Description: It's a battle of epic proportions at the Temple of Apollo! The Punk Princess and the Ansatsuken Angel face off at the amphitheater, but only one can come out victorious, no matter how hard the other fights. One really does have to pity the life of a cameraman though, getting landed atop of, having people flung at him, lugging equipment up a very steep set of stone seating... it's a wonder they don't get paid more! (Winner: Sakura)
There was a time when the Oracle at Delphi was the single most important place in the Western world. That time is clearly no more, as the Temple of Apollo has been in ruins since the time of Alexander the Great. Rulers and their advisors would visit the oracle seeking guidance in the temple whose perimeter is indicated by a dotted line of broken columns and rubble.
Neo League cameras have chosen these half-destroyed columns to act as their backdrop today, for this rematch between Arika Fade and Sakura Kasugano! Sakura herself is early for the match... normally this doesn't happen, but her heritage mandates that she document any historical site with superfluous photography! *Snap!* *wind,wind,wind* *Snap!* *wind,wind,wind* Certainly, the Temple itself is the highlight of the early morning battle, but she's also taking care to note the amphitheater above, multiple paths snaking about the temple, and the ivy growing everywhere. She might actually be confused for a high school student, as she's wearing the Seijyun uniform, but never fear, she's brought her handguards and headband with her just the same!
In the time when the temple stood, in the time of oracles and soothsayers, there were many prophesies and oracular statements made -- many that were cryptic, and thus seemingly unheeded. One particular statement is swimming around in the head of the young Arika Fade as she's taking time to wander around the ancient and majestic setting:
Make your own nature, not the advice of others, your guide in life.
Very appropriate, one would think, for the back and forth way she's been behaving of late.
Like her opponent, she came early. Like her opponent, she has a camera but it's less of the windy sort and more of the digital-point-and-click with pretty pictures saved within a matter of seconds. She's also carrying a guidebook, which yes, makes her very touristy. Despite all the places she's been on tour, Greece was obviously not one of them and so she's enjoying the morning while she can.
Upon spying the first of the Neo League cameras, she stops. Her own camera is gently placed upon one of the ruined columns, her guidebook alongside it. She pops her neck side to side, slowly stretching her body and warming up for the fight that will soon take place.
*Snap!* Kasugano steps back from her final shot, a gorgeous vista of the Greek countryside with a couple Doric columns in the foreground. It'll probably be a great picture, but Sakura will have to trust the drugstore with these pictures because she didn't have the foresight to actually BRING her good camera. Bother!
Looking around, she notes that her opponent seems to be not only present, but done taking her own photos. Sakura grins brightly, skirt swishing from the speed with which she whirls about and dashes over -- not to Arika, but to the cameraman closest to her. "Hey, I noticed you guys got lots of cameras on wheels... is it gonna be a problem if we end up upstairs?" While the cameraman turns a bit pale, she gestures vaguely towards the amphitheater, "Y'know, sometimes it happens..." Hope they brought a steadicam...
Like a goldfish, though, Sakura's attention flits away (her camera somehow making it out of her hands and landing in the cameraman's) before settling upon Arika. The Seijyun student tightens her fists as she jogs up, shadowboxing a flurry of punches in Fade's general direction. "Okay, are you done sightseeing yet? It's time to bring the pain!" No stretching from Sakura though, she just hops from one leg to the other in anticipation!
COMBATSYS: Sakura has started a fight here.
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Sakura 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Arika has joined the fight here.
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Arika 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
For someone so obviously -not- a morning person (and in her line of work, who can blame her from sleeping until at least mid-morning?), the energy and peppiness of the Seiyjun student is met with a dry, almost humorless smile. Before allowing herself a verbal reply, her deep blue eyes glance aside at the rather steep, plant-filled seating of the ancient amphitheater. Doesn't exactly look the safest, nor does it look overly dangerous -- unless someone tumbles down to the base.
A deep, almost meditative breath is taken and exhaled slowly as she contemplates which persona to use for this fight -- Arika Fade; punk rock princess, with her hard-to-understand accent... or her 'otherself'; the original, non-masked version of a British girl she's been trying to go back to lately.
Then again, this -is- Kasugano...
"Who the bloody 'ell says Oi've been soight-seein', eh?" Stretching her arms behind her she just shakes her head. "But who's pain are we talkin' 'ere? 'cuz so far as Oi'm concerned, it's gonna be -yours-."
The last word is accentuated by a swiftly snapped toward the right side of Sakura's cheek. Nothing that's intended to be major or severely painful. Just a little 'hello, how are you, let's get this fight started', type jab.
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Arika's Jab Punch.
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Arika 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
Kasugano shakes her head slowly at the deliberate pause for breath! Sakura doesn't have to work so hard at maintaining her tomboy attitude -- she'd -never stopped-, really, aside from that incident last summer -- so the thought of Arika pausing to choose her words makes her smirk grow even more.
"/My/ pain? If wishes were fishes, maybe!" To put another exclamation point on that statement, Sakura lazily raises her left handguard, interposing soft padding between herself and Arika's fist. Her hand sways, and her headband and hair are blown back from the impact... but Sakura herself seems unmoved! "C'mon!" goads Sakura, stepping back for a moment as she re-chambers her fist to her side, fully mindful of the point that Arika's just giving a wake-up shot. "You're supposed to -hit- me if you want to win!" she chirps, lunging forward to not just jab Arika, but punch her cheek right back into the column behind her! "Hyaaaa!"
Fun fact: Sakura's not a morning person either! She's just been up long enough to counteract it...
COMBATSYS: Arika blocks Sakura's Medium Punch.
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Arika 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Sakura
The attitude that Arika shows the world isn't -that- hard to maintain, but she's been given reason to sit back and consider things a little. Call it soul-searching, call it attempting to find a harmonic balance between the old life she sometimes misses, and the new life she's forged for herself. Whatever it is, it has her having to watch that accent, especially after the recent incident during the match with Roberto where she uhh... simply forgot to use it.
"Look like we're in a fishbowl to you, Kasugano?" Then again, Greek ruins are a particularly oft-used backdrop to fish tanks worldwide. It would be quite unsurprising if she -did- think they were in a fishbowl. As the lunging punch comes in, the diva swings a hand up to take the brunt of the hit. The force behind it is enough to push her back against the column, but it's not enough to get her to give up or forfeit. "Gonna need to try 'arder than -that-," she jabs verbally.
Meanwhile both hands are shooting forward, attempting to grab Sakura by the waist. No, the punk princess isn't about to try -dancing- with Sakura. What she is attempting is a simply flung hiptoss toward the ancient stadium-style seating.
COMBATSYS: Sakura fails to interrupt Medium Throw from Arika with Quick Throw.
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Arika 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Sakura
Sakura's found that maintaining two identities can be kind of tough! She can be sweet and thoughtful, it just isn't something she really wants to advertise. It's a much more subtle shift, though, nothing like changing her accent!
"Kinda does, yeah!" she chirps, hopping back from her punch to give Arika a chance to recover. Sakura's not trying to -dominate- the fight, just get the not-a-morning-person warmed up!
It seems she's gotten more than she's bargained for, though -- by giving Arika that moment, she'd also let her guard down a bit, allowing the Punk Princess to latch onto her waist and toss her towards the stairs leading up to the theater! "Uwaa?!" gasps Sakura as she's snared, her own hands having been a bit too high to redirect Arika's attempt into a backfire. She sails through the air, regaining some control in mid-flight, but not enough to keep her from crashing into the ivy! Wham!
Sakura pulls a vine away from her face as she springs back to her feet. "Okay, okay, that's your freebie!" she boasts with an amiable grin, balling her fists again as she stands, one foot on ivy, one on a stairstep.
You know, with the ivy vine dangling from Sakura's face, the whole thing -does- seem somewhat reminiscent of a very large fishbowl. Thankfully, it's not. Arika's not certain she could actually stand fighting in scuba gear, or while having to hold her breath for prolonged periods of time. That, and well, thanks to a few incidents in the past, she's not as fond of water as she would normally be!
"Is it now?" Arika just smirks. Her freebie. Granted, she's well aware that Sakura is the better fighter of the two, but she's damned well going to make sure that the toss is not the only thing that hits her 'target'. With Kasugano by the stairs, she figures it would be more expedient to bring the fight to her, rather than having her bring the fight to the diva.
So, Arika moves forward.
To do this, she's obviously using her feet -- walking on hands is not a favored pastime or hobby, so it's not as though she's skilled enough to get there that way. Except, her feet move to a slightly different pattern than most. With each forward movement, she's hopping from right to left, left to right in an attempt to avoid any debris or fallen stones. Back and forth as her body dances to a beat that only she is privy to. Upon drawing closer to Sakura, she whirls her body around in a full circle before snapping off a speedy roundhouse for the other girl's midsection.
COMBATSYS: Arika successfully hits Sakura with Rhythmic Roundhouse.
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Arika 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Sakura
Sakura has been hard at work studying -- she's rather missed fighting, and she's missed trash talking too! But it seems that she has awoken a sleeping beast by taunting Arika as much as she has.
The cameramen roll closer to cover the two fighters! Though at least one of the cameramen is having a bit of trouble following the zigs and zags of Arika's maneuver without losing focus... His problem, really! Luckily the cameraman gets a perfect shot of Sakura getting socked in the stomach with Arika's foot, just as the girl was weaving to get out of the way. So much for that effort!
"Nnngh..." Stumbling upstairs for balance, the plucky Seijyun U student sweeps her hands back to one side. Pain inscribed on her features, she nonetheless forges a tight smile as energy swells in her palms, kicking her headband about with the swirling storm of energy. No more trash talking from Sakura until she can land a hit herself! The student plants her feet across the stairs, before leaning down to hurl the accumulated energy at Arika in one rapid shockwave! "Hadooooouken!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Arika with Medium Hadouken.
- Power hit! -
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Arika 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
Maybe Arika needs to be hard at work studying whatever it is Sakura is, because... ow.
That pretty much sums it up.
As the cameramen roll closer, keeping up with Arika is going to be the very least of their problems. Though the diva manages to get her arms up to keep the energy from decimating her, it breaks through her defenses and sends her flying backward along the shockwave.
This is where it gets bad for the poor cameraman.
Arika not only crashes into him, but plows right -through- him, and the camera. Sure, the viewers at home are going to get a nice fan-servicey shot of her behind because of this, but that one camera is more likely than not out of commission now -- at least until it's righted and a new lens tossed on.
"Bloody 'ELL," she exclaims, trying to toss her head side to side to get rid of the ivy and rubble from her hair, and clear the cobwebs of pain. Unfortunate for her that the pain isn't going away with a simple shake of her head. Closing her eyes, she tries to force herself up to her feet, but stumbles backward again. "Wot... wot the 'ell..." Coughing a few times, she gets up to her feet in a shaky manner and just -glares- at Sakura. "Must'a ate a double dose of Wheaties this mornin', heh..."
Despite the attempt at being humorous, the punk princess doesn't look amused. She doesn't look all that stable either, but she's pressing on nonetheless. Taking a few wobbly steps, she finally manages to regain balance and then starts to rush at her opponent. Springing into the air, she pounces at Sakura feet first, attempting to take the other down with a drop-kick.
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Arika's Medium Kick.
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Arika 1/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
Arika's still allergic to hadoukens? Kasugano wonders, as she scratches the bridge of her nose with the back of her hand, smiling faintly. Sakura had been wanting to start slow and warm up, but after getting nailed by the past two attacks, she's not just warmed up, she's =fired= up! "Heh-heh... you should be used to that by now!" she chirps back from her high vantage point.
That high point might make landing a dropkick a bit more difficult, as well as making for a rough landing for the Punk Princess... considering that even if Sakura got nailed with the kick, there'd still be the stairs to contend with! But... no, Sakura's a bit quicker than that, and springs to the side and away at the last moment.
"Tch, dropkicks? That's kinda wrestling-ish, ain't it?" Okay, she got her hit, Sakura can boast again! Stabilizing herself with a hand on the step, she crouches down low and snakes her foot in for a low-to-the-ground thrust kick, aiming at slamming her heel into Arika before she can get away! "Hyaa!"
COMBATSYS: Arika counters Medium Kick from Sakura with Diva Allegro.
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Arika 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0 Sakura
Upward slopes -do- make it difficult for drop kicks to take place, but... not impossible! Unless your opponent is like Sakura, and gets the heck out of the way before you even get close.
With the dodge taking place before she nears her opponent, Arika has just enough time to adjust her movements so she doesn't wind up landing back first on the staired-seating and sliding down again. Managing to land in an awkwardly balanced crouch instead, she watches the thrust kick coming at her.
Her right hand shoots out in a jab, knocking the leg away from her. Still allergic to hadoukens, yes, but not without a little spark of energy all her own. In the same second that the leg is knocked away from her, she's lunging upward. Her left hand has become enveloped in a bright violet chi, causing it to glow oddly in the early morning light. A solid palmheel strike crashes against the Ansatsuken Angel's stomach as the chi around the hand becomes the brightest, giving the punk princess a little bit of breathing room.
"Ain't nothin' wrong with wrestling," she points out, bending over a little to rest hands on thighs after the hit. "All a part of wot Oi do..." More -professional- wrestling than amateur, certainly, but being as its a wrestler she trains with most frequently she's liable to pick up a thing or two.
Sakura hadn't expected Arika to be -ready- for her kick after such a dramatic show of force... clearly! But when her leg gets knocked out of the way, she knows it probably won't be pleasant. Sure enough, it's not, as Sakura gets a burst of chi for her very own! The explosion blasts her back a bit, forcing her to lean on one of the stairs for a moment to catch her breath.
After that brief pause, she's springing back to her feet, leaping to higher ground. She's seen the movies, she knows the advantages! "Yeah, well... whatever works for ya!" She seems completely unimpressed by wrestling!
Of course, she really -does- like wrestling, it's just a setup! She closes in with a wild hook punch, at first... but the real objective is to grab Arika by the arm, twist sharply, and sling Arika down the stairs a bit! Hope the cameramen can adjust! "Teyaaaaa!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Arika with Medium Throw.
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Arika 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\1 Sakura
This time, the remaining cameraman makes it out of the way before getting tackled down by an airborne punk princess. Good thing, too, or the match would wind up with those very... interesting technical difficulties that would leave viewers without knowing who wins!
Bad thing, Arika is flung down the stairs, crashing down them like a ragdoll. Tucking her head in to avoid it cracking against stone, or flopping about is about the only thing she can do to avoid -too- much damage. As she tumbles and flops, she calls out, "Nooooot.... doooooone... yeeeeeeeeet~!" The words drawn out due to the fall.
Again, it takes a few minutes to get back to her feet. Tumbles like that aren't at all easy to shake off. She's dazed enough she almost considers taking a small break, just to catch her breath and make the throbbing in her head go away. But...
It's just not how she fights. She's like a Timex watch: takes a lickin' and keep on tickin'. Or in this case takes an extreme beating, and gets up despite the immense amounts of pain screaming throughout her body.
Choosing not to run at Sakura this time, she winds her way up the stairs, careful to make sure there are no loose stones or wet moss that might make her footing slip. Two steps below the other girl, she stops. Her body whips around in a dizzying spin, both hands clasping together. Angling them upward, she launches the double-fists at Kasugano, attempting to catch her off guard and bounce her further up the steps.
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Fierce Punch from Arika with Shou'ou Ken EX.
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Arika 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\==-----\1 Sakura
Sakura likes staying in motion, but she realizes that there are certain circumstances in which one has no choice but to catch one's breath! ... And she can definitely appreciate the chutzpah in -shrugging off- those moments to charge wildly at an opponent! "Whoa, nice!" she compliments, clenching her fists and hunkering down in anticipation. The higher ground means she'd have to put more emphasis on footwork than before, but... she has a plan!
That is... when Arika levels an axehandle upon Sakura, the nimble Ansatsuken Angel hops along with the attack, pivoting about to Arika's side while bringing her left arm up. The defensive repositioning places her on the same level as Arika, dulling the impact considerably.
But it was for attack, not defense, that Sakura moved here! Landing with a bunny-hop, she rockets forward, plunging her fist right into Arika's side with enough force to blast her upwards, accompanied by a shout of "SHOOOOU'OOOU KEN!" Bam! ... At least it's not another Hadouken, right?
Mental note: When fighting in ruins, make sure you have the upper hand. Or in this case, the upper elevation -- it certainly seems to be working for Sakura!
A loud cracking noise can be heard as Kasugano's fist crashes into Arika's side, sending the punk princess airborne once more. Body pushed upward and over her opponent by the painful punch, she hits the next level of staired seating with a groan. Chances are, the diva isn't going to just spring up to her feet and retaliate now. A hand sets to her side in order to hold it against the pain. A knee pops upward to prevent her opponent from dropping onto her while she lays vulnerable and injured.
And yet...
After a moment, Arika is rolling to the side pushing up to her feet once more. Slipping forward, she sways side to side, nearly flipping forward and using the stairs as though she were a slinky. Hands shoot out to either side until she's able to maintain balance. With Sakura in front of her now, facing the opposite direction, she slips her arms forward in an attempt to lock on a half-nelson...
COMBATSYS: Arika has reached second wind!
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Arika 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Sakura
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Arika's Punk Rock Breakdown.
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Arika 0/-------/--=====|=======\===----\1 Sakura
With the lock secure, Arika begins to hoist her opponent into the air. Her knees shake a little, but she's very determined to do her little showboating routine at this point. Should this be her last attempt at finishing the Ansatsuken Angel off, she's going to make it showy! Stabilizing them both upon the thin platform she's got to work with, she begins spinning around. Slowly at first, but after a few rotations she picks up in speed. Each rotation has her lifting Sakura higher, until she gets the other girl directly overhead. Then she stops abruptly all in order to -slam- the other girl down onto the step below in the hopes of crashing her head against the stone.
Sakura winces as Arika crashes down -- even with a safer landing, that's still gotta hurt! But Arika's impressed her time and time again -- this time is no exception!
Kasugano is a bit quicker to step out of the way... but she was expecting Arika to strike rather than grapple, and she'd managed to get her arm snared in the process of trying to -elbow- her. Fair enough -- Arika pulls her into the half nelson and Sakura goes for a ride! Groaning lightly at the spinning, she manages to keep -some- control throughout her flight -- such that when her head is about to crash down into the stonework, she's able to slap her hand out to catch herself, keeping herself from injury! "Nnf..." ... Well, aside from her muscles complaining for the next couple days, anyway...
Breaking free in the resulting shift of momentum, she springs back to one side, and scrambles up the stepped seating to the top level. Curling her fists in a brawler stance, she grins cheerily: "Not bad! I think you've gotten a bit better, Arika!" She might like moving about, sure, but she can tell that closing in on Arika right now might end up in her head hitting concrete after all!
COMBATSYS: Sakura focuses on her next action.
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Arika 0/-------/--=====|=======\===----\1 Sakura
Can she do it? Can she keep keeping on? Arika's not certain about that crack she heard earlier, but chances are she's got at least a bruised rib if not something worse. Breathing hindered by this type of pain, all she does is watch when the throw doesn't go off entirely successfully, and Sakura winds up sprinting up the rest of the amphitheaters seating.
Dropping down to her knees, she keeps a wary eye on her opponent. Waiting to see if there is another ball of energy forthcoming. When there doesn't seem to be, she growls a little and pushes both hands against the stone stair in order to boost herself upward and forward. Despite the pain and the light-headedness of fatigue she takes the stair-seats two at a time in an attempt to reach Kasugano before she can strike.
Behind her, the cameraman is tagging along. His movements are a bit slower, what with lugging the heavy equipment around, but he's a trooper and he's honestly not all that far behind.
Continuing up the stones, Arika shifts to the side and out of direct line of her opponent, right up until she winds up at an angle on the step below. Suddenly pooling all of her energy in order to spring forward, she reaches out to grab Sakura by the waistband of her uniform, flip her off her feet, and swing her forward down the stairs.
Not very showy, and perhaps a bit cruel, but maybe it'll work.
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Quick Throw from Arika with Light Kick.
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Arika 0/-------/=======|=======\====---\1 Sakura
Kasugano grins back at Arika. Oh, she's gonna make the Punk Rock Princess work for her victory, that's for sure! "Wow, you're really hanging in there, Arika... sure you can finish this?" Sakura smirks faintly as she hops backwards, ready for whatever might be coming her way!
As Arika closes in, Kasugano already has some idea of what Arika might be planning. She leaps, as before... but rather than aside or backwards, she leaps -forwards-, planting her knee into Arika's sternum for the trouble! Sure, Kasugano gets knocked back, and even slung around for a bit in midair, but it's not as bad as it -could- have been, she considers.
The cameraman's efforts are rewarded as he gets a picture-perfect shot of the co-ed as her feet flip down, landing a mere meter in front of him! No doubt the aerial maneuver will make the rounds across the internet. Arika is framed right over Sakura's shoulder as she braces for the next attack, grinning, "Hehe, I kinda like Greece so far... how about you?"
Hanging in there? Barely, but she is. Arika just steels her eyes onto that smirk, clamping her own lips tightly shut. Seems she thinks the time for idle chatter is over, at least until she locks on another 'perfect' hit.
Pausing as Sakura lands in front of the cameraman, she calculates. In order to leave the poor man uninjured, she'll have to avoid attacking head-on. A frown develops upon her face, causing her brow to crease. The only other way then...
It's stupid, she knows. Ridiculous, even. Given the odds are against her to begin with, it's possibly even suicidal. Regardless, she's bolting down the staired-seating as quick as her legs can carry her. From the step above Sakura, she makes her move. A very precisely executed dive-tackle that will have them both falling at an angle -away- from the cameraman if he stays put.
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Arika's Strong Throw.
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Arika 0/-------/=======|=======\====---\1 Sakura
Ooh, that's a reaction! Kasugano looses a mild chuckle, just to let Arika know she took the hint. Not bad, not bad!
Of course, she can also gauge Arika during that one moment of hesitation. Sakura's been in Arika's place before -- the point of desperation, knowing that the most important thing is to keep moving, keep the opponent guessing in hopes that once, they mess up.
Sakura doesn't mess up, though -- she slips to the side with a slight spin, dropping her head and shoulders low to bring her right out of the path of that dive-tackle. The cameraman's likely to get -another- perfect shot of Sakura as she continues with that momentum, swinging her leg in a high arc to come crashing down into the small of Arika's back. "Hriiii-HAAAAAA!"
COMBATSYS: Arika blocks Sakura's Flower Kick.
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Arika 1/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1 Sakura
Missing the target, Arika tucks into a roll so that she doesn't go bounding down the entire amphitheater seating. Either way, she keeps the cameraman from harm which was her main intention with coming in at that particular angle.
But just because the diva is down, doesn't mean she's not alert to her surroundings! Hearing Sakura move toward her, she flips over onto her back and sweeps her arms upward. The foot, therefore, crashes against her forearms pressing them against her stomach. "Uhhngh..."
Seems she didn't like that too much.
Arms push upward, an attempt really to knock Kasugano off balance so that she can get to her own feet. There is no hesitation this time, no subtle calculations. Arika simply whips her foot upward, trying to get a good vertical kick shot toward Sakura's chin, once more trying to send the Ansatsuken Angel tumbling down the stairs.
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Arika's Light Kick.
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Arika 1/-------/=======|=======\======-\1 Sakura
Kasugano is still on the move here -- she's taken some punishment throughout the fight, but she has been able to pace herself. She's quite pleased when Arika -still- manages a defense against her kick, even though it was pretty fast! "Nice..." she comments, forgetting about the tacit agreement to keep her mouth shut. It's tough for the tomboy!
When that kick rockets upwards, she almost gets clipped by it -- if not for her hand being in just about the perfect position to defend just as a matter of course. Sure, you can diss the Ansatsuken fighters for having a dorky stance, but unexpected attacks like this are the reason!
Right after Arika's kick glances off her hand, Kasugano gets a belated idea. She reaches forward and tries to snare Fade by the ankle -- and if she manages to do that, she'll pull up, sharply, and aim to put some pressure on the Punk Rock Princess's joints! "Hraaa!"
COMBATSYS: Arika fails to counter Quick Throw from Sakura with Dominant Diva.
- Power fail! -
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Arika 0/-------/----===|=======\======-\1 Sakura
COMBATSYS: Arika has reached third wind!
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Arika 0/-------/----===|=======\======-\1 Sakura
Dorky, yes. Effective, even more so.
Even with her ankle caught, Arika is attempting to yank it free while spinning herself behind Sakura to lock on a demonicly painful abdomen claw.
Sakura has other ideas, and winds up yanking upward on the ankle which causes the punk princess to fall back as she spins. Her shoulders hit the stones and she lets out a little yelp of surprise and pain. Even so, her foot continues to move in an attempt to work itself free despite the pressure.
Beyond the yelp, she says nothing. She just waits, watches and tries to work her way free.
So... Sakura, shorter than Arika by half a foot, is dangling her up by her foot. Yet another feat that can only be explained by the existence of stairs! Still... Sakura doesn't want to be fending off attacks from this position. Fending off a full-on mule kick to the face is not a pleasant experience! So she slings Arika down the steps as quickly as she can, not long after grabbing hold.
Of course, now that Arika's quiet... it means she's probably not in the best of moods. Especially not after being dropped upside down on the steps a few times! So the Ansatsuken student plays it safe, curling her hands to one side and lobbing a hot potato (in the form of a Hadouken) at Arika in hopes of keeping her at bay just a bit longer -- and possibly wearing her out on the return trip up the stepped seats! "Hadooouken!"
COMBATSYS: Arika dodges Sakura's Small Hadouken EX.
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Arika 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Sakura
Good mood, bad mood, it's all moot to the punk princess. Does she enjoy the fact that she keeps hitting those stone steps like that? Not at all, but she's not in a bad mood, per se. Just trying to focus her attention on the fight at hand, trying to stay afloat in this little 'fishbowl' of an arena as long as possible.
Spotting the hot Hadouken, the Arika tiredly twists to the side, only to narrowly avoid the hit. Had she been but one inch to the right, there's a very good chance her body would be sprawled at the bottom of the amphitheater ruins.
However, she's still standing, and she affixes a neutral expression onto her face. She takes a step forward, eyes narrowing upon Kasugano. A second step. Attempting intimidation. Doubtful that she poses a menacing stance, which is why she's hoping for the distractionary one.
While she glares up at her opponent, her right hand chambers into a fist. A fist which is then lobbed forward aiming for a direct hit to Sakura's solar plexus.
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Arika's Medium Punch.
[ \\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Arika 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Sakura
Arika's steadfast refusal to give up is having an effect: Kasugano's energy levels are starting to ebb. She's not as weary as Arika, but her reactions are a bit slower than before. When Arika's fist rockets towards her, she raises both hands to accept it, the fist landing in doubled palms. Kasugano staggers back a moment, but anyone can tell it wasn't something she'd be able to keep doing for long!
Just the same, though, Kasugano realizes it won't take much to tip Arika over... if she can just manage to hit her hard enough! Flashing Arika a weary smile, she lifts her knee in a kenpo stance, and then suddenly thrusts her momentum into one direct kick to the midsection. Nothing too fancy, just pure application of physics! "Teyaaa!"
COMBATSYS: Arika blocks Sakura's Medium Kick.
[ \\ < > ///////////// ]
Arika 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Sakura
In truth, Arika should have given up long ago. There's something that's driving her though, and while her desire to win -is- great, it's more the desire to prove herself against Sakura. One of these days, she -will- defeat Kasugano, even if it's looking like it's not likely to be today.
Arms shoot downward, crossing over one another in order to slow the kick. Though it manages to get through her defenses, slowing it down has the nice little side-effect of making it less painful as well. Dropping back a step from the power of the kick, the diva just grins. She's got one of those 'all or nothing' smiles going for her now.
Chances are, this -is- going to be all or nothing. Her arms lash out to the sides of Sakura's legs, whereupon she tries to lock on. Should she get Kasugano firmly in her grasp, she lifts upward and flings the other girl up, over her shoulder to land as she will upon the stone steps.
COMBATSYS: Sakura just-defends Arika's Medium Throw!
[ \\ < > /////////////// ]
Arika 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Sakura
Sakura wouldn't be here fighting if she didn't think Arika could win! Arika's pulled through some really rough situations before, after all, and even though this is just a Neo League battle... it's important to show people your guts!
So when her kick is blocked just as effectively as Arika's punch was a moment ago, Sakura nods approvingly. Good, good! But it would also seem Sakura's will to succeed is at least as strong as Arika's -- for when Arika closes in to try and grab her legs, Sakura preempts her, handguards chopping back at Arika's wrists in equal time, stopping the attempt cold. "Close!" she chirps... and then suddenly rams forward with her left shoulder in a move more typical of Muay Thai than Ansatsuken. "Hrraaa!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Arika with Medium Punch.
- Power hit! -
[ < > /////////////// ]
Arika 1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1 Sakura
Sent sprawling backward from the shoulder attack, she begins to bounce down the steps once more. The only thing keeping her from toppling all the way to the bottom this time is the second cameraman rushing to catch up to the fight. Barrelling into his legs, she winds up knocking him down (and consequently, oops, there goes the camera -again-), and he winds up stopping her fall.
Arika has two choices now. The first, just sprawl out where she is and pass out into the sweet oblivion of unconsciousness. The second, to get back to her feet and once more attempt to do a bit of damage to Sakura.
The first choice is probably the better one, but no one ever said Arika's the type to do what's -best-. Digging her elbows against the step, she flips over and then pushes up to her feet once more. She makes it about a foot away from her previous position, before faltering and dropping to her knees. No matter, that will do.
Her right shoulder pops upward, her head turning to look at the non-fallen cameraman to give the camera a 'look'. At the same time, she holds her left arm out to the side about three inches below her shoulder, elbow bent slightly as though she's holding the neck of an electric guitar. Her right arm is bent in toward her stomach, the hand held in a 'strumming' position. Just as she mimics her favored power chord, a bright explosion in a multitude of hues sparks behind her, arcing off toward Sakura in a beam.
If she's about to drop unconscious, she's going to do it in a showy manner!
COMBATSYS: Arika can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sakura 1/------=/=======|
COMBATSYS: Arika successfully hits Sakura with Siren Song.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sakura 1/---====/=======|
Kasugano draws in her breath after shoulder-rushing Arika. It wasn't a -good- attack, but it was the one that best presented itself to the internal review board. It just made sense, really! Fighting on the steps of a worldwide treasure just made it a bit more epic than planned!
Still, Sakura is kinda wincing. She knows Arika performs, and injuries like this might keep her from going on stage! ... But maybe not, she considers, as Arika flips back to her feet. More epic! "You're unstoppable!" she exclaims with a pleased grin, already starting to rush down to meet Arika in another exchange!
Sakura pauses a moment, at the sight of Arika glancing back at the camera. What the...
And then it hits her. Literally! Kasugano flies backwards from the sudden strum shockwave, like a baddie-of-the-week on Power Rangers! She flies -uphill-, tumbling head over heels in midair and landing sprawled out on the hill, no longer in the carved-out stone, but way up in the -weeds-.
Sakura tilts forward, scratching her head for a moment, but pushes back to her feet. She could probably fall down from this height if she's not careful, but... at this moment, she's more interested in seeing that -Arika's- alright than herself! "Whew, that was a surprise! How'd you do that?!" she shouts out, momentarily unheeding of the fact that she just ate a massive amount of chi at once and /lived!/
COMBATSYS: Sakura takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sakura 1/---====/=======|
COMBATSYS: Sakura has ended the fight here.
The punk princess would -love- to answer. Honestly, she really would.
Unfortunately for Sakura, after expending every last bit of energy she had within her, Arika has simply passed out at the cameraman's feet. He shoots a thumbs-up sign to Sakura, as though to let the other girl know that her opponent isn't -dead-, and is still breathing. Then he goes from wide-angle to zoom right in on the last-girl standing, up atop the ruins of the amphitheater. Nice shot, really, since the sun is creating a glow at the top of the hill.
Log created on 09:06:47 07/05/2008 by Arika, and last modified on 14:29:04 07/06/2008.