? His own words.. just belatedly, and perhaps after time to think on them...
it would be so easy to feel frustration now, to sully the honour of battle with
resentment. But he's impressed her too much... and the feeling seems to be
mutual. It all rests on such a thin line now.

COMBATSYS: Daigo dodges Chun-Li's Strong Kick.

[                       \\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Daigo            1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0          Chun-Li

By the time this fight is over, it's a wonder if both combatants aren't to be
masters of their arts.  Each one has pushed the other to the utter limits of
their skill, and more.  Daigo has been in several such fights, and each one
never ends to amaze him with just how much energy people can have when their
chips are down.

Including himself.

Having caught prescious seconds of breath, it appears as though the rising of
Daigo through his Phoenix Fist gave him a tiny bit of energy.  Oh he still
hurts.  He still hurts badly.  But the aching in his muscles only spurs him to
more unbelievable feats.  Like this...  Daigo must have felt the blow of his
Phoenix Fist not land as solidly as he would have liked.  The return kick,
however, is skipped back from.  "...Hmph!" grunts the Gedo man, before
unleashing one of his OWN projectiles!  The Kazama family has mastered one
certain projectile.  One particular way to focus their chi out for any sort of
damage.  This is what Daigo calls on now.  Focused, the man's face is nothing
but a calm wall, gathering a burst of /black/ energy this time, and when he
throws his palm out, from it leaps several long lances of the same black, yet
still glowing, energy, trying to catch everyone's favorite china girl with the
only long-range attack he allows himself to use.

COMBATSYS: Daigo successfully hits Chun-Li with Super Skull Aura.

[                       \\\\\\\  < >  //                            ]
Daigo            0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1          Chun-Li

Xiangfei throws punches when she's back on her feet, and starts to root on like
crazy again, back in square one. It seems that both fighters at this point are
past their limit, er, sort of.. The fight should be ending soon, this could the
the climax of this absolutly astounding battle! Which fighter is going to go
down, Xiang wonders, but then it's obvious! Not Chun-Li, she's an unstoppable
battling machine! "Finish him off!!" she yells, swinging her fists even fast
now, "You can do it, Chun-Li! I believe in you!! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

(And again.. I can do this...) Foot sets to floor again, yet more unsteadily..
and Chun-Li even staggers forward a pace towards Daigo, her feet failing to grip
the ravaged floor of the arena. "Nngh.." her own little grunt if given, though
it's more of a pained whine by now, and her eyes can only widen as she hastily
starts to move backward in time to be met with a blast of the Gedo boss' own
chi.. something she's avoided being too hammered by all match, but now she's
wide open. A quickly erected defence from her braceleted arms is flung apart,
and the Aura smashes into her.. hurling her backwards and right up against the
trunk of a tree. A shockwave runs up her spine, and she rebounds, looking as
though about to fall forward when.. somehow, she doesn't. A hand flies out to
her side, and she steadies herself with a little stumble, fixing Daigo with a
distant but wild gaze. She's not down yet, either, not until she really has done
all she can.

Chun-Li's arm curves inward, the other coming to her chest and both sets of
fingers splaying out, a knee raising shakily to her chest until she is balanced
perfectly on that one point. She pauses for a moment... but then the shaking is
gone. She seems, at one with herself, drawing on that inner well to keep going
long enough for a little something else. "I should show you.. a little more of
what I can do..." she murmurs, lowering her gaze. Then.. suddenly.. she blurs
forward, almost sliding the distance between them and then whipping out with a
vicious kick towards Daigo's stomach. The instant it connects a blaze of chi is
thrown up that billows outward and moves to surround them in its glow as she
continues through.. another few kicks whipped off from each foot. The kicker
comes at the last, as she spins fully through the glare of energies, silhouetted
for the audience's delight, and hammers another kick to the stomach before
launching one more Lightning Kick, each connection throwing up more chi to join
the tunnel of it flooding the forested arena.

"SENRETSU KYAKU!"

Finally it ends, with the woman poised as she began, her expression calm, stoic.

Was it enough?

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li successfully hits Daigo with Senretsu Kyaku.
- Power hit! -

[                             \  < >  //                            ]
Daigo            0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0          Chun-Li

Way too fast...  Daigo's good at guarding, but in his current state of body,
there's only so much wind a second wind has to give.  Daigo gets hammered!
Every kick finds its mark.  Every blast scores.  By the end of it, Daigo's on
his knees in front of Chun's poised form.  Breathing heavily, sweat dripping
down both sides of his face, off his chin, mixing with a little blood he gets to
cough up at so many blows to the stomach.  Is he done..?  

"...I have one...last thing...to show."

No.  No he's not.  But his inner reserves are out.  He's drawing on every bit of
essence he has left in his body.  The Phoenix Chi, his very fighting spirit,
gathers...  And gathers...  Daigo doesn't have to do anything at all but
concentrate.  To many, it would look as though he was just taking a breather,
but Chun will know better.  She'll feel the waves of heat collecting in the Gedo
Boss, feel the rage that flows through him as he manages to struggle to his
feet...and flex.  

Not his muscles.  His chi!

Like a monster, his own show of flash starts with the brief, but rising form of
a Phoenix, appearing around Daigo's wounded body, disappearing quickly...but not
before several waves of pure chi have washed from Daigo, towards his opponent.
Sending hot breezes whipping around everywhere for the few brief seconds it
lasts.

And then it is out.

And with it, perhaps Daigo is, too.  Though he's on his feet, it's hard to say
if he will be for long.

COMBATSYS: Daigo successfully hits Chun-Li with Phoenix Fire.

[                             \  < >                                ]
Daigo            0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0          Chun-Li

Xiangfei is near her wits end, really. One one hand, she wants to savor the
battle and watch the two titans clash with all their might, to the bitter end!
But on the other hand, the sooner this battle is over, the less likely she'll
have a heart attack right there and then. She's finally shut up at this point,
hands clutching her head once more as she just watches on with twitching
eyebrows. A gal not even in a fight shouldn't be having this much stress! But
alas, she's dead silent, her entire body shaking lightly.

She can't help but be praying now, that it's over. That she won the duel... but
then Daigo is rising with another vow of willpower. Another phrase that screams
for it to continue.. can this ever come to a close? Can she let it, or can he?
That's all it comes down to now, the sheer iron will of two martial artists
locked together... so odd, when neither is of the sort ambituous enough to need
or want this tournament's prize. But honour is ever the strange path - to fight
less than your absolute limit is dishonourable, but at times to push it too far
can go the other way. It's a constant dilemma.

Watching the flames rise in front of her, and seeing them begin to blossom out
around her, it's exactly this dilemma that Chun-Li now wrestles with. On the one
hand her fans await, a girl in the audience has been tearing herself to pieces
over this, making it a little more than honour. But honestly.. she's unsure as
to whether she can even continue, to throw another blow... particularly as that
heat moves to overwhelm, causing the blood to rush rapidly to her head as it
approaches. Faces and places, and words, scroll through her mind.. she has to
decide in the barest flicker of a moment. And she does decide.

The foot of the world's strongest woman comes down, into the floor through the
air now flooded with phoenix chi. Her eyes narrow to barest slits and she surges
forward with teeth gritting.. no cry, no words.. just a last determined plow
onwards into the energy of her opponent. (It's been a fight, Daigo Kazama.. I
just hope the right person wins...) And her fist blazes forward even as her body
is ravaged, and she feels the wall pushing her away.. the inner wall seems
impenetrable, but fingertips literally blaze - with the woman's own blue-white
chi, raging around her hand in a striking nimbus that stands out amidst the more
powerful red energy. It's one last attempt, however uncertain, to prove herself.

And then? Win or lose.. he falls, or she falls.. or both... she's launched back
with a groan, body wreathed still in the phoenix flames as it hits the floor of
the arena heavily. One last thump before she falls still, limp and unconscious.

COMBATSYS: Chun-Li can no longer fight.
COMBATSYS: Chun-Li has left the fight here.
COMBATSYS: Daigo dodges Chun-Li's Fierce Punch.

[                             \  <
Daigo            0/-------/--=====|

It was a very nobal effort.  VERY noble indeed.  In fact, Daigo was darn near
struck by the final flying fist of Chun-Li.  As the Phoenix energy fades,
revealing the two combatants in their final glory, it is shown...that Daigo
somehow managed to step back.  The aim was a little off.  Considering both
fighter's states of weariness, it's possible.  

Daigo is left standing.  Shakily, but standing.  The wall, after a
long...greulling...and highly respectable match, has managed to barely eek out a
victory over the Strongest Woman in the World.   If they didn't just give the
crowd their match of the weekend, then they're all a bunch of jaded people who
shouldn't be watching these fights!  

It takes the Kazama a few moments to catch his breath, but when he does...amid
applause, cheering, and whatnot, he bends over, and scoops up Chun's body to
carry out to the medical office.  He feels it's the least he could do, in honor
of the match.  Round 2, Over...

Xiangfei is stunned, she left just standing there for a long time. The outcome
obviously wasn't what she expected, but somehow.. She could understand how the
results could be what they were. At first she's absolutly furious, as she sits
down and grumps, elbowson her lap and chin in her palms. But once Daigo moves to
pick up Chun-Li, it makes her think a second time; win or not, both fighters did
so well, and in the end it was really an amazing fight, one of the best she had
ever seen! And so after a moment of hesitation, she gets to her feet and then
grins as she nods her head, yes, that's definatly the way a fight should be; and
thus applauds, franticly, and even brings her lips to give a shrill whistle!
Xiang gives it two thumbs up!

Log created by Kobun, and last modified on 17:01:31 04/27/2005.