Neo League 376 - #384: Hotaru vs Sakura

Description: Hotaru rematches Sakura, and darn well kicks her butt! But then Sakura makes a comeback... and they both concede to one another. Next time! (Draw Match)



The last League fight before her hiatus was against Sakura. And now that she has made a return to the active League roster, Hotaru knew the officials would line them up against each other before too long. The audience loves 'reunion matches,' after all. She's always admired Sakura's drive, having followed the other young fighter's progress over time. And while she expects that her long year away from regular fighting will leave her at a disadvantage, there's something to be said for witnessing one's fighting spirit first hand. The invitation to appear was accepted and Hotaru shows up at the scheduled location right here in Southtown.
Space has been set aside for this match, a cleared off area of grass with a small, fairly unimportant hill off to the side on what appears to be a clear, sunny afternoon. No tricky gimmicks, special rules, or often embarrassing themes to endure or enjoy, depending on one's preference. It's a simple, normal fight.
Already there and ready, Hotaru is pacing back and forth, her head bowed, her hands clasped behind her back. She has a lot on her mind as this fight has come along only days after a rather significant distraction has been added to her life.

Sakura... has been having a weird few months. Her parents have been pushing her to study, so she can graduate. She's trying to pick out a school -- maybe even a =major=. Her boyfriend went back to Brazil to tend to his sick mother. And for some reason she just hasn't been able to touch base with people for fights when she =is= free.
Neo League to the rescue! Sakura was pretty eager to see how Hotaru had improved over the past few months, and now it looks like she'll have her chance! Strolling up to the grassy knoll, Kasugano smiles at the serene setting. It's... delightfully sparse, compared to what she's used to -- only a trio of cameras set at regular intervals, with the only good vantage spots for observers quite a bit away from the actual clearing. So... there's plenty of room to exercise!
Drawing in a deep breath, Kasugano marches right up to Hotaru. Sure, she's a few minutes late -- maybe that's why Hotaru looks distracted. "Hey, sorry I'm late!" she calls out, leaving a small bag with one of the Neo League officials. "Tsu-kun needed me to pick up some batteries before stuff closed down!" she explains, as she pulls her handguards tight and snug. "Long time no see, though! You ready to show me what you've got?" The wind picks up as she stops a fair distance away, kicking her long, white headband into motion as the tomboy curls her fists in anticipation.

COMBATSYS: Sakura has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Sakura           0/-------/-------|


The apology pulls Hotaru out of her reverie, the girl turning around to face Sakura directly. Lifting her hands, she double checks both hair ribbons, pulling one snug as it had loosened some. Her distracted expression fades quickly, replaced with a ready smile. "It has been a long time," she agrees, the words carrying weight behind them as she reflects briefly on the number of things that have happened to her since the previous year's match.
"But I'm ready." she confirms, hands clenching and unclenching. She looks eager to fight, but she's also eager to ask Sakura something. Already behind the clock, the man officiating looks eager to get the cameras rolling. "All right, neither of you are new to this." He'll forgo any of the litany of instructions offered to those brand new to the league in the interests of time. Backing away from the clearing to the comperable safety of the sidelines, the signal is given to start the fight.
Deciding her question will have to wait a bit, Hotaru sprints forward into immediate action. She's charging Sakura as quickly as she can, hoping to grab hold of her long enough to continue with her momentum into a sequence of kicks and finishing with a leap away to recover afterward. As she moves, she braces herself to take evasive action in case her opponent tries to stop her advance short instead of just avoiding it.

COMBATSYS: Hotaru has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Hotaru           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0           Sakura


COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Sakura with Shin-Jou Tai.

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


Sakura tilts her head to the side at Hotaru's querying, hesitant glance. "Hey, what's on your..."
But her attention is drawn by the announcer. His statement was was totally =awesome=, and it's plain to see the impact it's made on her from the exuberant grin she flashes him! ... Even if he wasn't particularly trying to be funny. Whatever!
But maybe she was a bit =too= impressed, as she turns back to Hotaru to see the girl leaping towards her! "H-hey, I--" No excuses, the announcer already began the fight! Sakura staggers backwards from the series of kicks, wincing as she curls her palm about her nose. "Geez, you don't waste any time!" But while Sakura's face and pride might be wounded, her spirit sure isn't -- the girl's laughing as she springs back at Miss Futaba. "Well, ready or not..." And Kasugano leaps into the air, wheeling her right leg like a helicoptor rotor with a cry of, "SHUNPUUU KYAKU!" It's just ten times cooler if you shout the name!

COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Sakura's Shunpuu Kyaku.

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Hotaru           0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0           Sakura


Her first attack lands and Hotaru is able to leap away, coming down as if landing after just a normal jump. There's distance between them but that rarely means much when it comes do a fight between two rather swift combatants. Still, Sakura's comments give Hotaru time to get back to her feet and turn around to face her.
There's a twitch of a smile, but Hotaru isn't sure how she feels about the first blow landing just because Sakura wasn't taking her seriously. "I AM ready!" she calls back toward the schoolgirl fighter before the next attack is launched. With the angle that Kasugano is coming at, Hotaru finds it difficult to gauge where the spinning leg attack is going to strike exactly, so in the end she decides to tough it out, bracing herself behind her arms, allowing them to take the brunt of the attack. "Oof," she grunts, stumbling back a little, shaking her arms at her side quickly during the brief window she believes to have while Sakura has to recover her footing. Her smile becomes more sincere now that she thinks she's being attacked in earnest. "That's a tricky technique," she comments, having found it difficult to predict even with the warning.
But that's about all she takes the time for now, hopping forward, attempting to plant a foot on Sakura's shoulder and jump off her again. It's no surprise that many of Hotaru's opponents begin to feel a bit like a trampoline if she gets away with this sort of thing for too long.

COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Koushuu Da from Hotaru with Medium Punch.

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Hotaru           1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0           Sakura


----------------------------<Paste from Hotaru>----------------------------

Shin-jou Tai History to date:

Joe - 1 hit 2 endures

Naerose - 1 block 1 hit

Frei - 1 block, 1 failed attempt to interrupt it

Dante - Power Hit, Power Hit, Crit Hit

Azrael - Hit, Failed attempt to counter

Vyle - Hit

Roberto - Hit

Well... yes. Sakura's a bit unnerved! But mostly because she doesn't remember Hotaru's kicks hurting quite so much! Ow!
But she's able to land her own dizzying series of kicks, which helps keep Kasugano's attention on the fight. She's been having trouble =starting= fights lately -- what with Drake soundly =battering= her in their last fight -- but this seems to be working out.
"Heh!" she comments, splaying her hands out to either side as she spins to a halt. Yes, just a little bit smug, but she's being good for the most part. Has to stay focused, just like her master's taught her.
Kasugano's readiness allows her to see that leap coming. Fool me once, shame on... well, however that saying goes, Sakura won't fall for it a second time! She sees a kick, but it's coming high, so Sakura's first impulse is to lash out with her trademark uppercut! But that's a bit overkill, she considers, and it'd probably =miss= with Hotaru's attack vector. So instead, she pauses, gathering both hands at her side for a moment. Wait a moment, wait a moment... and then *bam*, just before Hotaru makes contact, Kasugano laces her fingers together, swinging her hands high in a twin axehandle to smack right into Hotaru! Sure, Kasugano still gets kicked quite a bit lower than her shoulders (with no small degree of ouchie in her expression) considering the approach, but she manages to knock Hotaru away just the same.
Panting as she steps forward, Kasugano grins nonetheless. "Hey, you've got some crafty moves yourself!" She chuckles a bit, one eye wincing shut from the pain -- getting kicked in the upper torso is =not= pleasant, after all.

The punch alone would have been painful with the force Sakura put into it, but it's the tumble from altitude that adds major hurt to the failed attempt at getting some range. Hotaru falls back to the ground, sliding a ways on her back. Ow, she ponders to herself. She should have recovered from that better, she chides, pressing with her hands and legs into a backwards roll to get back to her feet, fists clenched. She looks pretty excited, all things considered, either the compliment from Sakura has gone to her head in spite her typical reluctance to engage in banter, or she's just really enjoying this fight, however it might be going so far. She takes a moment to slip back into her ready stance, having a moment to concentrate.
She's studying Sakura again, now that she has the chance to see the fighter in person. "I am wondering if you have an instructor, Sakura," she muses out loud. It's something that's been bothering her lately, feeling that her own ability to improve is drastically limited by the lack of any examples or tutoring to turn to. Her tone is more colloquial than the mildly timid, extremely polite girl of yesteryear. Yet one of many things that have changed for her.
But just because she's asked something indirectly doesn't mean she is about to relent. Fighters do the same thing to her all the time. Asking their questions, making her think, and then smacking her for being distracted. It was something her father trained her against rather viciously while growing up, but sometimes she'll forget all the same. She takes a quick breath, rooting her focus, and then she's after Sakura again, closing the distance between them with extreme speed. In the end, she hops a short distance, building potential energy and turning it directly into kinetic energy as she unleashhes a sequence of whirling strikes with her hands, each one intended to try and break down Sakura's defenses.

COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Sakura with Sou-shou Tenrenge EX.

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


As her opponent's defenses begin to break down, Hotaru continues to press the attack by leaping forward into a shoulder slam to knock Sakura off her feet and into the air. But the girl continues with the momentum after that even, coming out of the rising shoulder slam into a chi-flaring dive directly back into her. After something like that, she's sure she'll be taken seriously now! After landing, she'll continue with the momentum, rolling to her feet some feet away, gasping for breath for a second after having pushed herself very hard to pull that off.

Well, Sakura doesn't =try= to be rude! It just... happens. The girl won't =shut up= sometimes, is all. All in good fun, though!
Hotaru's question gives Sakura some pause -- but she nods her head slowly. "Yep! Ryu! Best fighter in the world! I can probably introduce ya if you'd like..." Maybe that'd be easier if the Ansatsuken Angel knew where the man =was=, but she's sure Ken can find him somehow. She'd be more than happy to explain further, but Hotaru takes this moment to open up a can of palm-strikes on the girl.
"Wh...whoa..." notes Sakura, caught a bit off-guard by the kicking girl's sudden shift to strikes. Sakura seems to have forgotten a bit about her opponent! But it's too late -- she's been caught off-guard, and Hotaru's quick to press the advantage! Wham, wham, wham, dive! Kasugano's taken down quite quickly and effectively, flattened by that sudden string of attacks and leaving a loooong path of churned-up grass in her wake. Replace your divots, golfers!
The girl's back on her feet in no time though, her face nearly red from excitement. ... Or maybe that's anger. ... No, it's excitement, as the girl's grinning. "Hey, you =did= bring your A-game!" announces Sakura, practically brimming over! The schoolgirl flicks her wrists to her right, a brilliant blossom of blue-white chi surging into existence there. "And now it's time for mine!" The schoolgirl shoves her hands forward, the bloom of energy rushing forward, its distinct shape becoming an ill-defined missile as it hurtles towards Hotaru! "HADOOOOOUKEN!"

COMBATSYS: Hotaru endures Sakura's Large Hadouken EX.

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Hotaru           0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1           Sakura


Catching her breath after her previous assault, Hotaru's mouth curls into a smile as she nods, "Anything less would be disrespectful. I must admit I admire your spirit, Sakura... You have conviction with your fighting and you do honor to your mentor with how you handle yourself. Thus it is that I must do my best as well." She has only memories to honor for now, as her search for an instructor continues. Well, that, and she wants Jiro to be proud of her, she reflects, her expression looking a bit distant for a split second.
As Sakura charges up her fireball, Hotaru hesitates a moment, but then she's charging directly for her, a look of grim determination in her eyes. Perhaps she was intending to cut short Sakura's charge up time, but whatever her original plans were, Hotaru charges directly into the fireball, leaning forward to allow the energy to buffet her severely. Ow, ow, that hurts. And in spite her resolve to press her way though it, she had no idea her opponent could great a projectile with that magnitude as quickly as she had.
Still, the young Kenpo artist continues in spite the pain as she attempts to barrel right into Sakura with a leaping shoulder slam, putting the draining ache out of her mind just long enough to shout, "Tenshin Sou!", trying to knock her opponent off her feet again.

COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Sakura with Tenshin Shou.

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


Something about Hotaru's statement rubs Sakura the wrong way, just the slightest bit. She's used to people talking trash in a fight, so hearing what =must= be sincere words coming from Hotaru just seems contrived at first.
But it passes, as Kasugano's quick to realize the girl's just being friendly. She'd offer more friendly words... but she =really= didn't expect Hotaru to just up and plow right through one of her especially =massive= fireballs like that. Mouth gaping open for a moment as she considers the parallels to Shenwoo, Kasugano braces for impact...
And totally =forgets= to brace her feet for an upwards strike. She certainly hadn't expected to be knocked =upward=, and it shows with how the girl flails about uncontrollably for a while, arms and legs flying every which way. Is she reeeeally a King of Fighters veteran?
Well, maybe. She's able to regain control before she lands, twisting about in a quick somersault and uncoiling into a low, three-point landing. Panting heavily, she shakes her head in a grin. "You're just =full= of surprises..." she notes, curling her hands back as she rises to her feet. While not as quick as last time, she does spend a bit more time on the aesthetics of the fireball swirling about in her hands -- a bit more tightly wound, in order to cover the increased distance to Hotaru. Hopefully the audience can appreciate the difference! Kasugano thrusts her hands forward, sending that somewhat smaller blossom spinning out at Hotaru: "HADOOOOOOUKEN!"

COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Hotaru with Medium Hadouken.

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


As her surprise attack lands, Hotaru nearly falls over as she comes down out of her rising shoulder slam. Dropping to a crouching position, one hand resting against the ground, she steadies herself, the real pain she was pushing aside from charging dead on into Sakura's large fireball finally catching up with her. But Sakura has distance on her now and Hotaru is looking pretty winded after what she's pushed herself through so far.
Even from distance, she's too slow to avoid the next fireball Sakura throws her way and it knocks her down to the ground in spite her attempts to catch herself from the fall. Hissing at the pain, she rolls over and pushes herself back up, turning around to face Sakura. Hands come up to slap her cheeks once, trying to clear her mind of the pain the two fireballs in a row are causing her. "Thank you," she finally replies to Sakura, clenching her fists as she prepares herself to make another attack. "I'm doing my best. I hope Jiro can be proud of me. And my brother too." Her expression is very serious, giving it all she has just to keep going. It's then that she charges forward, sprinting across the long distance that seperates the two. The assualt begins somewhat like the attack that pummeled Sakura earlier, Hotaru hopping into the air and coming down with a whirlwind of swinging arms, once again trying to find a weakness in Sakura's defenses long enough to continue with the assault.

COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Sakura with Ten-ren-ge.

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


The attack will continue much like it did last time, with swing after swing finally wearing Sakura's ability to defend down. Then comes another leaping shoulder slam - which seems to have been working pretty well for her this fight. In the end, she jumps up, and lacking the energy to drive Sakura back into the ground like before, she simply kicks her once to send the other girl flying before landing herself, falling into a crouch, looking close to collapsing after all this exhertion.

Keeping her yap shut was never one of Sakura's strong points -- a fact she proves by practically interrupting Hotaru as she speaks: "Doing your best? You're doing =great!="
But then Hotaru goes and mentions the J-dog. "S..sure... but... Jiro?" Kasugano cants her head to the side, like a curious jaybird. "What the heck does Jiro have to--"
Sakura doesn't get to finish -- Hotaru's once again bringing the fight to her, her blistering series of strikes undoing what's left of Sakura's guard in just a few strikes, paving the way for a more brutal follow-up.
Sakura... really doesn't know where she went wrong here! But she's thrilled just the same, pleased that Hotaru has gone from a small-time competitor to a major threat to her ego! "Hehe... weren't you all about the fireballs before, though? I was kinda lookin' forward to seein' one!" She kips back to her feet, brushing the back of her hand against her mouth, lip cut from an errant strike, and widens her stance for a moment. Once more, she curls her hands to her side, grinning triumphantly. Anyone who's seen Sakura knows what the fireball-lobber's gonna do next, even as the schoolgirl starts dashing towards Futaba with her hands cupped at her right, a broad smirk and a glint in her eyes.
Well, they might have a good idea, but they'd be wrong: rather than finish the trio of fireballs with its little brother, Kasugano whips around in a sharp turn, skirt flaring about from the sudden twirl as she brings the heel of her right foot crashing down like a scythe onto Hotaru's shoulder! "Hriiii-HAAAA!"

COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Sakura's Flower Kick.

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


What does Jiro have to do with it? Hotaru's expression brightens at the question, "It's easier to do my best when I know someone important to me will be watching," she replies. Oh no, the sap is being layed on heavy! But it seems to give Hotaru the resolve to keep moving in spite her body begging for a break.
As Sakura's kick comes down toward her, Hotaru moves faster than her winded state would make it seem she could. She dives into a roll, coming up standing several feet away. Turning around, the same confident, enthusiastic expression on her face before, she does offer her opponent a thought, "One thing I've learned is that giving my opponents what they expect ends up hurting quite a bit." She may have been happy to trade fireballs before, but now it seems Hotaru is adapting to keep Sakura guessing.
It takes a ton of effort for her to move forward on the offensive again, and this might be all she can muster doing. Leaping into the air with a grunt, she flips at the apex of the arch, before diving back down on her opponent knee first. If she can connect with it, she'll bring her other leg forward to kick a second time, using that momentum to push her away to hopeful safety.

COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Sakura with Rengeki Shuu.

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


This just is =not= Sakura's day. She's quite easily stronger and faster than Hotaru, and she's had a lot more practice fighting, but studying for exams seems to have traded her finely-tuned instincts for book smarts. Not a good trade, to say the least!
Accordingly, not only does she miss her kick, but Sakura also gets nailed as she tries to leap out of the way. One kick leads to another, and Kasugano finds herself sailing right back to the ground she'd just kicked herself up from. "Good philosophy..." murmurs Sakura, already succumbing to her own body's pleading. Has her sporadic training been =that= counterproductive? she wonders, faltering and nearly collapsing to the ground from sheer exhaustion.
Wincing, gasping for breath, it doesn't seem like any of her usual snappy comments will be forthcoming. But she does manage to gather her strength in that one momentary pause. And it's with that last burst that she springs forward, hoping that same unpredictability that Hotaru alluded to can pay off for her as she rockets into a rushing, leaping knee strike at Hotaru! "TIGER KNEE!"
Yeah, she's studied under Sagat for a bit too, go figure!

COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached second wind!

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


COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Sakura's Light Kick EX.

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


Forcing herself to stand up after knocking Sakura down again, Hotaru turns to brace herself. It's hard to banter when you can barely breath, and so she spends the seconds to catch her breath as Sakura digs deep to come at her again. As she moves out of the way this time, she doesn't look graceful, just desperate to avoid getting kneed in the head.
Stumbling a couple of steps, Hotaru catches herself, pressing her hands against her knees to keep from falling forward. She turns after some seconds, making her way back toward Sakura. The movement is similar to when she started the fight, though clearly no where near as swiftly as her previous assaults. A short hop, two swings of her arms, ending with a strong single palm punch pressing out from her sides, the one toward Sakura aiming directly for the girl's stomach.

COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Hotaru's Soushou Shin.

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


For some reason, Sakura's finally able to dodge again. She's been getting that a lot, lately, looong strings of being completely immobile, like her body =wants= her to take the hit. Builds character, don'tcha know! But after a long series of strikes from Hotaru, Kasugano's decided: enough's enough!
And the Taiyo student just dives to the side, rolling into a tumble, fueled by little more than the purest adrenaline her body can muster. Contrary to the booksmarts, the analytical mind encouraged by books and teachers, this is the true, definitive, Sakura, motivated entirely by reflexes and instincts. Grinning brightly, though her body could quit at any moment, she nonetheless springs back to her feet a good distance away, widening her stance for all of a moment.
... Before she twists about to face Hotaru, charging right back her way. "HAAAAAA!" shouts the tomboy as she leaps into a rapid, rushing punch intended to knock Futaba down, and keep her there!

COMBATSYS: Hotaru dodges Sakura's Medium Punch.

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


Sakura's evasion doesn't come as a big surprise to anyone by now, as Hotaru is practically stumbling both into and out of the attack even as she moves aside. It takes her several feet even to slow down. It's only Sakura's current state that makes her able to avoid the charging punch for her head. If the girl was fresh, there's no way Hotaru would have side-stepped in time given her current condition.
There's a quiet smile that crosses her lips in spite her exhaustion as Kasugano charges right by her. It's been a good fight. And she has nothing to be ashamed of with her performance this afternoon. But Hotaru knows she can go no further. The last attack she made was a mockery of her art and she won't do that a second time. Dropping to her knees, she leans forward, holding herself up with her hands pressed against the ground, her hair sticking to her cheeks as she gasps for air. "I can't go on... Sakura, you win."

COMBATSYS: Hotaru takes no action.

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


Sakura blinks back at Hotaru as she leaps away, shaking her head. She's on fire! She's =dodging= now, she should be =hitting= now! What's up with--
... Hey wait, what? "...N.. no!" shouts Sakura, probably loud enough to startle the announcer. And he's easily a good thirty feet back! "I won't accept it!"
And with that, Sakura falls over, also. Leaning on her elbows, she looks up at Hotaru. "Y'know, I can't move another inch! Guess you're gonna have to settle for a draw!" A quirky smile crosses Sakura's face -- she won't accept it because Hotaru =honestly= and =truthfully= dragged her right to the line. Even if Hotaru claimed failure, Sakura just doesn't feel comfortable giving it to her! "We'll just have to rematch again, I guess!"
And from the way Sakura's grinning, right on the verge of laughter... well. Maybe it's best to agree!
The ref sure ain't gonna fight it -- the girl refuses to get up on the count, so there's little choice but to call it as Sakura did!

COMBATSYS: Sakura takes no action.

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


Her breath comes back to her slowly as Sakura forces the call for a draw and Hotaru looks up toward the fighter she has quietly admired since their last couple of matches a year ago. At first she looks shocked, surprised as Sakura lies down. She starts to shake her head at the offer, but there's something about Sakura's expression that tells her it isn't worth trying to argue it. Hotaru looks truly humbled at the offer of the draw coming from someone she holds in such high esteem.
Nodding her head slightly as she finally gets her breath back, Hotaru's smile manages to work its way through the fatigue. "You're very generous, Sakura-san," she speaks, some of the honorifics of her old speech habits coming through now as the other teenaged fighter is elevated quite a lot in her mind. "I would be honored to have a rematch with you some time. I'm glad to have seen your fighting spirit in person once again."
It takes another minute before she can push herself back to her feet, but once she does, she'll walk over to shake hands with the other fighter if possible, before going their seperate ways for now. It's been a great week for the young Kenpo artist! Jiro is no longer trying to get himself killed in a deathmatch with Dante and he finally told her how he feels about her; she finally has a slim lead on her brother's whereabouts; and she's managed to represent her training well against someone she respects a lot. For now, life is really good for Hotaru.

COMBATSYS: Hotaru has left the fight here.

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


COMBATSYS: Sakura has ended the fight here.

Log created on 20:09:21 05/06/2007 by Sakura, and last modified on 09:39:31 05/12/2007.