Description: The Sunshine City High School hosts the match between two fighting school girls, each with a fair amount of support in the audience to boot. Both fighters are pushed to their limits to see the match through, but their mutual goals with the city might have ramifications for the future. ( Winner: Athena )
To say that Sunshine City makes Sakura feel ambivalent is to subtly understate the case. She has to walk tall, look tough, and project an aura of badass to make it through the streets without being molested or mugged or worse. Fortunately, she's used to that.
<Reminds me of jogging around near Gedo... back before I really knew Akira and all them...> Yes, Zaki runs the gang at Seijyun but they're -Seijyun- students. Only Zaki approaches the sheer brutality that the Gedo kids display as a matter of course. And she's on Zaki's good side so she doesn't worry about that.
Clearing the outskirts of the city lessens that somewhat, but Sakura's still on her guard as she approache the Sunshine Public High School courtyard--which has been generously volunteered for use as the location for the first-round matchup between Sakura Kasugano and Athena Asamiya. No doubt this is at least in part due to Sakura's status as one of the most famous, if not -the- most famous, high-school-aged fighting woman on the circuit, but Athena being an internationally famous pop star -and- fighter doesn't hurt either.
In fact the school looks cheerier than it has, well, -ever-, with portable bleachers lining the courtyard on all four sides, packed full of Sakura supporters, and Athena supporters, and Sunshine City denizens--schoolkids and adults alike.
The din is quite amazing, with cheering, concessions being sold left and right, and no small amount of gambling going on to boot. Sakura ignores all this as she slips past the gap between two of the bleacher stands, at one of the corners. In deference to her fans, she's wearing her traditional getup, the white-and-blue sailor uniform with the yellow kerchief, the red padded gloves and the sneakers, the customary headband tied firm.
If anything the sound gets even -worse- as she jogs out and hops over the erected ropes into the makeshift arena, bounded by four stout steel poles that hold up the thick, spring-loaded ropes that are so commonly seen in boxing rings, right up onto the mat that's emblazoned with the various logos of the companies and organizations supporting the tournament.
Just as she lands from her rope-vault, the sound of Ryu's voice erupts from a pocket, even as she digs into it for her phone. "SHINKUU... HADOU--" And then she picks up the call. "Hi! Kei! Yeah, I'm fine. No, I didn't get mugged. Look just watch the feed online, I know you're cheering me on, okay? Thanks, talk to ya soon. Bye!" She flips the phone closed and slips it back into her pocket, then grins. Yeah. She's startin' to get -pumped up-, now.
The event was highly publicized. A major tournament for a good cause, the well-being of the crime beleagured Sunshine City, was something Athena wouldn't pass up on. It was rare that breaks from school, concert tours, and other events happened to coincide with a major fighting event and so when the stars aligned, the busy idol entered her name into the list of entrants immediately. Besides, as she had pointed out to her fellow Psycho Soldiers, it sounded like the city could use just the kind of help they specialized in!
It took some convincing to get her manager to leave her usual trip entourage behind. While she didn't mind the spotlight being on her for the arranged matches, she wanted to be able to look into other issues concerning Sunshine City without quite so much attention. The fewer people coming along with her to the West Coast city, the easier that would be to do. The trip through the city had been sobering even with her smaller-than-usual convoy sticking to the safest routes.
She had arrived early, the expensive rental vehicles parked behind some of the buildings; she had insisted that this event wasn't about her but rather the school playing host to this match. And as Sakura vaults over the rope, she'll find her opponent for the match already in place on the cordoned off area, a microphone in her hands, facing the filled bleachers. She seems to be in the middle of addressing the audience, her voice up beat, her tone optimistic. "...raise awareness of the problems that plague your homes." She's a natural speaking to a crowd, the cheers seeming to fit into the pauses in her speech perfectly. "... it's time for the rise of a new dawn in this fair city..."
She seems to be acknowledging the venue for the fight. While Sakura's uniform may be casual, Athena's is quite formal - a button up, long sleeved, pristine white blouse is worn beneath a crimson red vest with what appear to be gold buttons clasping it closed. A blue bow ribboned bow on her back matches the shade of the dark blue and black plaid skirt at her waist and the dark blue dress shoes worn with almost knee-high white stockings on her feet. The tie at her neck is worn beneath her vest, but what portion of it is visible appears to be a matching shade of dark blue. Her violet hair is worn long and simple, kept in place only by the red be-starred hair clip that seems to accompany all of her outfits.
"...Sunshine City isn't just a name, it reflects the undying spirit of the people that have suffered such grave problems here for too long, which is why I'm glad..." The girl is good enough at delivery that it seems like she could run for an elected office in Sunshine right then and there and probably pull in a good portion of votes!
Sakura lands on the mat and Athena turns to the side to face her without skipping a beat, as if she knew the exact moment that her fellow martial artist would be getting there. "That my esteemed opponent and fellow athlete, Sakura Kasugano is here to help us all bring attention to a situation that has gone on for too long. These burdens won't be yours to endure alone any more!" Cheers errupt from effectively the entire crowd as Athena waves to the famous fighting schoolgirl.
She lowers the mic, allowing the cheers to drown out any hope for casual conversation between the two for a moment. Athena's demeanor is energetic, her expression a bright smile. "I'm glad you're here!" she exclaims to the other girl, though it might not even be possible to hear her.
Of course, Athena wouldn't come alone.
Kensou hand his own tournament fights to attend, naturally. He had his own classes. He had his own band work to do. And likewise, he was a hero, just like Athena. But as the woman was showing, Kensou did not have that natural charm. Certainly, Athena was the face of the Psycho Soldiers. If Athena had ttrouble to get free time.... well, Kensou did not. It was very easy to convince the manager that he wasn't needed for work on the album. Which was odd, since the hot-blooded teenager knew that his backup guitar work was a BIG help to the pop-starlet's vocals. Kensou could have just hide from the limelight, quietly helping out as the Luigi to Athena's Mario. But as part of the Psycho Soldier force, he had come to Sunshine City to help out with the publicity work
And a Psycho Soldier never leaves a friend to fend it off alone!
"Woooooo!"
Came the cry from the audience. A brown-haired chinese teenager, dressed in a jean jacket and gym shorts, holds up an whole armful of flags, horns, balloons, and a wound up banner barely keeping it together. Upon his head was a tall hat bearing a paper-mache statue of Athena, donated by the Sunshine City Elementary School 5th grade classes. In his left hand? A large pink foam finger, bearing a number one. "ORA ORA ORA!" Was the shout from the teenager, hopping up and down. Waving that finger. "That was a great speech Athena! I believe in you! You can do this! And what a great outfit" Kensou leans over a bit, sticking the finger in the air. Wildly, he shakes it in the air for but a second.. before all his gear suddenly begins to slip. Swiftly recovering, he sweeps the finger down. "Aya aya aya!" He blurts out, stumbling a bit as he lurches over, pinning all the swag against his chest. And suddenly, his eyes go wide. He forgot the most important thing. Tilting his head up as he falls to his knees, still fighting gravity for his gear, he looks up at the other school girl.
"OH! And also good luck to you Sakura!"
"Is this seat--"
*FWACK*
That sound you hear is what a giant pink foam finger sounds like when it soundly impacts the face of a seat-seeking Ansatsuken fighter who just happened to be walking up. Why is Ryu here? Well, for starters, that's Sakura Kasugano down in the ring and while he is maybe a bit shy about acknowledging her as His Star Pupil, he does care about the girl's fighting development. Plus he had a run-in with Athena during the Devil's Tournament and found her fighting style... unique and invigorating. More importantly, he found her to be a good person and a promising fighter. Thus, a match between these two young ladies is a perfect reason to attend, and Ryu just happened to be in the area anyway.
Of course, the people around this little tableau are now looking at it with D: faced apprehension, since nobody really knows how this is going to turn out. Ryu, for his part, lets Kensou get on with his Ouendan bit, playing out all the noisemaking, complimenting, gyrating, and other cheer section shenanigans he wants before Ryu clears his throat and says, again: "Is this seat taken?"
Sakura opens her mouth, but it's Ryu that answers. "HADOOUKEN!" Looking embarrassed, Sakura reaches back into her pocket, pulling her phone out and reading the text message on the small top screen. "Oh, geez, Kei," she mutters, to herself, then shakes her head. "Ahh, sorry about that." Starstruck? Sakura? Not at all! There's only -one man- who could do that to her, and, actually, she's already fought alongside him. Once. But the thought of him does bring a smile to her face.
"Ah, my friend Kei would appreciate it very much if you would sign her Very Specially Limited Edition CD And Photobook... after we're done here," she says. She manages to give a look that is irritated, resigned, and yet fond as she mentions her friend Kei, who, in fighter's terms, is a 'square', a non-fighter, but a staunch and stalwart friend all the same. "And... I'm glad you're here, too! I didn't know who all signed up for this thing and I'm sure a guy like Adon wouldn't, but you never can tell." Already her attitude is changing--not drastically, that cheery schoolgirl isn't a front, per se, but there's a stiffening of the resolve behind it. Athena would certainly notice it--the will to fight, the love of the competition, coming to the forefront. Sakura checks the tab fastenings on her gloves, tightening a touch, and then kneeling down, checks her shoelaces. All good; she won't be losing any shoes this time.
"So, uh, I guess we better get started." There's a definite sense that Sakura wants to say something else--maybe something about the weird aura of violence and desperation that even -she-, a flatscan, can sense and has experienced here, but she's mindful of the microphone. She'll ask later, when Sakura is signing that thing that Kei made her bring. That thing which is sitting at the top of Sakura's duffel bag. Did we not mention it? Yes, she's traveling just like her mentor would. With a canvas duffel bag. Dyed cherry-blossom pink with white cherry blossom patterns and Hello Kitty stencils. But otherwise one-hundred-percent the same. Really.
Back to the action--as Sakura puts her dukes up, closing her hands into fists and backing up a bit to give Athena some room, the little schoolgirl's grin fierce and proud and ready.
A school. Who, outside of fighting-rabid Southtown, holds an upscale tournament battle in a school?
Describing Zaki's outlook on the apparent circumstance as 'perturbed' would be a gross understatement. Seijyun might boast her as one of its more famous - and indeed, affluent - pupils, but for all the leadership she's assumed over her peers, Aoi has no particular love for attending the facility. Sunshine has seen her on her preferred business of running the Ladies' Team, and coming here grates at her nerves. Fortunately, her off-colour mood is not further marred by the same need that the Taiyo prodigy has to adopt a swaggering, intimidating mien; after all, the sukeban already wears her awe-inspiring persona like a dark cloak.
An apt analogy in this case, because as she strides through the gaggling throng surrounding the bleachers, she's bundled up in attire that disguises almost everything else about her. That long, jagged ponytail is not on display, tucked down the back of a pastel blue hooded sweatshirt - hood raised and tightened. From within the relative gloom those startling vulpine eyes can still be seen, but even the mask is gone-- which explains her complete avoidance of Kasugano prior to her fight with Athena, if Aoi's standoffish nature didn't do a wonderfully sufficient job of that already. Sometimes it pays to be a bitch.
Her bottom half sees crisply-ironed skirt and leggings traded for a pair of black designer jeans and similarly expensive, sleek training shoes that lack the telltale clack of her high-heeled boots. There is a faint rattling of chain as she moves - and indeed, she's not left her weapon behind, it simply swings instead from her hip in the manner of a wallet chain. A close examination would confirm it otherwise, but it works on the outside. In a city full of ne'er-do-well punks and delinquents, she fits in perfectly.
Which is just as well...
Her path here has brought her past some several dozen 'WANTED' posters bearing her masked visage.
"Better appreciate this," she grunts beneath her breath as she sets foot up onto the bleachers, slipping along the line with little regard for anyone's feet - though with her odd savage grace she avoids actually coming into contact with anyone, simply making a semi-conscious point of bringing her feet down heavily within a quarter-inch of anyone's she judges to be ill-placed, occasionally throwing in the odd sidelong, aggressive glare for good measure. "Surrounded by ungrateful, ignorant sheep. 'Trial of the Dragon' my a--"
Halting as Athena begins to speak, the sukeban turns about to face her, eyes narrowing to slits. A scowl pulls her mouth - from that distance, still invisible beneath the fringe of her hood - downwards sharply, as she completely ignores the tap on her shoulder that heralds a protest from the people she's stopped directly in front of. The words unwind, and leave her only more 'displeased'. Politicians and pop stars are two of the things she loathes the most in the entire world - and though Asamiya has age (and Sakura) on her side...
"Dumb fucking bitch!!" It comes out in a hiss, though far louder than any polite person would intend, the expletive bitten off in notably broken English that just makes it all the more obvious. Fortunately, a more ridiculous sound distracts from her blatant faux pas, further gaining Aoi's ire, her gaze rolling downward to single him out at the foot of the bleachers. It only takes a moment of disdainfully horrified staring to identify the perpetrator, at which point her hand whips out from the front pocket of her hoodie, dipping down to grab the chain from her waist before unceremoniously slinging it down and forward.
"Oi, idiot!" Booms her voice - yes, even without the mask - as she smacks Kensou in the back of the head with those polished steel links. "Is this how you help people? Dressing up like a clown and drooling over a pair of pubescent tits?" Though she hates to admit it, he does make one good point, to whit she looks up toward Sakura on the stage, free hand lifting to thud against her upper chest. "Show 'em how real heroes fight, Kasugano!"
It seems that for every attempt Athena made at explaining to her enthusiastic friend that she really didn't want this event to be a focus on her individually, Kensou added more Asamiya-related flair to his ensemble. That his attire ends up as insane as it does just reinforces how hard she tried to convince him otherwise! When her violet eyes scan the crowd, it's with easy that she picks Kensou out. Even if he wasn't making a scene of himself, she would be able to find him, his unique psychic signiture standing out brightly to her alongside all of unknown ones. She can't make out what he's saying, exactly, but she doesn't need to in order to know that he is a staunch supporter of her endeavors. She smiles in his way and waves her hand, but he's bending down to look for something on the ground just that moment and misses the gesture all together.
Her eyes come to rest on another near him. That she almost missed Ryu all together causes her to marvel quietly. A fighter of his magnitude... she should be able to know he was there with ease. It was never hard to know when his rival and friend, Ken Masters, was around. The man exuded a supernova of personality that could never be hidden. The moment to consider his presence passes, however, as Sakura gets close enough for the two to hear each other over the cacophony of applause (And minority dissent).
"It's quite all right," Athena assures Sakura as the girl apologizes for the distraction of the phone. "Haha," the idol fighter seems pleased at the request, "I would be happy to." She grins a little, "I wasn't sure people still /bought/ those." She'd never say that if the mic wasn't switched off. Her manager would KILL her. "But I'm glad she did! You sure seem to have a lot of support." Her eyes sparkle with a certain knowing look. "Even Ryu wouldn't miss this." Sakura's inspiration is hardly a secret. She glances to the side back toward where she last saw Kensou and Ryu. There is a third - a powerful personality, a confusing blend of deep support and hostility, a rare flavor combination she doesn't come across often. But she should put it out of her mind.
Athena twirls the mic in her right hand and with a flash of rose hued energy, the device seems to vanish into thin air. "You're right. I'm honored to face someone as dedicated to her interests as you are, Sakura." At that point, a small bit of space seperates them as Sakura backs up. The crowd quiets down a little. A shout is called out - a young woman's voice, encouraging Sakura and slighting Athena at the same time, but Asamiya doesn't blink, her eyes still on her opponent. There will always be those doubters. This is hardly the first she's sensed such thoughts about her own image.
The pressure to fight well is on her shoulders just as at all her other public appearances. It isn't to protect her pride though there is a desire to honor Master Chin's efforts in teaching her by doing well. But rather it's a matter of inspiring hope and faith - if she shows that her talents are real then some might doubt her ability to help them less if the time comes. Faith in a hero can sometimes be just what a situation calls for.
Athena breaths in and bows her head, her hands at her sides. All around her, an array of emotions washes over the High School like a tsunami of feelings. There might be some hope, some faith, but there is also a lot of despair to be found. This event might do well to distract the miserable many from their circumstances, but deep in their hearts, that uneasiness remains. Athena exhales slowly, building a wall in her mind to ward off all those powerful emotions from without while simultaneously stablizing her own psychic attunement. Most people in the vicinity would be too distracted to notice or too caught up in their own thoughts to feel that subtle twang of psychic energy that radiates out from the girl like an invisible shockwave.
By the time she opens her eyes and looks up, something has fundamentally changed about her. She still looks the same on the outside, but something else has awoken within. Slowly she turns her side toward Sakura and lifts her hands, palms open, left hand forward. A girl as in tune with the spirit of a fighter as Sakura would sense it. Her opponent is not a pretender. She promises to give her a good challenge, whatever the outcome may be.
Athena nods slightly at Sakura. The fight has begun.
COMBATSYS: Athena has started a fight here.
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Athena 0/-------/------=|
Sakura's brown eyes scan the crowds much like Athena's. If she picks Ryu out first, it's because she's pretty damn attuned to him--she'd spent months memorizing his face in profile, straight ahead, what his head looked like, so if she spotted him at a moment's notice she'd recognize him. Kind of like what cops around the world do with their Top Ten Wanted lists... ... and that's probably a little creepy. The sight of the Ansatsuken master brings a slight smile to Sakura's lips; Zaki's exhortation almost wipes it clear.
But, in her own way, Zaki's just trying to encourage her, and she can't deny that, can she? She turns, putting on a game smile, and waves to the crowd, holding up a fist to acknowledge Zaki's encouragement, before turning back to Athena. "Ah... sorry. Friend from 'back home'," she says, briefly, before shaking her head to put it out of her mind. If Zaki doubts Athena, well, Sakura knows a little better. And isn't biased against pop idols.
Now, there's an added layer of nerves to quash. Ryu is -here-. He's watching her -fight-. If she muffs this, he'll -never- teach her... and that would be the biggest shame in the world, for her. With that thought in mind, Sakura tightens her hands into fists. The fire of determination burns brighter in her than ever, strong and unyielding, and that change is the last to come over her, just as it does Athena. She can see it happen, and she knows:
She's in for a -fight-.
The crowd noise dies down, enough for the loudspeaker to crackle and pop, and then, a man's voice blares over it: "Fighters ready? Then... -fight-!!" As the last, hard, percussive 't' washes over the arena, Sakura -explodes- into action, giving her sharpest, best kiai as she literally leaps to the attack, going from a semi-crouch into a lunging knee that promises to -actually- clear the distance between Athena and herself, a move that looks, actually, almost stolen from Muay Thai--though they don't usually fly -this- close to the ground when doing it...
COMBATSYS: Sakura has joined the fight here.
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Athena 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Sakura
COMBATSYS: Athena dodges Sakura's Medium Kick.
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Athena 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Sakura
And suddenly, someone is hit.
Kensou turns bright red, then deep purple. In his clumsy exhuberance, he actually hit someone. How AWFUL. How EMBARASSING. He knew that Athena was thinking, at the very moment, about how she left Kensou in the friend zone for too long. And then, she saw him hit someone in the face. Any flower of passion immediately wilted, leaving only the dry petals of unrequited love. But wait. What if he apologized. That might make things bettter. Kensou, turning back towards the man, begins to say his penance. "Whoa! I am sorry! I didn't mean you hit you Mr-"
"-RYU!?-"
Sie Kensou's jaw DROPS when he realizes he is in the presence of the World Warrior. "RYU! Oh my gosh! Its- I'm sorry- I mean RYU! WOW! I can't believe this! Its amazing! I'm actually with the real Ryu!" Kensou begins to shove the foam finger in his mouth. His camera! He had to take this picture! "MMMH MH!" He exclaims, as he begins to struggle with the mass of gear....
Which then, collapses into a heap the moment he is struck in the head.
"AYA!" He exclaims, the foam finger falling from his maw. The clatter of everything only brings despair to the Chiense teenager. Falling to his knees, he trails his hands over his gear that were spread out on the bleachers ground. Rising back up, he looks at the woman who had so bumped him. Eyes burning, he throws his arms in the air. "Hey! What was that for! Why you-"
And then something clicks.
"Y-y-y-you're..." Kensou begins. This was a fight, an official match! As a Psycho Soldier, not only he had a duty of justice, but a duty of keeping the peace. Well, as much as vigilante could. He would have to approach this with tact, thoughtfulness, and poise. Puffing out his chest, the kid looks Zaki right in the eye. "Hey!" He cries out, slapping a hand on his chest.
"You should watch your language!"
Still puffed up with bravado, he had NO idea who this person is. Except she was around his age, and a bully! Her presence, her aura.... just read dominance nad bullying! "You should keep your voice down, so you don't distract the fighters, OR Ryu here!" Kensou gives a thumbs up towards Athena, and then passes a glance to Ryu. He TOTALLY has this under control. Smirking at the red haired girl, he flashes a smile.
"Now, if you help me clean up my stuff, I'll let you sit next to Ryu!"
"Um." Kensou to the left of me; Zaki to the right, and here I am, stuck in the middle with Ryu.
Watching an angry schoolgirl deploy automotive and/or construction equipment in the punishment of the Psycho Soldier who happens to be in the crowd is not a comfortable time. Watching Kensou then basically flip out and go into Holy Shit A Celebrity mode is about equally uncomfortable. And while the Wanderer isn't exactly low-functioning -- he can carry a conversation in a bucket -- he's not sure whether he should intervene in this scenario or just let it play out. Teenagers are WEIRD. But in the end he notices that the seat he was going to occupy is empty, and so he takes it.
Barely anyone would notice, but Ryu's hand actually tightens into a fist when the fight starts and Sakura takes the initiative. Just because he disdains the idea of being her master in his humility doesn't mean that he dislikes the girl or wishes her ill; quite the contrary, Ryu would very much like to see Sakura succeed on her own terms. He's just not, you know, as... exuberant a spectator as Kensou or Zaki. After a moment, though, he realizes he should be polite, and clears his throat, turning to them both. "I've seen your matches many times, Kensou. You have a promising career ahead of you, I think. And you're..."
There's a pause as he looks at Zaki. Now, Ryu's not going to be intimidated, even by her. That said, just because he's not afraid doesn't mean he's going to thrust his fist into a shark tank, either.
"...are a friend of Sakura's, I take it," he finishes carefully.
At Sakura's second apology of the encounter, Athena offers a sympathetic smile and accepting expression. One that doesn't just say 'Yeah, I can imagine how that goes.' No. The look she gives Sakura in that moment is, without a mistake, easily read as 'Yeah, I know /exactly/ how that is.' "It's all right." she states. If the shout from Sakura's friend has flustered her any, it wouldn't be evident in her tone of voice. A regular stage performer, she has undoubtedly endured far worse than that in her life.
It takes concerted effort to tune them all out - all the emotions, the mixtures of feelings, thoughts only hinted at, like voices heard through a thick wall, too muffled to decipher yet distracting all the same. If she doesn't block out the crowd as Master Chin has taught her, she might be distracted into complete in-action! The voice over the loud speaker is suddenly deafening when she had already put so much work into quieting out the noises in her head, and Athena winces a little but doesn't otherwise lose her ready stance.
The instant in time is enough for the eager Kasugano to leap into action, getting a split second advantage on her opponent. The girl wouldn't begrudge her that though. She could sense her enthusiasm for this moment in abundance. She doesn't so much read Sakura's technique as feel what it was going to be, that momentary build up, the crouch, the anticipation of the strike... The idol figther steps to the side, leaning in that direction to get out of the way of the swift kick flying her way. Her movements are fluid and minimalist, as if careful not to give up too much distance in the process of avoiding getting hit. "Close," she whispers.
She is a close-ranged fighter, too small in stature to play it careful at safer distances. But Sakura's trajectory takes her past Athena and out of range of an immediate physical strike. In this case, Athena doesn't give chase. The opportunity is there, the girl pulling her arms back, tapping into that well of Psycho Power she unlocked moments prior. "Psycho-" The energy surges into her hands, responding to her will, refined by the training of her venerable sensei.
The danger is always there when playing with power like this - raw emotion can be a powerful tool but tapping into it for the purpose of attacking is perilous ground... just the thought of using it for the sake of inflicting harm on another is treading on ground already well trampled by some of the most monstrous men the world has ever seen. But just as the sharpened edge of a sword can cut through injustice, so too can this power be used for the right cause. "BALL!"
She swings her arms forward, her body leaning into the attack as the rose-hued crackling sphere of concentrated Psycho Power hurtles from her sweeping arms to chase after Sakura!
COMBATSYS: Sakura blocks Athena's Psycho Ball.
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Athena 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Sakura
Whoop! Sakura was -not- expecting that. Maybe she should've been. But for as much research as she does on Ryu--following the various Twitters and Facebook pages and scouring message boards for sightings and fight analyses from just about everyone in the fighting world--she doesn't always research -her- opponents that well. Of course, it would be difficult to know -nothing- about Athena, but what Sakura knows doesn't really extend to her fighting style much. Some sort of Psychic Kung Fu Action Grip thing, she thinks.
It's instinct and a general battle sense that saves her, here; as soon as she's past Athena, she's putting her legs down, skidding a bit as she whirls around to see a big ball of pink-white Psycho Power. And it looks -huge-, because it is somewhat less than five feet away when she -spots- it, not to mention anything of defending against it. She thinks, briefly, about just continuing her momentum, falling flat, trying to avoid it that way, but doesn't like those chances, and by the time she's decided that?
That Psycho Ball is upon her, and all she can do is plant her back foot, cover up with crossed arms, and absorb as much of the attack as she can manage. The impact still knocks her back at least three steps, and the residual energy steams off her forearms as she unlocks her guard. "Phew," she remarks, offhand, "that was pretty tough..." And then she grins. "This'll be fun. Here--try mine!!" Sakura draws her hands to her stomach--her navel, really--and although Athena is a psion, not a master of the lifeforce known universally as 'chi', she can probably feel the buildup, power flaring and surging, before it becomes visually obvious, swelling into a white-cored, electric blue-tinged sphere, tight and pulsing... and then expanding, as her hands move apart, in a sudden burst, before she thrusts her hands forward, launching the beach ball-sized sphere at Athena's last known position, her shout very much like the sound of her phone--only higher pitched! "HADOOOOOUKEN!!"
COMBATSYS: Athena blocks Sakura's Medium Hadouken.
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Athena 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Sakura
The energy is released, the crackling sphere of Psycho Power chasing Sakura down, leaving Athena's opponent with precious little time to react, but Kasugano is quick on her feet, recovering in time to see the intended attack and having enough time to brace for the worst of it. Fighting idol is only just recovering from having launched her attack when it is already absorbed by the other girl. That she was able to withstand it speaks ot the caliber of her will. Those without the ability to fight through pain given form have no chance of withstanding the techniques Athena has at her disposal for long.
She has recovered from throwing her attack by the time Sakura is able to lower her guard. The grin from the determined school girl is met by a smile from her violet haired opponent. In spite what maybe a select few in the attending audience might prefer, there won't be any animosity to be found between these two fighters. It clicks then, Athena realizes, having faced the Ansatsuken master not long ago. This girl in front of her and the world renown legend have more in common than many could possibly realize.
She's going to have to brace herself a moment later, the projectile hurtling toward her, the girl bringing up her arms and anticipating the hit. It isn't easy to ward off the influences of chi attacks for the girl. The energy crashes against her but seems to sink beneath the surface as Athena struggles to fight it back, her eyes closed in a wince. Her white sleeves seem a little stressed by the impact but stay in tact, her hair blown back for a moment only to fall back into place against her shoulders and back. "I agree," she replies. This /is/ fun - the challenge, the thrill, the excitement. She can feel the enthusiasm of her opponent, and while she blocks as much as the crowd as possible, it's impossible to not be energized by their passion as well.
The exchange of attacks completed, however, and Athena is eager to get back into close range where her Kung Fu (grip) can be put to use. She'll step into a short hop forward from a yard out, left leg providing the kick off point, her right leg snapping up straight in front of her to catch Sakura in the chin if the other girl isn't careful. "YA!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura parries Athena's Light Kick!
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Athena 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Sakura
It isn't -rare- that Sakura has an opponent, either in a 'for real' fight or just sparring, that doesn't enjoy the battle as much as she does. After all, she pals around with Hinata, and Akira, and a whole bunch of other 'bloodthirsty schoolgirls', as the school paper once termed them, and they practice against each other all the time. But that's different. By now, they're familiar--Sakura knows their patterns, how they fight, what they'll do in most situations, how they've trained their bodies to move.
This? This is different, and she's glad to see Athena enjoying it as much as she is. There's a newness to fighting the pop idol that energizes Sakura even more. It's with that in mind that she stands her ground as Athena comes flying in, waiting until the absolute last moment to react--standing almost rock-still as that foot comes snapping up... and then, just at the right moment, snapping her left arm up and around, catching Athena's leg just behind the ankle, literally snapping it out of line; seeking to capitalize on that, she is moving almost even before she's disengaged her left arm from Athena's right leg--reaching out to grab Athena by the shoulders. From here, it's a short distance, of course. And as she reaches out, she's pushing off with both legs, those strong limbs seeking to power her in a leap over Athena, using the Psycho Soldier's shoulders as a pivot point--only to come around, twisting, to plant both knees into Athena's back, painfully, then use the built up momentum to literally flip her opponent back the way she came.
For Sakura, the cheering fo the crowd is a dim sound, barely heard, as she gives herself over to the rhythm of the fight. She's aware they're there--her friends and her enemies both, or, at least, those supporting Athena--but they're secondary right now.
COMBATSYS: Athena dodges Sakura's Sailor Shoot EX.
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Athena 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Sakura
The hop kick is a good test of Sakura's timing and reflexes, and Athena certainly finds her not lacking in the slightest. The deflection if her snap kick puts her off balance, leaning counter to the direction she might otherwise fall, slamming her foot down harder than she originally intended. It buys Sakura enough time to take advantage of their close distance. She expected the other girl to be talented at close-range fighting since she certainly knew from experience that /Ryu/ was.
But even though the girl may be inspired by the Ansatsuken master, her close in methods are actually quite different much to Athena's surprise. Eyes widen a little as Sakura gets close to using her as a trampoline of sorts. Athena certainly wasn't expecting to be scrambled up upon by the other girl, and for an instant she's bewildered.
But not so bewildered that she doesn't escape. It happens in the narrowest of windows - an instant in time where Sakura is vaulting over her to get into position against Athena's back, a split second where there is no contact between the two of them. It might seem like her opponent simply ceased to exist beneath her, so fast is Athena's escape; Sakura is left to correct her landing for this sudden change in circumstances.
And she had better be quick about it, for Athena is already air born from a few yards out. She takes to the air with ease, springing up and forward, tucking herself into a tight ball at the apex of her jump. It's unfortunate Sakura hasn't looked into her opponent ahead of time, because she might know exactly what's to follow as the girl drops out of the sky at a sharp angle, suddenly encased in a churning aura of Psycho Power. "Phoenix Arrow!"
Her aim seems to be to simply dive into Sakura with a full bodied collision before untucking out of her drop into a slide, kicking out with her legs with a powerful follow up sweep that might take Kasugano clean off her feet. At the very least, should she connect, the other girl's balance will be quite threatened!
COMBATSYS: Sakura interrupts Phoenix Arrow from Athena with Small Hadouken EX.
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Athena 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Sakura
Suddenly, Sakura hears a voice in her head. It is the voice of... wisdom? No. It's the voice of /Dan Hibiki/. "SAKURA!!" it shouts, a disembodied head shouting and crying at the same time, "It's all well and good to dance around but sometimes you gotta be BOLD!!!" Ugh. Dammit. If only she hadn't taken those Saikyo-Ryuu Correspondence courses... but then she might not be here. Mixed bag.
She's hearing this as Athena -literally- slips away from her, forcing Sakura into a very quick emergency evade, accelerating her spin so that she lands on her feet, not her back. She has to backstep quick--only time for one quick step, really--as she chases Dan's voice out of her head! Fine. Be bold? She'll -do- that.
It might seem that she leans on her ability to utilize the Ansatsuken technique, the 'hadouken', a lot--and she does. But that natural wellspring of energy is perhaps one of her greatest fighting assets. The concentration of power is immediate, and quick, but not quick enough to keep Athena from barreling into her. She almost loses it right there, but manages to release that built-up chi into Athena's sparkling, tumbling body, a very modified version of the hadouken at least blowing the Soldier away from her before she gets swept!
Huff, huff. Athena hit her right in the breadbasket--that would've hurt had she not managed that defense. She -knew- this fight was for real, but maybe she didn't really appreciate her opponent's skills, until know. With a rush, the crowd's cheering floods back into her ears with full force and she shakes her head, smiling a little more. Win or lose, this is gonna be a great night.
The exchange of forces comes out favoring the small version of the world famous Hadouken! Athena impacts the girl for a moment but finds herself being smacked away by the blast of chi before she can secure the secondary, more devestating part of her combination. She is knocked back, her fingers pressing against the mat as she slides, allowing her to keep from falling over from being kncoked out of the rather acrobatic, risky attack.
As she comes to a stop, Athena pushes up to standing, arms lifting back into her ready stance. Blow for blow, Sakura has been keeping up with her, even possessing the boldness to weather some of her attack to secure a counter strike AND possessing the timing to execute it. More and more, Athena is beginning to realize that when it comes purely to the execution of physical martial arts, the grinning girl standing across from her is every bit her equal. It's inspiring, really, to think that no matter how far she might have come thus far, there are others training and practicing just as hard that are just as good if not better. She has to try harder, she tells herself.
If she possesses any advantage over Sakura all, it is purely from that rich, wellspring of psychic energy that she is able to draw from to empower her attacks. Without access to that, she has no doubt Ryu's biggest fan would likely best her in an exchange of pure punches and kicks. But both girls have their gifts and in this match, there is no reason for Athena to neglect hers just as Sakura is utilizing her own so effectively. "Nice one," she declares. "I hope regardless the outcome of this match, you intend to stick around." Her smile is supportive and hopeful, "This city needs people like you."
When she charges forward this time, she looks as if intending to close distance and strike out with her hands. But if Sakura goes on the defensive, anticipating that, she'll be disappointed to find Athena's intentions aren't quite so kinetic in nature. Twisting to the side, she reaches out with her hands to try and get a grip on Sakura's nearest forearm. The twist and overshoulder slam that would follow if she gets a firm hold is both simple and effective. For as flash as her Psycho Power techniques may be, Asamiya's hand to hand combat seems to emphasize simplicity!
COMBATSYS: Sakura instinctively dodges Athena's Medium Throw.
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Athena 0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0 Sakura
In a lot of ways, Athena and Sakura are a matched pair. Both young women, both possessing wellsprings of great power, and both inheritors, or at least, would-be inheritors, of great legacies. And both with mentors that are there to watch them, if not necessarily to teach them, anymore. But aren't both of them beyond, largely, the need for the kind of training that regular students get? They know how to punch, to kick, to throw. Self-taught or trained from a young age, it doesn't matter. They've arrived at the same place by different routes.
To the compliment, and the query, Sakura smiles a little more; less the fierce fighter's grin and something a little more guarded. "I am. I uh," she hesitates, eyes flicking towards the imposingly-masked form of one Himezaki Aoi (and don't -ever- call her that), "have reasons to stick around." The look she gives Athena--something those brown eyes--might tell her that there might be something to talk about after the fight. If they're both still standing.
Speaking of standing, that's what she's doing as Athena grabs her forearm. She -had- been expecting a strike--but Sakura is nothing if not infinitely adaptable. As soon as she realizes Athena's intentions--perhaps even -before- it, a flash of insight--Sakura once again pushes off with her legs, and that over-shoulder toss is turned into a sort of vaulting leap, Sakura landing on her feet and slipping her arm from Athena's grasp. Of course, she still has momentum to work with, and that forces her to take another hop. Turning around in mid-air, she slams her feet into the mats, and turns that into a -leap-, right back at Athena. As she descends upon the Psycho Soldier, she kicks her legs out in a vee... and slams both fists down for Athena's head. It's an attack that might, if it hits, even -bounce- Athena, allowing Sakura to do it again, and again, before landing.
If she misses? She'll have to skid for a bit to absorb that momentum, again.
COMBATSYS: Athena interrupts Sakura Otoshi from Sakura with Psycho Sword.
- Power hit! -
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Athena 1/-------/=======|=======\====---\1 Sakura
The exchange of attacks is swift as Athena tries to keep pressure on Sakura. She's not entirely sure she can take her in a contest of strictly martial arts, and the remarkably skilled way the fighting school girl escapes her intended throw does cause her to consider that line of thought even further. She stands up straight, watching as her opponent flips through the air to land on her feet. There is a slight shake of Athena's head. She's impressed. She'll have to try another approach!
She caught that look from the other girl - that there's more she would say were it not for the fact that there's several hundred ears not far away from them. It's good to know. For any dent to be made in the problems facing this city, there will need to be people like her helping. No time to respond though. Athena can already tell the mostly self-taught Ansatsuken fighter knows how to preserve her momentum and use to maximum effect and this case only serves to reinforce that conclusion.
Sakura takes to the air and Athena determines that it is time to get to know her opponent a little more. "Psycho-" Given her attacks so far, that could mean anything is coming. But it's her movements that give it away, the girl bending her knees, lowering her right arm, power surging along her arm to collect in her first. She seems to blink forward without moving her feet - only one foot forward, but it happened all the same, Sakura would be quite certain. If it hadn't, Athena wouldn't have been in the right position to counter attack. "Sword!"
Athena rises into the attack, the crushing double-fist-strike cracking against her shoulderblade instead of her head. It stings but it isn't enough to slow her in the slightest. Her arm lifts, rising in front of Sakura, but never making contact with her. It's the energy extending from her hand that is the threat, however, and from anyone's perspective, it visibly seems to slice clean through the girl in Athena's accent in front of her. Were it truly a blade, such a slice could very well be fatal. But Sakura will suffer no /physical/ harm by the sensation of being sliced in half by power, insanely focused Psycho Power. Every nerve will scream out that she's been cut in two even though that is certainly not what has /actually/ happened.
Athena spins at the apex of her upward lunge and drops back down to the mat before standing up right. The rose-hued energy affixed to her right hand flickers and fades and her eyes stay focused on Sakura. Seeing how fighters respond when their pain thresholds are /truly/ tested can be quite revealing.
Her world. It is pain. And not the good kind of pain--the kind of pain that says 'yes, you pushed yourself to the limit, and then beyond, but goddammit, that extra half-cake was -worth it-, wasn't it?' but the kind of pain that says 'you just took a bad risk and you paid for it. Take this moment's snapshot, keep it in memory, and -never forget- because otherwise you're going to take it to the face again, like that.' She felt her fists hit, but that's all she knows for a second--time stutters, like the skip in a recording where the signal's lost for a second--and when she can see again, she sees the sky, the rising grey and glass of the school's eternal walls... and then...
*WHAM* Impact, back to mat, and she is, in a distant corner of her mind, very thankful that it has at least the inch of foam padding that was laid down, or that might hurt all the more. The impact just forces the breath from her body, a huge, wheezing gasp, and for a moment, she lays there. It's such a nice day, how can this city be in such dire straits? Shouldn't the bright sunshine burn away these clouds of violence and desperation? Does Sunshine City have anywhere she can get a -really- good taco? (They're rare in Southtown.) Doesn't she have a fight to finish...? OH YEAH, the fight.
Sakura's eyes snap open and she finds herself kipping up to her feet before she can even think about it, hands raised, clenched into fists. "That was... quite the technique," she gasps, the pain lingering but with little to show for it visually--the hidden benefit of those psionic techniques is that she doesn't end up looking like the victim of domestic abuse. Bouncing on her feet, finding her rhythm again, she grins, brushing the point of her nose with the thumb of her right hand. "But I'm not done -yet-!" She doesn't charge in, this time--she practically sidles, but in such a relatively confined area, she's on Athena pretty quickly. She fires off a couple of left jabs, taking on a boxing-like motion, but these are testing jabs--the power behind her sequence really comes when she throws a harder jab, then a sharp, quick right uppercut for Athena's chin, a stunning blow that would allow her to reach out, grab Athena's leading forearm, and pull her forward and across Sakura's outstretched right leg, to dump her to the mat.
COMBATSYS: Athena instinctively dodges Sakura's Combo Grapple.
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Athena 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Sakura
The Psycho Soldier watches Sakura recover from her assault, her expression suddenly quite serious, eyes seemingly a touch unfocused, as if she was looking at a point somewhere past the other girl. And in that moment, Athena sees what she expected to find - that Sakura's nature isn't only skin deep. The resolve, the determination, and the spirit she saw on the surface is every bit true all the way through the girl. Sometimes it takes cutting deep with that psychic knife just to make sure. She isn't disappointed. "Thank you," she replies, having returned to her ready stance, arm extended, palms open. "I can tell," she adds a split second after, smile finally returning to her expression. No, Sakura is still in this for certain!
She feels herself getting a gradual read on Sakura's fighting style on a sub-conscious level. She isn't thinking about her movements actively anymore, but rather letting herself be piloted by techniques drilled into her to the point that they become instinctive in nature. Thus it is that when the other girl starts swinging out for her that Athena manages to weave just narrowly around the punches. For a brief moment in time, she is fighting on a higher tier than what she had demonstrated in martial combat thus far in the match, as if being puppeted by someone else entirely.
The uppercut is avoided by leaning back, the fist slipping past where her face was a moment before and when Sakura reaches out to grab for Athena's forearm, the psychic fighter responds by snapping her opposite hand out at the same time. Sakura won't get that chance to throw her opponent just yet as that seems to be exactly what Athena is trying to do to her!
If she makes contact with Sakura's arm, she'll find the sudden force by which she is pulled off the mat to be completely unlike the strength Athena exhibited before. This force is born from more than simply muscle power - it's like she's being lifted off her feet by something magnetic as Athena snaps her arm up and sends Sakura flying up into the sky! The flying sensation would certainly be harmless enough, but that force that's moving her would seem to be be an invisible variation of Athena's Psycho Power smashing against her unseen, and /that/ is far from harmless. Asamiya would then suddenly swings her arm down and the flying Sakura would find herself being slammed back down from several meters high into the mat!
COMBATSYS: Sakura fails to interrupt Super Psychic Throw from Athena with Shou'ou Ken.
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Athena 1/------=/=======|=======\======-\1 Sakura
COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached second wind!
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Athena 1/------=/=======|=======\======-\1 Sakura
Sakura's reaction is as instinctive as it is programmed--in this case, 'instinct' standing in as 'repeated training until it becomes reflex'. Unfortunately for Sakura, the first reflex is not always the -best- reflex, and in her automatic haste she forgets--
--Athena grabbed her punchin' arm. Or, at least, her dominant arm--her right. She realizes, a fraction of a second too late, that she can't get any momentum going, at least, not in her fist--because she's getting a whole -host- of momentum now. It's like that game Portal, only in reverse, as Sakura goes up, up, up... only to come down, down, down.
The crash is tremendous; it actually shakes the arena, like a miniature earthquake, and for a moment, a long one, everyone things that Sakura's done. She's... finished. And they're right... until those eyes snap open, practically glowing with resolve, and the girl bounces up to her feet. Now, of course, she isn't lookin' so good, but that determination is as strong as ever.
"H...heh heh... you're strong, really strong... but like I said..." Weakly at first, but with increasingly returning, if temporary strength, Sakura raises her hands back up. "... I'm not done yet...!!" Those who have fought Sakura, fought alongside her, would agree--if Sakura's status as a prodigy of the fighting world is not her most defining trait, that undying will to fight, the way she gives not 110% but 220% to each fight would be a very, very close second.
To put it less politely, as some Gedo kids are sometimes wont to do, she is harder to put down than the junkyard dog (and we don't mean Jiro).
Athena is quite aware just how close she came to getting socked /hard/. When it comes to enduring kicks and punches, Sakura is possibly her better. But in her favor, she does have her ridiculous speed! Part of it stems simply from natural talents and intense training. But a lot of it comes from getting a sense of things a second away from happening - a forsight that allows the girl to react almost faster than seems humanly possible. And in this case, her reaction by sending the fighting school girl flying ended up sparing her a potentially fight-changing punch.
There isn't a crater at the point of impact, but from Sakura's perspective, it darn may well feel like it. Athena is back into her ready stance, arms raised. She knows better than to count the other girl out in spite the powerful attack she managed to catch her with. And seconds later, her expectations are met. Met and exceeded, as Sakura clearly looks ready to continue fighting on through the pain of the attacks she's weathered thus far.
Across from the self-trained Ansatsuken fighter, Athena seems calm, breathing slowly, staying completely focused. Not for a lack of energy, as the audience has certainly seen, but out of respect for the nature of her internal style of fighting. "I'm glad," comes Athena's answer. The girl in front of her is bristling with potential. She's still got more to show - of that, Asamiya is quite certain.
And to find out what she has to show, the girl leans forward into a sprint, closing distance on foot rather than taking to the air. She'll attempt to deliver a one-two combination of sliding in with her left elbow then twisting to the left to deliver a follow up direct palm strike with her right hand. So far, Sakura's determination have certainly backed up her reputation. But now that another exchange of attacks is entered into, it remains to be seen where her drive will take her this match. "Ya! HA!"
COMBATSYS: Sakura dodges Athena's Combo Attack.
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Athena 1/-----==/=======|=======\======-\1 Sakura
Briefly, she wavers. Her whole back is starting to throb and ache with that impact, although she's certain some of it is literally psychosomatic. She doesn't have the energy for the acrobatics that she might use otherwise--the flashiness that comes with being a martial artist girl, self-trained, and self-raised on a steady diet of anime, manga, and martial arts movies of all stripes.
But even standing there, she isn't incapable of defense; she just can't make it look -so- good as to, as a man once said in a relatively famous movie, to paraphrase, 'die while looking good'. The elbow thrust is taken care of with a simple back-sidestep, the right palm twisted away from as well--it leaves her side-on to Athena, briefly, and up close the way Sakura's breathing, hard and heavy, certainly speaks to how taxed she's been.
She's still game, though, clearly, though the cheery grin is wiped away by a look of pure determination. She doesn't bother trying to do anything fancy; she swings back to square up on her opponent, fists raised, and just powers a right straight punch in for Athena's chin. It's a textbook right reverse punch, thrown with all of Sakura's considerable(ha!) weight behind it, the girl leaning forward to deliver the blow, stopping briefly--a fraction of a second--at the full extension.
Already she's gotten past the 'if I don't do well, Ryu will hate me' thought--she knows, always knew, that he would be proud of her as long as she gave her best. Gave her all. And she does, and will. Every battlefield that's ever had Sakura on it has had her leave something of herself in it--her blood, her sweat, her spirit. Sunshine City will be no different.
COMBATSYS: Athena blocks Sakura's Fierce Punch.
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Athena 1/----===/=======|=======\-------\0 Sakura
The girls are quiet now, locked in intense concentration; teeth grit, minds racing, adrenaline pumping, neither can afford to make mistakes at this stage of a fight. Sakura responds to her two strikes with excellent skill, slipping around them each in turn with just enough motion to keep from getting struck but without giving up ground. She's going to stay in close which is quite a gamble. This point blank, melee range is where Athena has focused so much of her martial training as well.
When that punch comes swinging in, Asamiya chops her hand into the strike, catching it with her forearm rather than her face. The impact is enough to knock her arm back but she manages to catch it by gripping her left hand against her wrist. All the same, a soft grunt escapes her lips, the girl reeling from standing toe to toe with Sakura and simply trying to weather the well trained punch rather than retreat.
Shaking her right arm a little, she can tell she won't be doing /that/ again anytime soon. But the two girls are still at point blank range and the fighting idol knows that she has to respond immediately or else the other girl will continue to pressure her shattered defenses.
Unfortunately for Sakura, the next attack comes in the form of Athena's menacing Psycho Power as the girl extends her arms in front of her, stretched out far apart almost like she was trying to project a blastwave back at Kasugano. Instead of a blast wave, a sudden barrier of psionic energy explodes into being. It has almost no forward range, but with how closely the girls are trading melee blows, it doesn't have to reach that far to make contact!
COMBATSYS: Athena successfully hits Sakura with Shield Psycho Reflector.
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Athena 1/--=====/=======|=======\===----\1 Sakura
"UNGH!" That, dear readers, is the sound a Sakura makes when confronted with a barrier of Psycho Power that is nearly as wide around as she is tall. The no-range shield still makes contact--solidly--her attempt to backstep it slow, and nothing but painful. She looks... woozy. Very woozy. It's like those fighting anime, you know? Where the camera gets all dramatic and zooms in on the hero's face, showing him bruised, beaten, but with eyes that still burn with the fire of justice.
Well, for Sakura, the soul -does- still burn, but it's more like a campfire closer to the end of the night than a roaring bonfire. She's taken quite a beating, and even she can't just shrug it off, not yet. Not entirely. But... at least she's still on her feet. Those feet inch apart, wider and wider, to help keep her up. No words, really, not now... just what may be a final, upswelling surge of power, that chi of hers flaring bright again, much faster this time--going from small sphere to a ball the size of her chest--and much more concentrated--as she looses it. It may not be as impressively large as her most powerful-looking Hadouken, but those who know--and those who can tell--will know that the power is much more heavily concentrated in this one.
... just like Sakura, actually, which is what makes it so fitting. She struggles to stay on her feet, as much out of pride as of just not wanting the fight to end. She rarely ever does--every step in a fight, every exchange of fist and foot, chi and psi, is another step down the path she's chosen, and she wants to walk that road until she reaches the goal at the end.
Even if the journy is the reward... there's still that one thing at the end that draws her in.
COMBATSYS: Sakura has reached third wind!
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Athena 1/--=====/=======|==-----\-------\0 Sakura
COMBATSYS: Athena blocks Sakura's Shinkuu Hadouken EX.
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Athena 1/-======/=======|==-----\-------\0 Sakura
The psychic barrier unleashed, Athena pulls her hands back, arms returning to their defensive places. She's growing wary now. She's discovering that the resolve of her opponent is beyond what she even felt earlier in the match. At that point, Sakura just wasn't pressured enough yet! Now, though? After all the attack she's launched against the girl, to find her still standing? Her will to fight on is phenomenal. What is its source? It's not so simple as just wanting to fight and impress Ryu who ended up attending... Athena can tell that she is going to have to focus deeper to understand the font of tenacity Sakura appears to exhibit.
And so she does. She watches the girl, seeing her again as if for the first time, focusing on not her outward appearance but her very nature. She's studying her, a flash of inspiration, a moment of perfect clarity, as Sakura adjusts her stance to accommodate the attack that is coming next. In her mind's eye, she sees the attack playing out, an echo of what is taking place in reality. She knows that attack. She's felt it before from the hands of one who has likely perfected it. Sakura's is no mere mockery of an imitation though. The young psychic can sense the heart being poured into the attack. For a moment, time unwinds for her and she is able to picture the long hours spent practicing it, honing it, preparing it. Years of dedication culminating in the execution of that attack this very moment.
That Athena braces for impact is no indication of the attack having flaws or not being up to the task of bowling her over. It's just that for that moment of lucid awareness, Athena already saw herself weathering the chi missile and fighting on. And that's how it plays out, the fighting idol struck dead on, her arms raised, covering her torso, bunkering down to hide her face as well. The chi crashes against her, driving her back, the girl sliding to a stop meters away. The sleeves of her formal white shirt are in taters, her arms aching, her body sore from the energy she's absorbed unwillingly from Sakura's powerful chi attack.
Athena exhales, lowering her arms, looking forward to find Sakura still standing. Her eyes widen with a mixture of surprise and heightened respect. The moment passes, her expression shifting into a smile. Athena has dropped prominent fighters with fewer techniques than Sakura has endured and continues to stand through. "Whew," the girl marvels audibly. The girl has given it her all. It's time for Asamiya to return with equal fervre.
She takes a step forward. It's slow, the girl still shaking off the impact of the last attack. The next step comes faster, however. The third she's picking up speed. The fourth and Athena launches herself into the air, an explosion of vibrant, pink Psycho Power following in her awake like an extended cloak. At the apex of her jump she extends her arms and the energy she controls expands as well, becoming almost akin to wings...
There is a second where she seems suspended in air.
And then she dives.
The impact promises to be explosive.
COMBATSYS: Sakura parries Athena's Super Phoenix Infinity!
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Athena 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Sakura
There are times, moments, in every fight. Times where reaction transcends even instinct. Where the impossible, or the nearly impossible, happens. Moments where skill and talent and training meld together into a perfect union. It's that sort of state that martial artists strive for--where thought and action are as one, entwined, inseparable. For all but the best, it is something that is fleeting.
For Sakura, that moment is now. She watches Athena almost dumbly, having hoped, at least, that the Shinkuu Hadouken would strike true, and seeing that it hasn't--that Athena, for all that, is still up and running, literally... she almost can't process it. Fortunately, it seems, she doesn't have to, not immediately, at least. It's a beautiful sight, really, Athena in full-on 'Wings of the Goddess' mode, and really, that explosion of impact seems to have -gotten- Sakura. All the spectators must think so, because there's a collective gasp, a sort of wince combined with a respectful and awed "oooooooooooh" at the sheer, well, 'ooooh' factor of the technique... Until someone shouts, and points.
And one person leads to another leads to another... only replay will show what happened, Sakura literally jumping as Athena impacts, slamming outwards with her palms, using her chi instantly, instinctively, to form a brief cushion, a shield almost, until the reaction between the two literally blows her away--upwards, a 'safe' explosion... and, curled into a ball, she flips twice before landing.
Her hands are already drawn back, and somewhere, somehow, she finds the energy within herself to summon up -another- blast of chi, blue-tinged white forming an almost literal wall as, with an arm gesture reminiscent of Athena's Reflector, Sakura flings her very life force at her opponent!
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Athena with Large Hadouken EX.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ < > /// ]
Athena 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Sakura
Athena lands, a torrent of Psycho Power splashing down against the mat all around her, before the forces are released and and an explosion rocks the point of impact. Standing up in the midst of the cascading, flickering energy, Athena isn't really sure what just happened. She was diving toward Sakura, but the girl isn't there. Did she get blown away? She hopes she didn't over do it... She feels it before she turns - that spark of vibrant personality behind her. Whirling around, her long hair trailing a second later, her violet eyes widen as the powerful chi blast is launched at her.
It's more on reflex than thinking clearly that she moves, her form shimmering, small motes of Psycho Power lingering in her wake as she shifts position in the blink of an eye once again. Only she acted too fast - her destination doesn't actually take her OUT of the course of the large Hadouken. The impact is more than she can withstand, the girl knocked off her feet to the mat where she slides some meters before coming ot a rest.
Blinking her eyes, she rolls onto her side, shaking her head. Her hand goes to her forehead as she forces herself to standing. Her ears are ringing, the disruption of that much chi impacting her leaving her reeling. Still, her eyes are able to focus on Sakura, finding her more by sense than literal sight. Not only did she somehow escape her last attack, but she's still able to channel that much power afterward! Athena knows she has to give it her all to fight this girl. Her reputation is beyond well earned.
"Amazing," she whispers. Her crimsn colored vest has been blasted open, hanging from her shoulders in tatters just like her torn up sleeves. There's no doubt she's been through a fight against this girl. She isn't sure how much longer she can go on. Gritting her teeth, she sucks in her breath, clenching her right hand in front of her. Putting the pain in her head out of mind, Athena leans forward, then pushes into a sprint.
She's slower now by her standards, but... her standards for speed are rather high. Again she blinks, bluring across distance to end up at Sakura's side. Her forward mometum seems to be turned into trying to throw the girl again, her hands going for Sakura's arm, a surge of Psycho Power would ripple through her limb if she makes contact, before Athena tries to flip her over her shoulder once again!
COMBATSYS: Athena successfully hits Sakura with Psi-Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Athena 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Sakura
Sakura's a quick sprite of a girl, to be sure. But Athena's on another level, and that's a -fact-. Weakened by the onslaught from within and without, there's just absolutely no saving it at this point--her reactions dulled again, thst spark having failed to fully reignite the fire that burned within Sakura's breast--stoked, starting to burn down to embers... but there's still a light there.
That light dims a little further, though, when Athena's Psycho Power surges through her--that alone would be enough to topple the diminuitive Ansatsuken fighter. The throw to the mat is more than enough, of course, putting Sakura on her back... and -still-. _Still_ those dying coals refuse to go out, burning a dull orange, and Sakura pushes herself to her feet once more. Her voice, when it comes, is low, with almost no chance at projection past, well, Athena. "One... one more..." she gasps, her eyes already flat, fuzzy, as she sinks back on her bent right leg, twisting her body to her left... and hurling herself forward, unsteadily, pushing off with the right leg and then using that as her striking surface.
It could barely be called a Shunpuu Kyaku at this point--barely one revolution, barely clearing the floor--but she gives it her all, and whether she lands or whether she falls... she has most definitely given that 220% in this fight. The crowd is letting her know that, if she can hear them. And she can.
COMBATSYS: Sakura can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\ <
Athena 0/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Sakura successfully hits Athena with Shunpuu Kyaku EX.
- Power hit! -
[ \\\\ <
Athena 1/------=/=======|
The psi-imbued shoulder throw delivered, Athena is approaching the limits of her stamina. Her previously immaculate attire is a mess, her hair disheveled and sticking to her cheeks where perspiration has gathered. And she's gasping for breath now. She had to push herself hard to rise to the challenge presented by Sakura. The Ansatsuken devotee pushed this fight, further and further, and in order to stay in it, Athena had to keep up, every, last, step of the way.
And even still, her opponent rises. Asamiya looks even more amazed now, raising her arms, feeling a need to protect herself though unsure from what exactly. Sakura isn't quitting yet which means she can't let down her guard either. Athena takes a step back. Her psychic walls are weakening, the collective emotion of the crowd is wearing her down, her ears are ringing, and her head hurts. The chi that impacted her throughout the match has taken its toll in disrupting her finely tuned psionic focus.
"One more, then," she replies between gasps for breath, her guard raised, eyes on Sakura, the girl who would not fall. The fighting idol tries to weather the attack, arms raised, attempting to defend her head, but even at the brink of collapse, Sakura manages to pack enough force behind her technique to clobber right through her opponent's guard.
The impact is solid and Athena stumbles to the side, headache grown even worse. This was the last thing she needed after all she's been through! The girl crumples, dropping down to her side on the mat but having caught herself with her arms. Panting, she stays put for a moment, shaking her head to try and clear her mind. Sakura fell like this and continued to get up again. It's the least she can do to get back up /once/! Sucking in her breath, Athena pushes up with her hands, shifting her knees into place, and, rather clumsily for the normally graceful idol, pushes herself back to standing.
At this point, she half expects Sakura to still be standing as well, demanding another round of blows to be traded between them. But that isn't the case this time. "Hah," Athena almost laughs, giddy with adrenaline from having been put through the ringer like this. "You are some fighter, Sakura Kasugano." She stumbles over toward her peer, intending to help her back up if possible, or crouch down with her if not. "Now come on, I owe your friend a signature, right?"
COMBATSYS: Athena has ended the fight here.
Sakura's just resting. Really! She's not unconscious. And that's.. actually true. Now. With a deep groan, Sakura pushes back up to her feet, but clearly she's not interested in another fight. To say the least. The brown-haired girl pats herself down, carefully, wincing. "Ow, ow, ow... I hurt -everywhere-..." She considers that, then actually grins, a little of that fire coming back.
"Phew... haven't had a fight like -that- in a long time. That was awesome. Umm... hold on." Turning, she limps to the edge of the arena, dropping to one knee to be able to rummage in her duffel. No, no... no... ah, yes! She grabs the Super Special Edition (with a silver Sharpie taped to it, thoughtfully, by Kei), and limps back over to the pop idol. "Ah... she even put a Sharpie in... she's pretty thoughtful sometimes..." With a pained laugh, Sakura offers the items to Athena.
"Thanks for signing for her. Hey, listen," she says, lowering her voice, "I'm here with, uh, some friends... they're wanting to know why Sunshine City is having the problems it is... one of them is here actually, uh, the girl with the mask... Zaki. I--I think we could use your help, if you're, uh, so inclined..." That's all she's going to say at this point, though. There's no point in explaining more unless Athena's on board.
The pomp and circumstance of the match are left behind, the exhibition has run its course, and Athena is wiping her hands on a cloth before draping it over her shoulders. The album is accepted and held carefully, though she simply sinks into a seat for now rather than taking the Sharpie to autograph it. Right now, her arms are shaking so much she'd be lucky to manage anything more precise than a grey smear across the case cover. Her eyes are on Sakura, however, listening to the girl and nodding slightly. She doesn't reply at first, bowing her head in thought. She didn't recognize Zaki out in the bleachers with her head covered, but she knows who 'the girl with the mask' is the Southtown school circles. "I believe we can help each other out." she states softly before falling quiet. They will need to talk later.
Log created on 22:39:22 06/14/2012 by Athena, and last modified on 09:13:38 06/18/2012.