Description: The Pao Pao proprietor takes on the Southtown schoolgirl in a surprisingly close Chinatown SNF. (Winner: Sakura)
Saturday Night Fight! It's a weekly tradition for people from all over the world to come to Southtown in hopes of bashing each other's faces in. Though some may delude themselves into thinking it's a battle for honor and glory, the fact is, it's just a weekly release from the mundanery of day-to-day life for the normals!
A city block of the Chinatown district has been roped off for the fight tonight. Framed by closed businesses on all sides, there's... really not much daily life to be interrupting. Except maybe those restaurants down the street. A standard-sized ring has been erected in the middle of the block, seats arranged all around for the audience -- and there is an erector-set of lights positioned to make sure everyone can see the real attraction here -- the fighters!
Though... it's just an empty ring now. Boo! "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! We have an amazing fight in store for you here in the faaaaabulous Chinatown district of Southtown tonight! On the east side, still fresh from her trip to Strolheim, Germany for a prestigious tournament there... Southtown's little sweetheart schoolgirl: SAAAAKURAAAAAAA KASUGANO!"
And some little schoolgirl with a white headband runs out, flashing V-for-peace signs every which way as she bursts out the door of one of the local restaurants being used as a staging area. "Hey, everyone! So glad to see you all in such high spirits! Let's break it on down!" she shouts, running up and slipping under the ropes of the ring. Hopping back from one foot to the other, she sure has a lot of energy tonight, it seems!
COMBATSYS: Sakura has started a fight here.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|
The announcer gives Sakura a few moments of cheering time before turning towards the west side, arm extending towards the post. "And in the WEST corner, the blonde beauty of the Pao Pao Cafe, recently returned from a trip to her family's home in France... Back from hiatus, in her first fight of the year: The one, the only, KIIIIIIIIIIIIIING."
Sipping the last of a glass of wine, King tosses the glass behind her, where a member of her staff catches it before it falls to the ground. She hops up onto the ringside, waving to the crowd quietly, smiling broadly. She hops over the ropes of the ring, then cracks her neck knuckles. "Okay," she says, getting into her combat stance. "Let's see if I've still got it."
COMBATSYS: King has joined the fight here.
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King 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
Sakura stops hopping from side to side once her opponent slips into the ring. Her hands drop to her sides, smoothing her skirt out, and bows politely to King. "It's an honor to fight you, ma'am..." she states, before snapping into a stance of her own -- turned to the side, one fist leading, one fist rising to guard her neck.
"Fighters ready? Then BEGIN!" shouts the emcee, waiting just at ringside.
"I hope I don't disappoint you!" adds Sakura, launching into a quick dash for her opponent, starting things off with a widely telegraphed running punch.
Or =is= it? For soon after launch, the fist veers downward sharply, her blue Converse All-Stars whipping overhead to crash down at King's shoulder, the hem of her pleated gray skirt lagging behind a second in a distracting reveal of the blue gym shorts below. "HRIII-HAAAAA!"
COMBATSYS: King blocks Sakura's Flower Kick.
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King 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
Bowing to the young woman as well, King says, "It is for the both of us, then." She snaps back into her combat stance. She follows the punch, getting ready to avoid it completely, mind questioning the validity of the girl's reputation. When it turns, however, she quickly changes her mind... Luckily for King, it's the attack she's paying attention to, not the blue shorts Sakura's also bearing. The kick whips overhead, and King brings her forearm to bear. The kick glances off, giving the blonde a solid shake. Stepping in, King swings her elbow at the schoolgirl's face with a grunt of effort.
COMBATSYS: King successfully hits Sakura with Strong Punch.
- Power hit! -
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King 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Sakura
WHAM. Elbow to the face! Sakura learned from the tournament that Muay Thai is a very powerful martial art, and especially one which one would not like to be hit by, but apparently she'd overcommitted herself, and found herself =way= too close to the receiving end. Her body trails behind after the solid impact to her cheek, topspinning and nearly sending the girl to her feet. Ow!
Though, really, that's a lousy way to end a fight! And so Sakura's quick to turn the pivoting action to her advantage, dropping low, and then uncoiling into a fast, left-handed derivative of her punishing rising uppercut: "SHOOOOOOO-OOOU KEN!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits King with Shou'ou Ken.
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King 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
Oof. King tries to close up, to step back and avoid the incoming blow, but Sakura's fist slips under her defenses and connects with her chin, taking the blonde off her feet. She falls back, curling up as she falls, softening the fall and causing her to roll backwards and back onto her feet. She coughs, covering her throat with a gloved hand, then snapping back to her fighting stance. Quickly, she spins twice, leg rocketing to head level each time, two shots of white flame barreling toward her opponent. "Double Strike!"
COMBATSYS: King successfully hits Sakura with Double Strike.
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King 0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1 Sakura
Oh. OW. OW, this hurts. Sakura tries to get out of the way of the first shot, but it catches her in the side as she starts to flee. Leaving her staggering around, stumbling backward in pain just long enough for the followup strike to slam into her also, sending her skidding backwards another few feet, her sneakers squealing against the canvas mat. Gritting her teeth, she clenches her fists tightly to keep from screaming. Though, really... she thinks she may have started off this fight a bit too aggressively. "Oww... I'd hate to see it if you =didn't= take a drink before getting into the ring..." And she slips back into her rigid stance, re-centering herself and watching for movement.
COMBATSYS: Sakura focuses on her next action.
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King 0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1 Sakura
Coughing again, King spits outside the ring, a slight trace of pink in the saliva... And it's not from the red wine she was drinking earlier. As Sakura speaks, a smile cracks the pained expression on her face. "I'm not as good without it," she says, voice deeper and more raspy. A blow to the throat does that kinda thing, after all. Seeing Sakura center herself, however, gives the blonde the idea to do so herself. She straightens up and releases a long kiai, a ring of yellow, flamelike energey starting to shoot up around her.
COMBATSYS: King gathers her will.
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King 1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1 Sakura
Sakura squints at King. What the heck kinda power-up is that? The Taiyo schoolgirl still isn't all =too= familiar with King's fighting style yet, but she knows one thing -- whenever =she= starts gathering energy like that, her reaction time tends to slip a bit. All that energy swirling about causes a kind of 'drag' to the air, after all... such that Sakura feels pretty secure that she can probably go ahead and throw one of her big guns! But, as King may be quick to find out, if she doesn't already know -- Sakura's got enormous chi potential of her own.
"Shinkuuuuuuu--" she starts, hands reaching to her sides. A vortex of cerulean energy begins swirling into her cupped palms, a dense white-hot core forming there, pulsing and ebbing as it grows into the size of a four-square ball. Electricity crackles at her fingertips, while Sakura greets King with nothing more than a smile, weathered slightly from the power hits she'd just sucked down. But it all happens in the blink of an eye -- for Sakura's really not going to be waiting long. Her hands suddenly whip forward, a blue blur punctuating the rapid motion just as the blazing orb of cerulean flames rockets out towards King, drawing debris and detritus from the streets into its rushing, gaping maw of destruction. "HADOOOOOOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: King endures Sakura's Shinkuu Hadouken.
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King 1/--=====/=======|=------\-------\0 Sakura
The flames die down, and as they do, she sees the buildup of Sakura's attack. Eyes flash wide as the schoolgirl's ball of blue energy is flung at her, knowing that she's flat footed... No escape, no means to block... She turns her body into the blast, letting the chi slam into her body, but on her side instead of anywhere vital. The blow still slides her back, the thick soles of her shoes leaving a black trail on the clean canvas. As the energy dissipates, she allows herself a half-second to snap back (audibly) into her full fighting stance before she leaps at Sakura, whipping her legs around in a double jump kick... But if it lands, then she intends to unleash a flurry of punches and kicks at a speed that would have to be played back frame-by-frame to see it all.
COMBATSYS: Sakura endures King's Illusion Dance.
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King 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Sakura
While she hadn't made any particular move to get out of the way of the jump kick, Sakura obviously had something else planned. After her blazing fireball rockets from her palms, her hands are still twinkling a faint blue. As King rushes into the fireball, Kasugano grits her teeth, fingertips clenching closed once more. A burst of that blue light explodes into being, washing over Sakura. How useful is something like that? It doesn't seem to be much of a counterattack, at any rate. Even though Sakura steps aside from the initial jump kick, she's still getting slapped around by the onslaught of punches and kicks that follows. Though, King of all people will probably notice that Sakura is... bending like a willow to each of the blows. In a way, she's making it =easier= for the blows to land, while simultaneously rolling with the maneuvers, taking some of the sting out of their impact in the process. It still hurts the Taiyo schoolgirl like heck, but for some reason... it looks like she's =waiting= for something.
There! As soon as King finishes her brutal, unique blend of seven up-close arm and knee strikes, Sakura surges into action once more -- hands curling at her side. Apparently, she'd been holding back her previous motions as a buffer! For there's practically a heartbeat's time between the opening of her palms and the instantiation of a brilliant blue bloom between them. And that very bright bloom finds its way rocketing at point-blank range towards the no-doubt very impressed King. "HADOOOOOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: King endures Sakura's Large Hadouken!
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King 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Sakura
Dammit, that was supposed to hit harder... King continues her assault even if the frustration mounts, her blows apparently doing no more to Sakura than a slapfight flurry. Maybe one would hit... But no. Instead, she ends and hops back, just in time with the release of the fireball from Sakura's hands. Yes, the woman is impressed, caught in an undefendable position yet again. She repeats her tactic, getting smacked with the projectile in the shoulder instead of her body, twisting her around both as part of the force and of her own will as she again spins and hops in the air, leg sweeing the air and causing a brilliant flash of energy of her own to rocket toward Sakura. "Venom STRIKE!"
COMBATSYS: King successfully hits Sakura with Venom Strike.
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King 0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1 Sakura
Grimacing at the quickly-escalating game of tit-for-tat, Sakura finds herself greeted with a burst of blue flame -- though it's not her own Hadouken technique, but rather the one-off version of the double-barreled shotgun from before. But somehow, it stings... almost as much. That kinda sucks.
But that's okay, because Sakura still has a lot of fight left in her -- even if she's stumbling backwards, one hand reaching for the canvas, about to keel over... why, no! Because, whatever she's planning, she's once more taking a break from the fight to step back and gather herself -- though this time, it's time to show off her own kiai. "Haaaaaaaaa!" she shouts, fists clenching as she backs away, a furious tornado of blue spectra swirling about her, kicking her skirt, headband, and moppish hair into an upwards frenzy. Whatever she's got planned next... might just hurt!
COMBATSYS: Sakura gathers her will.
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King 0/-------/-======|=======\=====--\1 Sakura
Oh, bloody hell. While her last shot landed, and hit hard, it didn't put the girl down. The wall of blue energy forming around the girl is something she know intrinsically... She needs to end this quick. If it doesn't work... Well, she'll be out of this fight. Things are far too close for comfort. King puts her last ditch hope in the double helping of her gold standard, spinning hard and fast twice, sending her kicked fireballs hurtling toward Sakura. "Double STRIKE!" she shouts, hoping things will end here.
COMBATSYS: King successfully hits Sakura with Double Strike.
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King 1/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sakura
'Oh bloody hell' indeed! She pretty much =expected= an assault like that, fully expecting another round of deadly projectiles to be next on the agenda! Charging into the blazes, she focuses her cerulean chi, funneling it into a sort of shield and running smack into it! But... it doesn't pan out quite like the schoolgirl planned, for the Double Strike was an irresistable force, and Sakura is a far cry from an immovable object. Blasted backwards, barely able to stand, she just can't find the strength to surge forth and unleash her next deadly assault, stumbling forward and landing to one knee, exhausted.
Or can she? Stooping to one knee, she gathers her hands by her side again, one eye squinting shut from the severe pain shooting through her nervous system from the earlier concussive blasts. It's nothing permanent, but it still hurts like crazy! And... yet she still has the presence of mind to summon forth another bloom of blue chi, rocketing it off towards King. "Hadoooouken!" Though... compared to her earlier impressive attempts, this one's just a little scrawny thing. Maybe she's down for the count?
COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached second wind!
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King 1/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Sakura
Or... maybe not! For after that little attack, seeming to be some kind of feint, Sakura pushes herself back to her feet, drawing in a sharp breath. "Not yet, I'm afraid!"
COMBATSYS: King dodges Sakura's Small Hadouken.
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King 1/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 Sakura
So close... She, for a split second, thought she might have had the girl finally. But something was odd about her as she took the hit, then let fly the small version of her projectile... Something wasn't right. No, that wasn't it. Leaping over the fireball easily, King flips herself around at the apex of her jump, eyes reaching the girl as she once again regains her footing. With a shout of 'Surprise ROSE!' she comes down, feet lashing down at her opponent. She'd had her chance... Perhaps this was the last she could hope for.
COMBATSYS: King successfully hits Sakura with Surprise Rose.
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King 1/-----==/=======|=======\======-\1 Sakura
Um. Maybe no one's told Sakura, but little schoolgirls aren't supposed to be taking quite =that= much punishment in one session? That maybe a barrage of chi attacks crushing through her guard was a sign she should stop fighting? That maybe a assault of feet pounding into her head would imply that she should find a bed to crawl into, and taking a nice long nap?
Sakura's never been one to listen to that little voice in the back of her head, though. For, practically concurrently with the blow, Sakura rushes, not =away= from the attack, but =into= it, starting with a high left uppercut, timed to hit her at the same time the feet crash down. "SHIN!" Sure, she still gets Muay Thai Booted to the head. Sure, it hurts like CRAZY. But with a brilliant blaze of blue, Sakura launches back, screwing her eyes shut from the pain and letting herself be pushed to the ground. It's 'strategy', see? Even though it isn't, and it still hurts like heck. In fact, King might even have time to land, just from the indelicate manner in which Sakura sucked down the hit... but just the same, the girl's going to uncoil right back at her opponent with all kinds of furious, brained, schoolgirl intensity. Shouting, "SHOOOOOO'OOOOOOU KEN!", she fires off an uppercut aimed at knocking the stuffing out of her opponent -- one who's met her every step of the way in this brutal, brutal fight. Failing that, though... maybe it really is curtains for the Southtown wonder-girl...
COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached third wind!
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King 1/-----==/=======|==-----\-------\0 Sakura
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits King with Midare Zakura EX.
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King 1/--=====/=======|==-----\-------\0 Sakura
Oh my god... This girl is more than meets the eye. As King pummels the girl with her feet (again), the uppercut comes... Landing hard into her shin and flipping the Thai boxer around. This is it. She's failed. She tried and she tried, but to no avail. As her feet once again twirl past her opponent, however, she balls up her fists, bringing them down at Sakura's head as she plummets past, landing on the mat, face first. There she lay, stuck in a daze. Good night, King. Good night.
COMBATSYS: King can no longer fight.
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Sakura 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges King's Strong Punch.
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Sakura 0/-------/----===|
Well... sometime, this time, Sakura miraculously pulls it off, leaping backwards and getting out of the way in the nick of time. King's fists whistle past, brushing the twin tails of the schoolgirl's headband as she darts out of the way. "Whew..." she notes, though really... her knees start to buckle as soon as she lands. Stumbling, the schoolgirl winces... and then hesitantly raises back to her feet, grabbing her right fist in her other hand. It... worked? "Heh... th... that was a really close fight..." she says, holding her fist up in a triumphant pose, a slight breeze whipping about her from nowhere. "Heh... thanks, King... thanks, everyone, for lending me your strength!"
"And the winner of the Saturday Night Fight Chinatown Battle is ... SAKURA KASUGANO!!" Belatedly, the crowd erupts in a storm of applause!
And also belatedly, Sakura falls over onto her back, exhausted. Luckily, the ambulance isn't that far off... though it looks like they're gonna need two stretchers...
COMBATSYS: Sakura has ended the fight here.
Log created by Sakura, and last modified on 07:29:03 05/30/2005.