Description: May Lee knocks Sakura right into Trevi Fountain -- but she springs back for the win! (Winner: Sakura)
Camera crews are in place outside Trevi Fountain in Italy for the next eagerly-anticipated fight in the Neo League. Unlike most prior fights, this one's taking place at night, with spotlights casting shimmering reflections and dynamic shadows across the cobblestone roadway before it. Barricades keep the audience at bay, so that the two fighters can focus upon their battle -- if they're not distracted by the sights and sounds of the Bernini-styled statues and bas-reliefs, of course.
Sakura Kasugano is here early, surprisingly enough. Dressed in her usual school uniform, she's seated upon the edge of the fountain, legs crossed chomping away on some kind of pastry.
They are quite beautiful, aren't they? Western art and culture can be so pretty, even if it needs a little touch-up here and there. Perhaps, say, a totally bitchin' red scarf?! Yeah. YEAH. It'd be ... awful, she knows. But to May Lee Jinju, it's the thought that counts!
It seems like she's the one that's a little late as usual, a gym bag on her shoulder and sprinting to the fountain like her butt was on fire. Coming to a halt near Sakura, she drops the bag and grins wide and nervously-- was she -too- late? No, of course not! Hands resting on her knees, she doubles over to catch her breath. "Whew! Made it! Ahahahahaha! Sorry about that!" the superhero in training says, waving. "I'm May Lee Jinju! Here to be your awesome opponent!"
Naturally, when Sakura first notices May Lee, she's in the middle of a bite on that pastry. The sudden burst of enthusiasm causes her to double over in surprise, choking! Thumping her fist upon her chest, she's able to dislodge it, washing it all down with a sig from her water bottle. "... whew! Just about gave me a heart attack there!" But she's quick to shove the rest of the pastry in her mouth, brushing off her hands and snapping a quick salute to May Lee.
"Mmmrph moo meeph mpyou!" she adds -- though raises a finger so she can finish chowing down. "I mean, nice to meet you! Name's Sakura Kasugano, and I'll be =your= awesome opponent!"
Hopping to her feet, she strides away a few steps, glancing over to the ref who just so happens to walk up. Gotta keep this fight fair and square, right? See how well that worked last time for Sakura. Nodding once more to May Lee, the Ansatsuken prodigy turns her left side to her Korean opponent, spreads her feet shoulder-width apart, and bobs about in her defensive fighting stance. "Ready when you are!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura has started a fight here.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|
Her soul is a spirited one! EXCELLENT. So it stands to reason that this fight shall be one that's full of glory, power, honor, might, and the stuff that JUSTICE is made of! Grinning back to Sakura, she hurries alongside to catch up while watching the pastry disappear. Longingly. "Hmm. I may have to refuel myself after this."
"But until that time, I must endure! Only after my task is complete shall I partake of food." Her eyes almost go starry. "Pasta delights..."
May Lee turns toward Sakura, hands dangling at her sides and rocking on the balls of her feet. Hello, ref! Time to start the festivities. "Here I come! Give me your best!" she calls, making a swift sprint at Sakura. Her leg whips up in a two-part kick, a low shot aimed at her leg and followed up with a higher shot aimed high at the chest.
COMBATSYS: MayLee has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 MayLee
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks MayLee's Lightning Needle.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 MayLee
Even though she'd just finished the pastry, Sakura's jaw drops slightly. "B..." Now she's =hungry= again, darnit! Don't talk about food, jeez!
Slapping herself lightly in the cheeks, she flashes a more serious expression at May Lee. "No less than -my- best, and no less than -yours!-" She hops backward from the strike, bracing her leg against the cobblestones for the first kick, meeting the second with a sweeping elbow. "Yussha, " she mumbles in her native language, stepping backward lightly.
"Not a bad start!" she chirps, twisting to the side sharply to bring her right foot high into the air. The cameras, naturally, are there for the brief instant of fanservice, but that probably won't have much impact on Sakura's opponent as her Chuck Taylored foot crashing down onto May Lee's shoulder. "Yuttaa!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits MayLee with Flower Kick.
- Power hit! -
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Sakura 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 MayLee
Perhaps she misjudged the strength of the high-swinging kick-- her arm comes up to defend herself in a rather traditional martial arts defense, but Sakura's leg comes down-- hard-- and crashes against both arm and shoulder. May Lee falls back a step after the impact, rubbing the sudden throb (and applying pressure to the subsequent welt forming under her t-shirt). Is it the end?! No, friends-- this is only the beginning of the battle! Though surprised for a moment, the dark-eye girl gets her bearings back and grins again, hands pulling back into fists and getting another bit of a bounce in her step. "That wasn't bad at all! I like it."
So, May Lee steps in to attack once again! With quick footing, she gets into rather close range and reaches up to snag Sakura by the shoulders-- and flip speedily over her head, her body curling up into a tight ball. Her legs lash out at the Ansatsuken apprentice in a rather vicious drop-kick, using the force to spring away. Spring to FREEDOM! >O</
Nevermind she looks kind of like a frog hopping while doing it.
COMBATSYS: MayLee successfully hits Sakura with Swan Cycle.
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 MayLee
Grinning back at May Lee, Sakura chimes in, "Good!" They can keep up the compliments and counter-compliments all night, and they probably would if you let them.
May Lee doesn't seem to be letting her do so, though -- as Sakura soon finds herself kicked to the curb! Or, more appropriately, the rim of the fountain, which Sakura catches herself upon right before faceplanting into it. Springing back to her feet, she whirls about to face May Lee again, rubbing her shoulders. "Well... guess that's enough of a warm up for ya... " Curling her hands by her side, Sakura's smile is lit in bright blues, courtesy of the cerulean flames spinning about within her hands. "... here goes!" Taking two quick steps towards May Lee, Sakura thrusts her palms forward and looses the brilliant, five-foot-side sphere of energy at her opponent with a cry of "HADOOOOOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: MayLee dodges Sakura's Medium Hadouken.
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Sakura 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 MayLee
But it was an excellent warmup! It was revealing! It was truthful. And -- it was the precursor to a big bright ball of what the HECK IS THAT IT IS GOING TO SMACK HER IN THE FACE. Though the almighty spring away is quite the pure and lawful leap that it is, it still doesn't put her quite far enough away... And now she gets to turn around to see a big ball of STUFF like that funny Kensou kid's chi wave thing whatever it is flying at her.
So, being the wise and excitable teenager she is, she sits right down and throws her torso backwards, plastered to the ground.
Eyes wide as the attack passes over her in the 'quite barely' sense, she gathers her footing underneath herself and stares with a little dismay and a few hairs sticking up after being singed. "Pwhew." May Lee steps up again, pressing her assault and taking a swing with her mighty foot to put a solid kick with the top of her foot right into Sakura's side. No really, have some! >O</
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Medium Kick from MayLee with Shou'ou Ken.
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 MayLee
Sakura's eyes widen as she sees May Lee pass narrowly -beneath- her wide fireball. "Crap, guess I shoulda thrown the bigger one!" she laments, snapping her fingers as she closes on her opponent. And... she gets to see May Lee snap right back to her feet. Uh-oh!
While Sakura may be welcome to have some, it seems she wants none, for as soon as that kick closes in, Sakura curls up into a ball. No, not the fetal position -- even though she does end up taking the side kick on the shoulder instead. No, she's lunging into a diagonal strike, leaping to unload her self-styled rising uppercut right into May Lee's midtorso -- "SHOOOOU'OU KEN!"
Bigger?! Those things can get BIGGER?! Oh -crap-. May Lee is going to have to keep on her guard for those, the apprentice Servant of Justice a little wary of that. Though it'd be just like the episode of Kamen Rider with the dude and the blast and the KABOW. Pyrotechnics are awesome.
So her leg whips up-- and she's promptly cut off by the fist that rocks her world. Carried with the force, May Lee lets out a fierce gasp as the air rushes from her lungs. The dazed arc to the ground is smooth and a little light-- thankfully, her head is in it enough to get her hands ready, landing on her palms and rocking in a cartwheel to land in a crouch. Her hand on her stomach, the taekwondo user is quite pleased that she didn't, in fact, go eat prior to this bout. Not to be totally outdone, she takes a step and lunges in again. It starts off with a spinning hop into the air, and ends with a swift, broad mid-air split, her leg poised to use the rotation to plant the surface of her foot across the side of Sakura's head. "Uwohhhhhhhh~!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks MayLee's Surprise Air.
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Sakura 1/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 MayLee
May Lee will most -certainly- want to avoid getting hit by one of her larger ones -- considering how badly that uppercut landed, and how much Sakura's known for her innate Hadou talents. But that's not to say May Lee's own talents are any less prodigous -- for Sakura really has to work to get out of the way of her kicks. Backpedaling, she snaps her arm up once more, narrowly squeaking her padded handguard between the foot and her stubborn head. "Oof..." mumbles Sakura as she's forced to the side. It's certainly better than getting hit, but it's dazing just the same.
Still... Sakura feels that she could be doing a bit more up-close-and-personal! "Yaaaah!" she shouts, throwing her fist towards May Lee. Nothing fancy, just a good old-fashioned punch to the sternum, direct just like her master told her to.
COMBATSYS: MayLee interrupts Medium Punch from Sakura with Rougetsu Kourin.
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Sakura 1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0 MayLee
Ah, that's better-- right up in the grill, good and vicious! Planting one foot hard, there's a whole 'nother level of tension building from hip to leg, waiting for Sakura to draw into that critical range. The point of no return, so to speak-- where they both know they're committed to their attacks. May Lee brings her leg up for a swift, hard kick to plant in Sakura's gut as the fist makes contact with her chest, grunting -- but not falling back at all. Her body twists, her leg trailing a bit of a motion blur as she whips around-- HARD-- and directs a solid, smashing kick to Sakura. The force of course is directed to send her flying right back the way she came.
The power of truth!
The power of JUSTICE.
The power of wondering if she might've accidentally punted a nice person right into the fountain.
I'm sailiiiiing awaaaay o/~ Sakura takes the Lee Jin Ju Airways express flight to the center of the fountain in exchange for her not-so-mighty punch, landing with a big splash but fortunately not -quite- hitting bottom -- that coulda added injury to insult, right there! But at least she's able to tist around in the water, using her buoyancy as a vehicle for dramatic effect! Though... the pretty lights casting disconcerting reflections upon her help with that. The fountain isn't as evenly lit as the cobblestone street, after all!
"Gah... it'll take -forever- for this stuff to dry..." comments Sakura, shaking her hair dry. "This match might be over by then, though!" she adds, crouching low... and then vaulting mightily into the air, cutting a sharp somersault!
Of course... at the -apex- of that leap, she snaps out of the spin, curling her hands to the side. The tell-tale crackle of a thunderstorm gathers in her palms... but there's none of the warm-up time inherent in such a blast as usual! If May Lee was scared by the earlier fireball, she should be even more scared of this seven-foot wide strike from above -- a mushroom-cloud of energy streaking towards her at a high rate of speed! "HADOOOOOOOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits MayLee with Large Hadouken EX.
- Power hit! -
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Sakura 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\0 MayLee
May Lee winces as Sakura hits the water, her hand drawn up to her lips and blinking. "Oh gosh, I-- I'm so sorry!" She honestly didn't mean for her to go take a swim like that, and -- augh! It's all her fault. Fortunately, Sakura doesn't seem to be too dissuaded despite her now-damp state. In fact, she's even leaping into the air! And ... oh ... dear. Watching it closely, she's counting on timing to pull her through this one all right.
Of course, her timing is off. A second too late.
The blast impacts with May Lee and the ground surrounding her, a cloud of dust bursting up from the ground. Thick, grainy, and hard to see through, it becomes hard to even ascertain if the girl is caught up in the cloud. It is, however, eerie and silent for a moment before ...
*rustle rustle*
"UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH~!"
The gutteral roar comes from the cloud of dust, suddenly clearing to reveal May Lee Jinju-- the super hero. Her vivid red scarf spun around her neck flaps in the wind, her gloves remain pristine and lusterous despite the horrible condition the girl herself is in, bruised and scratched up from the impact with the ground. Waves of pain harm not a HERO. Waves of pain stop NOT a Servant of Justice! Hair rustling in this mysterious breeze, the girl is grinning viciously, almost like a shark. Her eyes are startlingly clear despite her condition, her hands straight and flat as she retains her low-set pose.
"NEVER SHALL I FALL SO EASILY!"
COMBATSYS: MayLee focuses on her next action.
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Sakura 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\0 MayLee
Geh. Sakura didn't expect her concussive blast to throw up -that- much of a dustcloud. Then again, it's not often Sakura aims on a diagonal -- there was plenty of an aftereffect here. Which can only mean...
"... Oh -crap-..." she mumbles as her sneakers tip-tap upon the lip of the fountain. "More property damage fees..."
She's snapped out of her brief reverie by the dramatic reappearance of her opponent...'s super-powered alter-ego! Sakura's eyes going wide as Sakura gazes upon the newfound heroine, her jaw dropping slightly. "Th... that's... that's so =cool!="
Sneaker treads tapping once more as the girl hops back to street level, Sakura pulls her right fist back to her side. "Hey, great! You got your super poers..." And with that, the long tails of her headband fly into the air, skirt and uniform stirred into motion by a light breeze. "... and =I've= got =mine!=" Elbows locking at her side, her fists clench, the breeze becoming a bright blue whirlwind, the night sky lighting from the sheer energy output! "HAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Some of the fanboys in the audience closer to the scene fall over from nosebleeds at the inadvertent fanservice of the pose, but that's not Sakura's problem. Who of these heroes will be triumphant?!
Sakura didn't expect her concussive blast to throw up -that- much of a dustcloud. Then again, it's not often Sakura aims on a diagonal -- there was plenty of an after effect here. Which can only mean...
"... Oh -crap-..." she mumbles as her sneakers tip-tap upon the lip of the fountain. "... more property damage fees... weh."
She's snapped out of her brief reverie by the dramatic emergence of her opponent's super-powered alter-ego! Sakura's eyes go wide as she gazes back at the heroine, her jaw dropping slightly. "Th... that's... that's so =cool!="
Sneaker treads tapping once more as the girl hops back to street level, Sakura pulls her right fist back to her side. "Hey, great! You got your super poers..." And with that, the long tails of her headband fly into the air, skirt and uniform stirred into motion by a light breeze. "... and =I've= got =mine!=" Elbows locking at her side, her fists clench, the breeze becoming a bright blue whirlwind, the night sky lighting from the sheer energy output! "HAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Some of the fanboys in the audience closer to the scene fall over from nosebleeds at the inadvertent fanservice of the pose, but that's not Sakura's problem. Who of these heroes will be triumphant?!
COMBATSYS: Sakura gathers her will.
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Sakura 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0 MayLee
Cool? Yes. Awesome? Yes.
JUSTICE? Hell yes.
The low-set pose, one arm parallel to her outstretched leg. Her other arm, pulled back and folded close to her side. Fingers clenched into the fist. Yes... a pose worth admiration. She takes pride in this, though not too much-- pride may make one strong, but it may also be their downfall! No, a hero must remain diligent and true to themselves, not true to their appearance! May Lee rises from this stance, her posture totally changed. She walks toward Sakura with a bit of a swagger despite her injuries, a controlled manner even as her opponent puts on her own awesome light show. Pointing, it seems to be go time.
"PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE HURT!"
May Lee knows that she may very likely fall from this. She -knows- she's going to fall. But it's all a matter of timing. Preparation. Guts. VALOR. In comes the speedy charge-- then the sudden vertical ascent, leaping high into the air and leaving a dramatically large shadow in the sky. In a display of the laws of physics being punched in the face, she halts there-- hovering for a split-second-- before coming down at Sakura in a corkscrew. Her feet point down, and it even sounds for a moment like there's a drill of some sort going off with the swiftness and anger her legs convey to the air. This mighty blow is aimed to plow into Sakura's gut.
She may end up on the short end of the stick... but she will go down fighting to the last! For this is the path ... of a Hero.
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks MayLee's May Lee- Kick!.
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Sakura 1/----===/=======|=======\-------\1 MayLee
It takes a lot of determination to walk like that despite the injuries Sakura -knows- May Lee's sustained -- and Sakura knows it well! She also knows that May Lee is fueled by none other than the power of JUSTICE!
... That same power fuels =Sakura= though, so maybe this battle of mighty heroines won't exactly shake up the world or anything. It's a dramatic fight nonetheless, though, as Sakura grits her teeth, the spiral of energy spinning into oblivion as the schoolgirl steps forward into that drill kick -- shielding herself with both hands upraised. Stepping a matador's pivot to the side, her padded handguards take most of the brunt of that kick, while keeping May Lee from straying too far from the original course.
"I think it's time to get =your= hurt on!" exclaims the sailor-uniformed tomboy, as she steps forward with a dashing lariat, hoping to catch her opponent around the neck as she's climbing back to her feet. "Yaaaaaah!" Should she succeed in that, she'd pull her into a headlock, tugging tightly in an attempt to temporarily cut off her airflow with a few sharp pulls, before releasing with a quick chop to the trapezius. "Yah!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits MayLee with Sakura Strangle EX.
Glancing Blow
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Sakura 1/---====/=======|=======\=------\1 MayLee
It drills! It bores! It could put a hole in plate steel!!
Legs curling up and ending the spiral before she hits the ground, May Lee just barely gets her footing as Sakura is almost right on top of her. Damn close ranges! They're so great, but so awful! Getting a bone-crunching smack to the head with that lariat, the superhero in training is left dazed and to naught else but raw instinct as the arm goes to cut off her supply of air.
-No-.
With a sudden surge, May Lee spins hard on her feet, arms whipping up to push Sakura back as she is propelled a short hop into the air, mysteriously blotting out the sun as she hovers over the Ansatsuken prodigy, arms thrown out wide and knee lifting to strike her right in the face. Her voice is a roar, her body surging on it's limits:
"POINT BLANK DYNAMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC~!"
COMBATSYS: MayLee can no longer fight.
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Sakura 1/---====/=======|
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts May Lee- Dynamic! from MayLee with Small Hadouken.
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|
Oof. Sakura thought she'd be able to get a better hold of May Lee than -that-, but at least she'd gotten a solid hit! Stepping backwards in anticipation, Sakura pulls her hands to the side once more...
And then the girl goes and -jumps-. Y'know, it's =really tough= to find an opponent while looking up into the light and all! The Ansatsuken prodigy knows -something- is coming, but isn't sure what -- and that's what the hands at her side are for. But perhaps more importantly, that's what the bright blue ball of flame is for -- the ball of flame she whips out to meet May Lee as it drives straight towards her face. "HADOOOOOUKEN!"
Dramatically enough, -both- hits are successful here, as Sakura had expected a slightly lower attack vector. The knee slams right into Sakura's face as planned, but Sakura's concussive blast crashes into May Lee at roughly the same time, the collision masked in a flash of bright white light. Unfortunately for May Lee, the recoil from that shockwave, combined with the knee strike, is enough to send the Ansatsuken disciple flying backwards to the ground, bouncing once before regaining control and log-rolling to the side. "Hah... hah..." she breathes raggedly, looking back at May Lee... not sure what to make of the situation as she kippups back to her feet.
She was confident she would land that strike. She usually does-- hit the knee to the face, and all. May Lee wouldn't lying if she said she wasn't surprised that Sakura would make a manuver like that, to fight through one of her most powerful of techniques. Concussive chi and mighty knee, together forever.
Forever...
"Haa-guh!"
May Lee reels backward in the air with the force of the attack, however powerful it may truly be. Crashing to the ground, she lands flat on her back, arms thrown out to her sides and head tipped back, breathing deep and hard as her senses burn. And... she's still hungry. Still, she manages to utter out, "T-That was truly a ... magnificent attack."
Her fist lifts, thumb extended upward. "With justice."
Oof. Sakura certainly can't argue with that assessment! Cracking a wide grin, Sakura throws her fist into the sky! Cheers erupt from the crowd, the referee calls out something or other with a horrible echo.... but really, Sakura's not worried about any of that right now! Instead, after that moment of mandatory servitude to her fans, the Ansatsuken fighter dashes over and kneels beside May Lee. "Hey, hey, thanks! You put out a pretty sweet set of moves, yourself! I need to get me some -gloves- like that, geez." Grinning broadly, she offers the girl a hand up. "Hey, c'mon... you wanna go get somethin' to eat? There's this =sweet= pasta place right around the corner I've been wanting to try out..."
Twitch. Ow. No, really. Ow. Clamping her hand around Sakura's, May Lee pulls herself up to her feet with a grunt and groan, stumbling a few steps before she keeps her balance good and steady. Ahahahaha! So, she admires the gloves, eh? "Well, I'll have you know there is a long and wonderful story behind that. A tale so long and epic that it can only be talked about over the course of a very large heaping plate of spaghetti!" Grinning like her usual self rather than the superhero persona, she scratches her cheek. "So. Let's go!"
Friendship: Bound in battle, inked in tomato sauce.
COMBATSYS: Sakura takes no action.
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Sakura has ended the fight here.
Log created by Sakura, and last modified on 05:31:43 12/24/2005.