Description: Guy just whales on Sakura at the Metro City Aquarium! (Winner: Guy)
The Metro City Aquarium. ... Okay, it's =not= exactly the best place for a Neo League fight, but it's... well, it's something! And it's pretty nifty, even if it did scare the bejeezus out of the venue operators when one of the participants made her request.
"... on... the whale?"
"Yep! If... if it's okay and all? I mean, we can just start there and hop down if it's a problem."
"... From the whale."
"Yeah, if that's cool?"
"I... I guess so, but you two are paying for damages if anything breaks..."
"What could break? We aren't gonna go out of our way to bust the chains or nothin..."
"I... y... fine. Do it. Just get out of here, you're creeping me out."
"Okay!"
And so... that's how Sakura Kasugano got to be fighting on top of a whale. And whose fault is this? Kei Chitose, who'd placed a bet and said it COULDN'T BE DONE. See that girl in the crowd of onlookers on the observation deck, the one with her hand over her face? Yep, that's her. Sakura waves to her cheerily, pointing down at the whale as it swings back and forth precariously upon those chains. 'SEEE?' mouths the schoolgirl, grinning like an idiot.
It's...certainly an interesting spot for a fight. That alone speaks volumes about Guy's opponent for today. Sakura...he's never actually met her, let alone fought her, and he's certainly curious in that regard. After all, he HAS come up against her sensei before, a painful experience to say the least, but who knows how the girl stacks up? She's certainly accomplished much in her own right, but so far his impression is that she's far more...crazy than Ryu. Guy's going to have to be careful.
Guy is standing still atop the whale, undisturbed by its height, its constant swaying motion, or anything else about it other than the fact that it's a freaking model whale hanging suspended in midair. And that's not bugging him all that much. Ready and waiting, he waits for Sakura's attention to shift onto him, and then nods. "Whenever you wish to begin."
COMBATSYS: Sakura has started a fight here.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Guy has joined the fight here.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Guy
Careful... because she's a =little bit psycho?= The kind of schoolgirl that would devote her entire life to learning the martial arts style of some guy she'd mostly ever seen on television a couple times? Crazy much? ... Just a bit. Though once she notices Guy standing there, the girl blinks back, surprised. He's -talking- to her? "W...whoa. When'd you get here?" It's almost like he's a =ninja=.
... Ohhh, right. Pounding her hand into an open palm, she nods. With conviction! "Okay, then! Let's go!" And ... just as easy as that, the schoolgirl's launching into action, running up the whale and then leaping into an aerial whirlwind kick -- the aim being to smack Guy around one, two, three times if she can manage it! "Shunpuuuuu Kyaku!"
COMBATSYS: Guy Toughs Out Sakura's Shunpuu Kyaku!
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Sakura 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Guy
Yes, he's talking! Guy's not a mute! He just...acts like it a good portion of the time. There's generally plenty of grunting, and a bit of shouting in the middle of a fight, however.
This leads nicely into what happens next. As Sakura charges him, the ninja stands his ground, meeting the kicks head on. One, two, three crash into him, but he doesn't seem to be terribly concerned with them, letting out a small grunt each time. And when Sakura's done, he's still right there, still feeling fine. They're not bad kicks, it's just that Guy's bad. Badass, that is!
To prove it, he does a very ninja thing: flipping. Specifically, he jumps upward, tucking himself into a small ball, and reaches out for Sakura's shoulders. Using his spinning momentum, he tries to bring her straight around, up and over and finally straight down into the whale with forceful impact.
COMBATSYS: Sakura fails to interrupt Izuna Otoshi from Guy with Shou'ou Ken.
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Sakura 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Guy
What? What? Did she actually -hit- him, or is he just playing around with her? Dangit, she =hates= fighting ninjas sometimes, and it's because they're just so darn =sneaky!= Sakura grits her teeth as she alights from her revolving kicks, whirling back to face Guy.
And... then she seems to think she can uppercut the bejeezus out of him.
She's wrong, on that count, for just as she starts to leap forward, Guy snatches her out of midair -- it actually seems to -help- the man, sadly. She gets this sweet view of the room spinning for the instants before she's slammed straight down into the whale -- at which point her vision is flooded with a bright white light.
... That =hurt=, to say the least. But she's not out yet! Kasugano kips back to her feet, slapping herself in the cheeks lightly. "... O... Okay, that... that was a lucky strike for you, but I'm gettin' =serious= now!" She clenches her fists tightly, nodding her approval to continue!
Indeed, Guy would be somewhat disappointed if Sakura WAS out after that. He knows it hurts - he's been on the receiving end of it once or twice in the past, after all - but to give up after being hit a single time? Unthinkable. Luckily, this is not the case at all. Hooray!
Still. She's implying that she wasn't taking this fight seriously at first - he frowns a bit at that, but evidently things will be better now, if he's to believer the schoolgirl's words. Well, he's certainly serious, and that means no holding back, and no giving the opponents chances to take a break.
However, Guy's still cautious - he doesn't have a full measure of Sakura's abilities. For now, that means he'll keep things simple, dashing in and leading with a solid elbow aimed at Sakura's ribs, followed up by several smaller, weaker jabs at various points on her torso.
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Guy's Medium Punch.
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Sakura 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Guy
Well. It's not so much that she wasn't =serious= at the beginning of the fight... and more that she didn't want to admit that she, y'know, =goofed= by trying to punch the ninja's lights out. Shades of difference, perhaps.
Though... it probably =would= be to her benefit to study her opponent a little more intently, since, well, he hits =really= hard, if his punches are any indication: she's able to snap her arms up to defend most, with the padded handguards when she's lucky, but for the most part... keeping her eyes on Guy is paramount! "Heh... I'm a bit stronger than I look, really!!" If you have to say it, is it really true?
COMBATSYS: Sakura focuses on her next action.
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Sakura 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Guy
Well, at least Sakura's managed to recover herself somewhat. She's defending against Guy's latest assault well, but he's not planning on letting up. Stepping forward, he brings one fist out at a downward angle, and then snaps it up and around toward Sakura's face. "That may be, but you're talking too much." Guy is here to fight, not to have a pleasant conversation!
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Jab Punch from Guy with Medium Hadouken EX.
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Sakura 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Guy
Talking... =too much?= Is there such a thing? If so, it's news to Sakura! Puzzling that over in her mind for a moment, she nods slowly... "Maybe..." But then Guy seems intent on tapping her in the face. Which is something she can live with, admittedly... but she just happens to be curling her hands to the side in anticipation. Sidestepping, she lets her chin ratchet to the side from the blow, while simultaneously sliding forward to slam the bright blue fireball she's kept in her hands for just such a purpose squarely into Guy's midsection. Oh, and just because she's 'talking too much', the tomboy shouts, "HADOOOUKEN!". Right. In. His. Ear. Annoying, isn't she?
Well, it seems that she's got the hadouken down pretty well. Blasted backward, Guy goes into a roll and comes up on his feet a short distance away, where he pauses, looking the schoolgirl over, wondering if the shouting in his ear was really neccesary. A little annoying, sure, but it's hard to get annoyed by someone in circumstances where you get to pound the crap out of them.
Speaking of, evidently he's had enough time for reflection because he's coming right at Sakura again, twisting around sideways and attempting to plant his foot somewhere in the vicinity of her kneecaps.
COMBATSYS: Sakura fails to interrupt Light Kick from Guy with Shou'ou Ken.
- Power hit! -
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Sakura 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Guy
Capped in the knee... caps? What the heck? Sakura doesn't really expect that -- Guy doesn't look like a Mafia man, really. But it doesn't reeeeally change her outlook on this fight -- as far as she can tell, Guy's the kinda... guy who'd just get the heck out of the way if she tried something serious. Y'know, all-out, major deadly attack gets flung out there, and Guy just casually sidesteps like it ain't no thang... yeah. Well. Maybe that'd explain why Sakura's so bloody suicidal in this match, trying to punch the crap out of him with her sure-kill uppercut and all.
Unfortunately, it's -not- a sure-kill, and Sakura gets capped in the knees, forcing her to stagger backwards in pain without giving him her uppercut. So... maybe he'll just have to keep up the strategy, because it's obviously working. Meanwhile, Sakura will pick herself off the floor, rub her skinned-up knees, and generally try not to show how ticked off she is at her lack of tactical effectiveness this fight.
If she did, it'd look like this: :(
For his part, Guy has been expecting something more out of Sakura. Here he is, punching and kicking the snot out of her, and for the most part all she's done in return is blast him one, and then repeatedly fail to uppercut him. Maybe she really is just having an off-day. Even if she is, however, Guy is not going to go easy on her at all. It's a fighter's duty to be prepared in case of off-days.
So make no mistake, when he backs off for a moment, looking Sakura over again, it's not an act of kindness. He's preparing, getting ready - for what, probably simply something big. Guy's certainly not telling.
COMBATSYS: Guy focuses on his next action.
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Sakura 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Guy
Oh, and Sakura? Sakura's just... y'know, chillin'. Trying not to fall over and all that. Of course, she's swaying from side to side a bit in the process, as her vision is already starting to fade in and out. Y'know the deal, right? Right. And Sakura... well. She =could= be doing better, and owning harder, she just didn't feel like it. Yeah.
Oh wait... here she comes. She's throwing an attack, and it's gonna hurt. A =lot=. She's charging right at Guy with a hard right cross, aiming to nail the ninja squarely between the eyes. Because he's =not= going easy on her, after all -- this =is= still a fight.
Despite the yelling. "HYAAAAAAAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Guy endures Sakura's Medium Punch.
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Sakura 1/-----==/=======|=======\=------\1 Guy
It's a shame that she doesn't feel like totally owning, because Guy's certainly in the mood. It is the natural state of a ninja. And so far, it doesn't look like she's going to be owning quite yet, either, as her punch to the middle of Guy's forehead? He just takes it, head barely moving back even though it had to have hurt. He's just being that hardcore, folks.
The REALLY hardcore part comes afterward, however, as he absolutely launches himself forward, going into a series of painful kicks, designed as much to stun Sakura for a moment as much as to do harm. The real thing comes when he backflips away (adding another kick in the process) and then drives forward, moving through the air parallel to the ground with his leg outstretched. That sneaker? That sneaker has Sakura's name all over it.
COMBATSYS: Guy successfully hits Sakura with Bushin Gourai Kyaku.
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Guy
Sneakers? The only sneakers with Sakura's names on them are on her feet! And... well, they're not really 'on her feet' any more, not once Guy unloads that series of kicks into her, before backflipping and =slamming= his foot into them, knocking Sakura's shoes clean off.
Not to mention... sending her skidding right =off the whale=, careening to her death on the floor below! Sockless!
... Well, the sockless part is right. The schoolgirl's skirt =does= slow her fall, though, allowing her to flip about in mid-air, righting herself as she glares back up at Guy. Well, what =can= she do? It's not like she's going to jump back up there or anything. Clenching her fists, she just takes the moment to catch her breath... she's going to need it, clearly!
COMBATSYS: Sakura focuses on her next action.
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Sakura 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Guy
Well, knocking Sakura clean off the whale...was somewhat unexpected, Guy has to admit. He had allowed for the possibility that he might have to chuck her off at some point, or suplex her off of it or something equally awesome, but actually kicking her off hadn't occured to him. He won't complain.
However, there is still the fact that Sakura's standing - Guy was hoping that would put her down. Clearly, more effort is required in that regard. Walking calmly to the side of the whale, Guy hops off and then attempts to step on Sakura's head. However, the key here is that he's not planning to do it with ninja grace, landing as lightly as an autumn leaf on a calm day. He's landing more like...well, like a big, sneaker-wearing rock.
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Medium Kick from Guy with Shou'ou Ken.
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Sakura 1/-----==/=======|=====--\-------\0 Guy
COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached second wind!
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Sakura 1/-----==/=======|=====--\-------\0 Guy
- It's over, Sakura! I have the high ground!
- No! You underestimate my power!
This conversation never took place, but it =could=. But unlike a certain whiny brat, Sakura's able to put her unique position in this fight to good use -- most notably, Guy's plummeting down towards her at the same time the schoolgirl is planning to =rocket straight up into him.= "SHOOOOU'OOOOU KEN!" Sure... he might not be landing on her =face= like he might have otherwise -- in fact, his kick still grazes her torso. And boy, don't ever think that doesn't hurt. But it probably doesn't hurt =quite= as much as the fist she's slammed into =his= ribcage at roughly the same time -- and considering that both fighters go =up= more than they do =down=, it seems Sakura just had =something= to prove there.
That is: she -does- know how to uppercut properly, the previous attempts notwithstanding.
And make no mistake, Sakura uppercuts pretty dang well. Plummeting downward, Guy takes the punch hard, right in the gut. It drives the breath out of him, stopping his downward momentum dead, and he grimaces at the pain of it.
However, he's still close to Sakura, and that's important on the basis that she was just way stretched out. In midair, Guy recovers enough to grab at her fist with one hand, trying to yank it so that he can grab Sakura at the shoulder and then toss her down to the ground the hard way. The shoulder-dislocating way. How's that for turning a unique position to your advantage, huh?
COMBATSYS: Guy successfully hits Sakura with Seoi Nage.
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Sakura 1/---====/=======|======-\-------\0 Guy
Well... this could suck. Because as much as she likes to -start- aerial acrobatics like this, Sakura has a ridiculously poor track record for =finishing= them in anything resembling satisfactory fashion. See also: any time she's clashed with Ryu in mid-air combat.
And yes, folks, it =does= suck, as Sakura's sent hurtling toward the aquarium floor, bouncing hard on her shoulder, just as planned. Her left one, at least.
But... she pushes back to her feet, shutting one eye from the pain as she ... offers a smile back at Guy.
Yep, she's psycho, all right. But one thing's for certain...
She only needs one hand to throw a fireball, if she really sets her mind to it. And from the way her arm's hanging a bit limp... well, it'll have to do, won't it? Energy crackles in her right palm as she holds it aloft, practically -waiting- for Guy to make a landing. "Shinkuuuu...." Why not, right? Gives the fireball some more time to grow into an adult fireball, full of electricity and white-hot goodness. And once it's there, Sakura thrusts her palm forward with a cry of: "HADOOOOOOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: Guy endures Sakura's Shinkuu Hadouken.
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Sakura 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Guy
Landing heavily, because despite his partial recovery in the air he's still hurting, Guy has a moment to look Sakura over. She's certainly holding on in an impressive fashion. Tenacity is a valuable trait, if occasionally a horrifically painful one. Guy knows firsthand, as does Sakura, no doubt. However, he doesn't intend to be the first one to give, here.
To this end, when Sakura charges up and sends that huge Hadouken, Guy's decision is a simple one. He charges right toward it, and then he punches it. Straight on. It sort of explodes right in his face, ravaging him with energy, but afterward he's still charging on, directly at Sakura. Leaping upward, directly in her face, Guy takes that moment to start punching, trying to carry her upward with him for still more punching. Basically there is a buttload of punching here, and then at the apex of his jump, he flips around, driving his foot into and hopefully sending her down into the ground for good.
COMBATSYS: Guy successfully hits Sakura with Bushin Hassou Ken.
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Sakura 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Guy
Tenacity is probably the -most- significant of Sakura's virtues -- much moreso than her physical endurance, or her unique mastery over chi, or anything like that. Her dogged persistence to keep on fighting well beyond the rational limits of her frail body is what's allowed her to progress so far in the fighting world... and that means she's not just going to lie down and tap out!
Or at least that's what she likes to -think-, anyway. Because it sure would be nice if there were a state she could achieve that meant shrugging off two million punches, give or a take a couple mill, that drive her once more into the aerial frontier she's got so much difficulty with. It would've been nicer if she could have dodged it like she'd intended to, and got off completely scot free!
But she'll have to settle for second best -- in this case, adapting one of =her= techniques and combining it with one of her =master's= techniques to whip out a serious last-ditch counterattack. In this case, just after getting socked in the head, she aims one foot downward, and twists the other around it, righting herself like a gyrocopter. "Shinkuuuuu..."
No, it's not another fireball... though that'd be pure awesome if it were. Instead... a lot more syllables. "Tatsumaki Senpuuuu Kyaku!!!" The girl =hovers=, surrounded by blue chi, and just =waiting= for gravity to draw the Bushin-ryuu ninja right into her whirlwind kick trap!
COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached third wind!
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Guy
COMBATSYS: Guy dodges Sakura's Haru Ichiban.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Guy
It's certainly impressive. Sakura staying up /again/, even after Guy beat the crap out of her. Again. Her counterattack isn't quite as impressive, on account of how obvious it is that she's on her last legs. Or...well, she's not technically on her legs, but that's not the point. What is the point is that she telegraphs her movement well in advance, giving Guy time to leap back well away. Considering Sakura's tenacity for a few moments while she kicks the crap out of nothing, he notes, quietly, "Save it for a time that matters."
And then he's rushing in again, looking to throw a quick shot in at Sakura's jaw - it's not a lot, but it shouldn't take a lot to take Sakura down at this point.
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Guy's Jab Punch.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Guy
Realizing that Guy's already dropping to the floor in a way she can't reach him, Sakura... just gives it up and drops to a low crouch. And while Guy's punch may indeed be -enough- to take Sakura down, but it's not enough to dissuade her from trying once again to get the heck out of the way ... which she does by leaping backwards, letting Guy's short punch catch nothing but air. She smirks faintly at that, her shoes tapping on the aquarium floor once more as she lands a safe distance away.
And then? Then she just grins, clenching her fists at her side. Is she up to something? Or is adrenaline finally just taking its toll on the girl?
Well. Whatever it is, she ain't got the energy for much else other than to just stand there with a stupid grin on. Never mind the blood and the bruises... she's just smiling back at Guy, now. "C'mon, I thought you were gonna =hit me.=" And cocky, too!
COMBATSYS: Sakura focuses on her next action.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Guy
Frowning at Sakura's evasion of his punch, Guy pauses again, assessing the situation briefly. "As you wish." This has really gone on long enough, in his mind. He's not sure what Sakura has to prove here, but he's intent on proving that his foot is capable of meeting Sakura's face. As opposed to, say, a kneecap, a shoulder, or something else.
Rushing forward again, looking only to end this, Guy goes for it, bringing his foot up and thrusting it at Sakura's big, wildly flapping mouth.
COMBATSYS: Sakura fails to interrupt Light Kick from Guy with Light Kick.
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Guy 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Sakura can no longer fight.
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Guy 0/-------/-----==|
Well... if you can't go out with a bang, what the heck is the point of fighting in the first place? Sakura smiles and nods... her only wish is to not, like, keel over from -exhaustion-. She'd =much= rather go down the honorable route -- with a big ol' foot to the face. And she's =fine= with that.
She =does= try and snap a kick to the face as soon as Guy comes hurtling in, but ... well, that's just not happening. Sakura's gonna have to suffice with =his= kick to =her= face, putting her lights out for the night. Kasugano sails back, slamming against the wall, and when she falls onto her knees... she slumps to one side, unconscious. Good night, Guy. Good night, Sakura.
Nodding to himself, folding his arms, Guy turns and walks off. The fight is done - there's nothing further to be said, and nothing further to be done here.
COMBATSYS: Guy has ended the fight here.
Log created by Guy, and last modified on 18:57:34 02/07/2006.