Description: Sakura and Ryu have a sparring match before class! Nothing special at all, move along!
If there's one constant in Sakura's life, it's change. And the current direction of change is not exactly one she likes: life is getting very very boring for Southtown's Fighting Fangirl.
It's frustrating, to be sure -- the young fighter is having to devote a lot more time to her schoolwork, leaving a lot less time for her training. It's -really- disappointing, though to her credit, Sakura is getting a lot better at masking her frustrations.
Especially around the one man who she wouldn't dare show weakness to.
No, Sakura's routine is ... terribly routine. She reports promptly at the training grounds every weekday morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed; she may only have an hour to train now instead of three, but reporting later just isn't an option! And every day, she reports in her duck-egg blue karate gi, the well-cared-for garment showing only minimal wear from years of use.
As she arrives today, she is a bit weary from an all-night cram session, but it's okay -- she took a Red Bull before she got here. An ebullient smile etched across her lips, she jaunts up to the practice posts, and immediately crouches down to start her leg stretches.
Ryu... Ryu is no expert on the subtleties, trials and tribulations, and agitations withing the life of, faced by, or hidden within your average teenage girl. Number One, men are from Sigma Alpha Persei VII and women are from Sigma Alpha Persei VIII. Then there's the fact that the Wanderer never really had a 'normal' (what does that even MEAN?) childhood for his OWN gender. Well removed from the modern world and civilization, even today, it's possible for the rigors of the course laid before Kasugano to remain far removed from his awareness - the pressures of preparing for and choosing university curriculum, careers, and balancing that choice with her training and her drive to do more /there/ are just somewhat alien concepts to the Ansatsuken Master.
But even with abridged training sessions, the young champion knows something is not quite right. He is, perhaps, more in-tune with himself and his surroundings than ever before, and that certainly extends to the prized pupil and work-harried schoolgirl. She may hide her frustration with the choices and strain to avoid appearing weak, but there is a facet that rings dissonant to the nomad's ears regardless. A decided lack of peace, ease - the natural frankness that carried Sakura through so many things, before. It is concerning, to be sure, but sometimes the best thing one can do is be there, and reaffirm whatever one can. Her progress has been remarkable, indeed - perhaps under other circumstances, she would be capable of even more, in fact Ryu is sure of it... but we each face our own demons, different hurdles on the road ahead. The path to one's potential is almost never an even, gracefully ascending graph line.
Ryu starts by sipping tea on the porch of the dojo - a ritual she used to join in more readily, when there was time. His warmups came earlier still, and this is an essential part of it as well. The mighty warrior rises smoothly and paces out into the dojo yard, the brisk morning breeze whipping through his hair, setting the bright headband tails fluttering sidelong enthusiastically, "Good morning Sakura." He greets with an inclination of his head and shoulders, "I am glad to see you." He meets the stress and hidden worry with frankness and friendliness, smile spreading across his face, touching his dark eyes which momentarily close with the gesture as he stretches his arms up over his head and cranes his neck, "We can begin whenever you're ready."
COMBATSYS: Ryu has wandered into a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ryu 0/-------/-------|
"Good morning, Ryu!" Her chirpy response comes quickly and clearly, as do the smiles that follow the compliment. She still hasn't found an appropriate response -- you'd figure the one who grew up in the city would be better at it, but no... genuine compliments from her master still render the girl speechless at times. This is one such time, as she dips her chin low, grinning ear-to-ear. -That- isn't a masked emotion, at any rate.
... Ready to begin, though? This is her favorite part of the morning, and it's coming -early!- "R-right!" she chirps, bouncing lightly from one heel to the other before springing back to her feet, continuing her stretches. Normally, stretching is one thing that -shouldn't- be rushed, but it seems her haste is warranted now. Ryu's waiting on -her!-
Preparations complete, the Seijyun U student takes four steps backwards, widening her stance. Toes dig into the hard-packed dirt as the young woman steels herself for the fight.
It's only now, when the Ansatsuken trainee is trying to remain her most still, that it can be obvious that she's actually rather -cold-. It =is= chilly in the mornings here, isn't it? Suppose that's what warmups are for...
Sakura always had been one to throw caution to the wind, though! With only a dip of her chin as warning, the student rushes forward with an aim to tag her master in the bicep with her fist! "Hyaa!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Ryu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Sakura's Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Ryu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Sakura
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man ready to kick from the thighs?
... no, that's not right. Even so, early mornings do little to dissuade Ryu, despite the rigors of his own day-to-day routine, which certainly surpasses the training efforts Sakura has time for... but gracefully ignores such important Seijyun techniques as proper tea drinking etiquette when confronted by biscuits, dress embroidery, and how to land the perfect husband. ... Yea, let's hope none of that ever becomes part of Ryu's hobbies. Taking just a little bit of the edge off the tomboyish, sometimes brusque Kasugano may not be -all- bad, however. Long as she keeps true to herself, which is something the Ansatsuken Wanderer has the utmost of faith in his prodigious student's ability to do. Eventually, if not all the time. Nobody's perfect, and few know it as well as Ryu himself.
The man known only as the Dragon studies Sakura's form as she sets her stance, considering the motion of every muscle, and also the subtler flows of energy within her, through her - and the natural surroundings about her. It's a force that he's, if it were possible (which is is!), become even /more/ in tune with these past years. The wind of the forest seems to answer his motions, the quiet thrum of the earth fills him from foot to the tips of his hair - it is indeed chilly, but Ryu does not seem to feel it, the power of the cold itself filling him, as he embraces the strength around him... and is in turn welcomed by it, a balance both quiet, disciplined.. and paradoxically unrestrainable.
Kasugano's charge is met by a sudden forward shift of the targetted side, his braced shoulder and arm slamming full-on into the strike, slightly prematurely. The impact thuds dully against tensed, powerful muscle, the force largely dissipated through the centered opposition - but damn if that doesn't sting a lot more than it /used/ to. Whatever distractions and difficult questions Sakura faces, her talent remains difficult to question.
Not that that's going to protect her from the retort. The leg beneath the bracing arm suddenly shoots out, as if launching from ground to midsection of its own accord in an efficient, blurring side-thrust that uses both Ryu's forward momentum for its fervor... and Kasugano's assault against her, "Hyaah!!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Sakura with Medium Kick.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Ryu 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
Kasugano's quite fond of leading off with a punch, like so... and it's just as easily blocked, as Ryu demonstrates. But with the cold sending such a shiver through her, she feels it's a bit necessary to keep things going. She works best under pressure, after all!
Just not the level of pressure she gets applied to her kidneys with one well-placed side kick. She -expected- the punch to reverberate through her frame like so: punching Ryu isn't unlike punching the twine-wrapped poles they use for practice. But having her breath knocked out of her suddenly, to the point her spine arches upwards from the impact, leaving her wheezing sharply afterwards... yeah. That's some pain. Yeah.
She's good at keeping herself together, though; there may be tears at the corners of her eyes, but those are totally involuntary! No, her breath whistles through clenched teeth as she wraps one arm about her abdomen -- now in the odd stage between 'pain' and 'numbness' -- and slings her other forward. Squinting one eye, she focuses her strength into her palm, jamming forward sharply to imbue that power into one concussive cerulean-colored burst. It's never been her -body- that's powerful... it's her -spirit-.
"HADOOOOOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Ryu with Large Hadouken EX.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Ryu 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Sakura
It's a blow that would have felled lesser warriors - perhaps even killed someone not prepared to deal with it. But then, in the latter case, Ryu never would have thrown such a strike. Sakura is made of stronger stuff, whatever appearances might intimate about her strength and resilience. The nomad is aware of it, and sure that while the initial assault went anything -but- how she would have liked.... Kasugano is far from finished. As his capable student reels back, Ryu resets his ready stance, pacing forward a half-step, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly in the instant before that brilliant plume of bluish energy erupts forth, sensing it moments before he sees it - but it does him little good.
Crossed arms brace, his own inner chi flows to the fore, and once more he slams a ready defense into the admirable offense. This time, however, he plays right into Sakura's hands. The punishing power rips into his arms, and before he can contain it, force it outwards, erupts all but /through/ him. Burning blues blast forth seemingly from his back as the energy permeates, and does its work well, blasting him backwards, his bare feet digging divets from the grassy ground as dirt sprays out behind him. He drops to one knee, fingertips trailing the ground as he slides, forcing himself to an earlier stop than he might otherwise have skidded to, and gasps a deep breath to replenish the air launched from his lungs.
One good turn deserves another, eh? He smiles, wide and wryly. Just like Sakura, however, it will take a lot more than one wall-demolishing blast to drop him. The Ansatsuken Master surges to his feet, shoving forward with both hands, the heels together as his curled fingers project rampant force of his own, a blue-white brilliance coruscating together in a sudden maelstrom of daylight-inducing energy, the densely packed fireball coursing forth with blinding intensity echoed by a fervent incantation of his own variety of, "Hadooouken!!!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura parries Ryu's Hadouken!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Ryu 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Sakura
Strength through adversity... that's one situation Sakura's familiar with. Sakura always did find it a bit tough fighting folks who should be below her level... mostly out of boredom. How can she give a proper fight without actually -hurting- them? That's one thing she never has to worry about fighting Ryu -- she can put 110% of her heart and soul into the battle. And moreover, she doesn't have to worry about -herself- actually being hurt, with someone she trusts so completely by her side.
Someone who, given the opportunity, could destroy a house with an attack like the one he just absorbed, with one of his own. Sakura knows he can withstand her attacks -- he's done it scores of times before -- but she can't help but betray a wince of empathic pain at seeing that particular hit. Once she sees his counterattack, though, she can tell he's pretty much calling upon the same wellspring as she -- the world around them. Once she receives that wry smile, she flashes one back in return. All's fair, right?
Her wry smile grows just a bit larger, though... for the girl is actually rushing -straight towards- the fireball. She's well familiar with the reverse angle: Shenwoo -always- runs through her Hadoukens, after all! But she's not planning to run -through- it, but instead, hops at the last instant, legs splaying out to either side as the student leapfrogs right -over- the churning waves of energy. The two share the same sort of energy -- it's both a blessing and a curse, as Sakura can harness the energy in much the same way. And in this case, she's using it as a vaulting horse, planting her hands on the energy to compress it, gaining a mild elastic response that sends her forward just that much quicker.
That grin, still ear to ear, continues as she hits the ground a low three-point landing, dust churning up from the impact. Not wanting to lose her momentum, she rapidly springs back upwards... cocking her right hand into a fist and rocketing it up towards her master's chin! "SHOOOOOOOO'OOOOU KEN!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Ryu with Shou'ou Ken EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Ryu 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Sakura
That whole thing about Sakura being better? Well, really, Ryu was convinced. He doesn't particularly need it to be proven, re-proven, and then have it slap him in the face! Not that there isn't a satisfaction mixed in with the pain: this is the fangirl who could barely make a meaningful facsimile of the Hadouken when he first met her. She first /earned/ her training, and now? Now she's earning this. In spades. Vaulting over and so perfectly defeating the practiced essence of Ryu's art is impressive in and of itself... but the landing and follow through is what really cements the sentiment.
At least, as much as the Ansatsuken Wanderer can process it at all as he hurtles skyward, propelled by the perfect placement of Kasugano's rising fist, the not-quite-shoryuken crashing home with impressive force, a spray of blood launching from the young champion's jaw as he spirals upwards....
Is this the end of our hero? Will he topple and fall headfirst into the cold ground, crashing into a heap of pain and augh? No!
'Each of us must be surpassed, Ryu. But it is in the trials, the battles along that road that we truly find our strength. When tested, we must look within, and call upon everything we know to move forward, to remain true to our art. Failure and defeat are not endings, merely outcomes that are one of two inevitabilities if you choose to fight. To survive you must move past loss, past pain, past the fear and death itself - remember that we are each of us connected, and only through the flames ignited by each spirit can we see the path at all.'
The airborned nomad's flight seems, to him, to hang in time as a montage of spars and advice plays, the giant bear-man that trained him speaking so wisely and gently in his mind, the joys of their combat bringing a parallel melody to the one etched this morning in the clearing... he remembers when he was first able to put his own master through the paces like this.
At the apex of his leap, Ryu backflips, a graceful tumble that announces the quite sudden (to outside observers!) righting of his momentum, the return of his control. Blood drips from the corner of his mouth, and first one hand, then the other, thrusts downward at Sakura's landing spot.
He splits the attack into two, the way Gouken had done, the way.... the Demon could. Searing fire erupts from each palm, densely concentrated into meteoric spheres of searing conflagration that never quite consume themselves, the explosive bursts blasting down from the heavens, rending oxygen from the air as the fiery spirit within Ryu wells up, pours forth in tandem with the coursing energy of the land itself, the awoken power calling from the battle so far.
"HADOOOUKEN!!!" Louder. Brighter. Burnier.
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Ryu's Shakunetsu Hadouken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Ryu 0/-------/=======|=======\====---\1 Sakura
So... Sakura's true self comes out when she gets hit really -really- frickin hard? Well... nothing lasts forever! Her side was numb for a moment there, because she =needed= it to be numb, but now, after overextending the muscles for her last uppercut, that same side is now screaming for attention. Once more, she touches down in a three-point landing, but this time she doesn't spring right back. She needs a moment to catch her breath.
And, true to form, her master doesn't allow her that breath. Not... totally, anyway. Kasugano's headband whips about as she jerks her head up, fully expecting Ryu to be reoriented towards the ground, but not to send two fireballs raining down upon her! One hand still curling about her side, she hops back to her feet, exultant grin shifting into a bit more towards the 'determined' end of the scale.
Time is of the essence, and Kasugano has an answer: she turns her shoulder into the twin blasts, doubling up her arms to provide maximum protection for her face. She knows exactly how much those blasts could hurt, given the appropriate time to burn burn burn... and taking -two- would definitely not be fun!
Her toes dig into the dirt as she's shoved back from the impact of Ryu's two Hadoukens, the thinned air causing Sakura to hold her breath just a moment.
Nodding back with a slightly cowed smile, she nonetheless pulls herself together... and draws that cradling arm -away- from her side. Enough babying herself... she can worry about the injury -after- the fight. She can't be crippling herself against a fighter of Ryu's magnitude: she needs both arms. Clenching her fists, she channels her energy inward... keeping her eyes keenly focused on Ryu as he descends for landing. It's too open for her to strike right now -- she feels that he'd see through any attack she sent to him in midair, after all...
COMBATSYS: Sakura focuses on her next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Ryu 0/-------/=======|=======\====---\1 Sakura
Breathing is for AFTER the fight! .... wait. Okay, maybe a few in the interim is alright. In a way, the nomad is almost /glad/ Sakura doesn't immediately attack again, however. Despite the defense raised to the onslaught of burning chi, it buys him a moment to catch his own breath, for the ringing in his head and throbbing in his jaw to subside. He lands gracefully, knees bending with equal momentum as he comes down in a crouch, gaze immediately snapping back upwards to Kasugano. He certainly knows her well enough to know she's planning something - probably any number of dangerous somethings, but then... the Wanderer has never been one to turn away from a challenge. True, Sakura may not be as out-and-out powerful as the man in the white gi, but her skill and talent are far from discounted, and he knows all too well she can take whatever he can dish out... and keep on fighting. Aches and pains, well... both of them are inevitably going to have to deal with that from a spar as intense as this one.
Springing to his feet, Ryu goes from zero to sprinting in the flash of an eye, feet barely touching the cool grass as he whips forward, closing the distance between himself and his student in a flash. Perhaps he's hoping to spring the trap before it's fully set - perhaps just entranced by the fervor of the battle, and unconcerned but to renew it as quickly as he can. Regardless, the last stretch of space is crossed by the triphammer that is his left fist, Ryu pulling up short and snapping to face Sakura sidelong, throwing that darting straight out in sudden culmination of his charge, seeking to plant a solid strike evenly in the center of her chest, just below the collarbone, padded only by the protective, thick crimson gauntlets that cover each of the Ansatsuken Master's fists.
"HAAAAH!!!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura fails to interrupt Medium Punch from Ryu with Midare Zakura.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Ryu 1/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Sakura
Kasugano isn't entirely sure -how- Ryu will get back into range... she just knows that he will! So she may as well let him burn up some excess energy getting to her, while she considers her next move.
Her patience is rewarded as Ryu comes rocketing back towards her! Emboldened by her previous success, she tips her shoulder towards her master, eagerly waiting for the precise moment to strike. All she'd have to do is lean in a bit and sock him right in the jaw, sending him flying up, up, and away before his fist can hit her! Her energy flares up tremendously in anticipation of the strike... perhaps advertising her intentions a bit too largely, but that's how fired up she is!
Too bad for her that doesn't work! Her attempt at punching Ryu only ends with her getting nailed in the sternum; she's knocked back a good ten feet or so, her heels carving long grooves into the packed dirt. "Nnngh..."
As dangerous as Ryu can be on his own, well.... Don't you force him to have an inspiring flashback. It's never in anyone's best interests! Or more realistically, any fight can turn on a dime, and the young champion isn't about to let his premier student trump him without some serious hard work! Regardless, the efforts are both noted and appreciated - Ryu is aware of how close to serious further pain he just came. He's seen Kasugano's all-out offensives before, and with the Seijyun student's ferocity today.... he'll take the stay of execution without complaint, this time.
'Never confuse tenacity with pride, when you fight on, fight on for the right reasons.' ... one thing Ryu is sure of, "You've learned your lessons well, you fight without hesitation or doubt, through fire, storm, or darkness." It's admiration, of a sort - acknowledgement as well. There was a time when the so-named Dragon told her he had nothing more to teach her, but he's since learned he was mistaken, both in terms of where he himself could go, and in terms of what he could share. There are risks, of course - there always will be. But the spirit Kasugano shows is in many ways stronger than where he was at her age, more pure, and insightful.
... and her strength cannot be questioned.
It takes only a beat, another half-instant as Ryu stuttersteps out of rhythm, and forward in a flash. Even as he speaks, he lunges for the staggering Ansatsuken prodigy, snapping his opposite hand in for the front of her gi. Should he find a grip? Her backward momentum suddenly becomes harsh forward momentum as he seeks to unbalance her sharply... and drive his knee up into her ribs once, twice, thrice, before twisting a half-circle to heave her free towards the ground.
Ken would be proud.
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Improvised Grapple from Ryu with Improvised Grapple.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Ryu 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1 Sakura
Panting for breath, Kasugano attempts to recover from that punch. Yes, it hurts to have a fist slammed into such a vital nerve cluster! But she's not about to let it keep her from fighting. The rest of the world, the strive to do better in school, the necessity of mastering day-to-day life skills like cooking, alongside the trade skills she's going to school for... For now, none of it matters at all. This, THIS is what Sakura lives for, and with the fight front and center in her attention span, she can safely push all the distractions aside.
And as she rocks backwards, she can see her master reach for the front of her gi.
She saves him some of the effort of halting her momentum, digging in her heels and -launching- herself at him. She slams her knee into the master's chest, pre-empting his attack by fractions of a second. He's still able to grab her by the gi, just a bit off-target. His knee strike smashes into her own shin, eliciting a yelp of pain... but by the time more such strikes can follow the first, the student is whipping her own momentum backwards in a move inspired by a certain ex-Shadaloo Doll, as she aims to grab -Ryu- by the gi, fall backwards into a reverse somersault, and hurl him over her head, face-first into the ground!
What's the saying? Turnabout is fair play?!? In this case it's not only fair, but fearsome, and the last thing Ryu expected. Sakura leaps /into/ the assault, and the half-successful hit is little consolation as Ryu is hammered and subsequently up-ended, the world once more going topsy-turvy as he loses track of which direction on the horizon might be 'up'. At least, until he crashes squarely into the dirt, skull-first. Momentarily dazed, the Ansatsuken Master still manages to roll clear, putting a slight distance between himself and Sakura as he shifts into a crouch, arm tensing to push himself upwards, away from the grassy ground. He spits out a little tuft of said flora, lips smacking slightly as he tries to clear the taste of the rather less than appealing salad from his mouth. It's quickly pushed to the side, however, as he returns his attention to the fight at hand - even as his wits return to /him/.
Like Sakura, these are the moments he lives for. His own father-figure pushed him on only one path, and it was neither home-ec skills, nor business savvy. Ryu does what he was born to do, raised to do. He is a warrior, the sharp edge of a sword, the unflinching barrier of a shield, the stoic readyness of the finest armor. He feels the mountains, the trees, the wind: the strength all around him, a world worth protecting, full of people in need of it. He is not a hero, he is a wanderer. He is not special, no more than everyone else is. But that humility is what makes his task possible, what makes the lack of crusading inevitably lead him to a new crusade. He walks in the ebb and flow of the world itself, and somehow, his destiny is always straight ahead.
Now, he pushes to his feet, pushes past the pain, smiles despite the turn of events and the danger Sakura's abilities still pose. Yes, he trusts her, knows she would not harm him with any finality even given the chance, but it's more than that. Pushed to his limits, once more Ryu finds out something about himself. Something about what he's imparted to the warrioress who fights him now. He dwells in it, embraces it, as the wind swells and surrounds him, his hair whipping upwards, his headband dancing wildly.
"You have become part of something greater than yourself, tied into that which drives us all..." he observes, his deep voice touched with resonance not of his own making, as the power within him surges ever-higher despite the exertion, "Never forget it, or yourself. No matter how loud the din, or how confusing the turmoil... the melody is always there, if one but listens."
COMBATSYS: Ryu gathers his will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Ryu 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Sakura
Sakura pants, pushing herself back to her feet, even as her master tumbles to the ground behind her. Smiling briefly with satisfaction, she's quick to swallow her pride... that usually means she's gonna take a fall, after all! She steps to a safer distance, knowing full well that Ryu could suddenly leap off the ground into an attack, or he might even have another trick like that double-fireball up his torn-off sleeves!
Sakura knows she's been getting better at reading the ebbs and flows of battle... but try to get her to put it into words, or explain to anyone else what she knows innately, and you'll meet nothing but failure! So when Ryu reiterates that she's becoming one with this world... well, sure, that -sounds- great, but what does it -mean?-
She'll explore the inner meanings some other time. Right now... she's focused on punchy-kicky, so she just nods in mute acknowledgement. ... Something greater, riiiight...
Really, if she spends too much time -thinking-, she won't be able to fight as well! Besides, it might just be a trick to get her distracted. ... heeey, Ryu wouldn't do that, would he? (WELL DUH HE'S KINDA DONE IT BEFORE.)
Still, she's trying to listen to that melody more than anything else. Sakura's always been one to go with the flow, and the flow is telling her she needs to curl her hands back, widen her stance, and send a ball of burning, burning energy at her mentor. "Shakunetsu... HADOOOOOOOOOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu Toughs Out Sakura's Large Hadouken!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Ryu 1/-----==/=======|=======\=------\1 Sakura
Distracting Sakura is just something that happens naturally! Ryu hardly needs to be nefarious and sneaky about it! ... alright, so maybe it is something of a test to praise her progress while simultaneously continuing to measure it, but if she can't keep her wits she'd just go and prove him wrong, and that would just be unseemly. Of course, Sakura comes trhough with flying colors - and in this case, the flying colors are quite fiery. It's a trick he hasn't seen before, but further evidence of exactly what he was saying. Elemental fury is quite telling, after all. Energy itself, even - while not all acknowledge and fully sense the vast font tapped by the Ansatsuken practitioners in wielding that force of nature, it is touched by them nonetheless. Refracted light as if through a very unique prism, carrying the properties of its wielder - their intents, their past, their future - along its searing course.
As connected, in-tune with his surroundings and others as the Ansatsuken Wanderer may be, at no time is it as intense as with such a potent manifestation to measure. It fills him, his smile widens, his stance following suit. He braces his shoulders, plants his hands at his side, stalwart in the course of the punishing missile. Impressive....
But not enough to sway him, not yet. The only hint of what's to come is the posture of his hands, the crackling arcs of lightning that course down his arms, over his shoulders, that glow bright behind his eyes. The blast crashes home, washes into him as if about to burst the way the first did, launching him backwards... and suddenly a tremendous charge is drawn between those hands. It's as if half of Sakura's own burst leaps to his beck and call, carried on a current like a bolt of lightning caught on FIRE. The flames dissipate in a tremendous charge of electrical fluctuation that momentarily fills Ryu's form, coursing to a single point between his hands, "DENJIIIIIIN...."
The light brightens, expands, and in an instant a blue-white sphere of ball lightning erupts as flames flicker and die in all directions, charred edges of his gi, reddened flesh ignored as he shoves the charged burst forward, and it all but strikes like a bolt, erupting forth directly back at Kasugano in the blink of an eye. Following the flow indeed: but so too does her Sensei sense it. Sense it, follow it, and now... mold it to his very will.
"HADOOOOOUKEN!!!!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Ryu's Denjin Hadouken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Ryu 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Sakura
A while back Sakura might have gotten upset that her flamelike innovation had been dispelled and rechanneled into a weapon against her. ... Truth is, it's happened enough from other people that she's kinda used to it, and she -really- expects it from someone easily twice as powerful as her -- namely, Ryu!
It still doesn't make it any easier to swallow when the energy itself is flying right back towards her though. It's... electricity, by definition as fast as a bolt of lightning. No rational person has time to see that, form a reasonable plan of reaction, and execute. In the context of a fight, Sakura is far from a rational person -- reacting almost entirely upon instinct and trained reflexes. And when she sees something moving too fast for her brain to process, all she can do is let her body take over.
Her body places both hands together, pointing each hand like the jaw of a snake. The energy of the world courses around her, following the lead set by that seemingly simple gesture -- and amplifying it, driving a wedge straight through the core of the electrical attack, effectively diverting a good deal of it away from the Ansatsuken pupil.
Which isn't to say -all- of it, for the pulsing shockwave that accompanies the burst of electricity is enough to cause the student to stagger backwards. But it was enough to keep most of the energy away -- enough to dazzle Sakura and leave her blinking confusedly for a moment. "What the--"
Once the lights clear, though, she realizes one very crucial point -- Ryu's still standing there! With that in mind she charges forward, hoping that he might be standing there long enough for her to land an attack! Leaping forward, she brings both hands slamming down onto the Ansatsuken mentor's shoulders, hoping for a nerve strike! "HRAAA!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu interrupts Sakura Otoshi from Sakura with Shoryuken.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > // ]
Ryu 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Sakura
Keeping one's composure is important! After all, without wits, it's difficult to fight. Naturally, though, it becomes rather more difficult to keep one's wits past a certain level of intense pain. But that just raises the stakes! His body aching, his vision slightly blurry from the trauma his head has taken, Ryu's spirit still burns strong. He's expended a large amount of energy, but as Kasugano knows: fighting, and then fighting some more, and then fighting EVEN MORE is pretty much the one thing the Wanderer is /built/ for. She weathers the mighty electrical blast with will of her own: an innate understanding of combat that needs no forethought or premeditation. As skilled as both warriors may be, instinct still plays a large role, especially now. The fight pushes on, and Ryu? Ryu rises to meet the challenge once more, both figuratively and literally.
Despite the exertions to this point, if anything, the King of Fighters moves /faster/ now, spurred onward by his fatigue. Sakura charges, and he can feel the strength build within her... he knows this assault, and that he really only has one option: stop it, or be stopped himself.
Kasugano leaps high, and the nomadic champion drops low, coiling into a tight, sudden crouch. His right fist flexes at his side, and the airborne Sakura would know what's coming. For the instant before his fist shoots upwards in tandem with the entire force of his weight, and legs behind it. It's like the launching of a rocket, if it hit full velocity the moment the technicians cried 'IGNITION! WE HAVE LIFT OFF!'.
The rising uppercut collides squarely with Sakura's frame, as teacher pulls out one last trick to seek to punctuate the thrilling conflict. The deceptively simple uppercut is focused, efficient, as spiritually driven as the blasts that preceded it, and every bit as potent. There's a resounding shockwave as the fist collides, the disciplined hit almost feeling explosive - it might not seem merciful, when one doesn't realize that the alternative is quite... penetrating.
Ryu rises high into the air, gracefully twisting into a singular turn at the apex of the Rising Dragon Punch, his voice echoing off the distant hillsides.
"SHOOOOORYUKEN!!"
Sakura can sense what's about to happen instants before it hits... but she was already fully invested in the attack. No guts, no glory, and no turning back now! Her hands chop weakly against her master's shoulders, all but forgotten in the wake of the much more powerful uppercut that crashes into her sternum, sending her flying right back up into the air from whence she came!
But... even with her mind blasted with reports of pain from all throughout her body, the Ansatsuken disciple can still retain some cognizance of what's going on. Very limited cognizance, but cognizance nonetheless. She knows she hit Ryu... pretty hard. And she knows she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't give him just one more parting shot.
And, naturally, it would have to be imbued with the same sort of electrical energies she'd been attacked with just moments ago, remnants of the excess chi diverted aside.
"... Heh... I'll even have time for a nap before class..." she jokes, her hands cocooning around one another, nurturing a blossom of energy into existence. As she rights herself -- shakily -- she spreads her hands, revealing the rapidly-expanding mass within. And with her last ounce of strength, she thrusts that ball of blue-white energy forward... "Shinkuuuu... Hadooooooouken!"
Just before flopping back to the ground, practically spent.
COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached second wind!
[ \\\\\\\\ < > /// ]
Ryu 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Sakura
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Ryu with Shinkuu Hadouken.
[ \\ < > /// ]
Ryu 0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Sakura
It's not an act of desperation, that magnificent aerial uppercut that decimates Sakura's previous charge: but it is an essential choice. To say the young fighter has improved since he began training her, well. That's like saying sticking one's hand in boiling water gets a bit warm. Today, she has been more than on her game, and it's all Ryu can do to step up his own... and find himself keeping pace. For a moment, it seems like he's turned it about once more, but the Ansatsuken prodigy is nothing if not resilient, and sure enough... she ain't done yet.
The nomad's dark eyes narrow as Sakura's reserves of chi spike, bubble over beyond what the Ansatsuken Master thought she had left in her. It's a miscalculation that costs him. He pushes back the aching bruises a moment longer, shifts his weight, prepares to... WHAM!
The dense sphere of wildly flaring energy erupts all around him, washes over him, and he slides backwards, dropping to both knees in the grass, hucking up a rather large series of divets behind him as he skids to a violent stop, a faint smoke rising from his chest, the edges of his gi tattered as he breathes heavily. Blackness inches in from all corners of his vision, and the hand that presses against the ground now seems barely attached to the arm that tries to hold him up. The Wanderer smiles. He's been waiting for this.
'Do not fear to pass on what you know, but never limit yourself, or those you teach, to the boundaries of your own experience. Each of us finds our own way, Ryu, and in the end it is the evolution of our common experience that gives us strength - sharing, compassion, understanding. Not dogma. You must retain your discipline - without being a prisoner to it.'
The smile broadens, and breath refills his lungs. This is over. He knows it, he has no strength to fight on. And so he burns it all, in one sudden burst.
Thick legs heave, arms flex taut, and he's suddenly crossing the distance between himself and Sakura in full-on aerial assault mode. Hurtling through the air, his right leg snaps out, redoubling his momentum as he twists about himself, hurtling forward at the skilled student as he twists about again, and again, and again with blurring speed. It's a last ditch Top of Death(tm) that spins without any encouragement from that dradle song, threatening to catch Kasugano up in the rotorblade assault, seeking to deliver punishing kick after kick to drop her to the ground with him - because he's not heading for a graceful landing, even the winds whipping up around him carrying a chaotic gale to their sudden gathering.
"TATSUMAKI SENPUUUUU KYAKU!!!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu can no longer fight.
[ \\\ <
Sakura 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Sakura parries Ryu's Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku!
[ \\\ <
Sakura 0/-------/------=|
Kasugano doesn't expect anything of this battle. She really doesn't -- she's challenged Ryu dozens, hundreds, possibly even thousands of times before in varying degrees of seriousness. Most of times it's just a little 'grasp the pebble from my hand' deal, nothing more than an exchange or two. Sometimes it's an all-out sparring match like this.
She expects, in other words, that Ryu's inner wellspring will be more than enough to knock her back -- not only onto her back, but easily sending her way back through a few trees. He's strong enough to, that's for sure! And she can certainly tell that he's sparing nothing on this fight, no punches are being held back. They never are.
If there's one thing about Sakura, though... her prodigal reflexes tend to be about two steps ahead of her at all times. Having just hurled a Hadouken in mid-air, she was somehow able to gather herself together for an only mildly embarassing landing, complete with misstep at the end... but she managed to not fall over, which is a plus. Not wanting to give up in front of her master, she charges in... and before she can even judge that Ryu's done a whirlwind kick, as opposed to say a Hadouken of his own, she's already leaping up into the air. If she were able to -think-, she would have leapt /back/ instead, but thinking gets her in trouble in these sorts of fights. Really, it does! As it is... happenstance allows her foot to land right on Ryu's as it whirls about, and her panicked reaction is to kick back sharply, allowing her to leap safely back and out of range of the attack.
Sakura's expression is one of disbelief. One of uncannily -pleased- disbelief, but disbelief just the same. "I-... ah..." she stammers, legs quaking from the exertion of the fight.
There are so many ways she can respond, so many things that are vying for the chance to be said, a smile barely masked with her need to show some proper humility to the man who she's all but modeled her fighting style after -- indeed, her fighting -career-. Moisture wells up at her eyes, as it would tend to do when someone's got so many emotions rolling around they don't know what to say.
But then she remembers who she's dealing with. Stiffening up, she gives her master a proper bow."Thank you for the fight, Ryu."
There's more to say, surely. But the girl needs some time to sort it out, gosh!
COMBATSYS: Sakura takes no action.
[ \\\ <
Sakura 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Sakura has ended the fight here.
Log created on 22:28:03 02/20/2009 by Sakura, and last modified on 19:43:43 03/08/2009.