Chapter 24: Round One, Fight Two
Zephyr's Island, early morning
Upon heading to the back of the arena, a team of medics hastily took care of Alex and Wilfred's wounds, a few other fighters walked up to the two to see how they were doing.
"Man, I'm amazed at how much punishment you two took from each other," gasped Tomoko.
"Especially for Wilfred, I sure hope that I'm as spry as you are when I reach middle age," added Godo.
"We probably will be, martial artists tend to age very well," stated Marcos.
"That's showing them how real fighters do it, I salute you buddy!" exclaimed Xavier who immediately after speaking saluted Wilfred and Alex.
"Thanks, but don't you think you should go get Sano and Quock, their fight is up next?" inquired Alex.
"Yeah sure, no problem mate," answered Brock as those fighters sped off to retrieve the participants for the next match.
Soon, Triple R and Sue went out to the middle of the ring to address the friends and family of the fighters once again.
"Well folks, I know you all loved the first battle of the tournament. Heck I'm still in love with that first fight, but it's time for all of us to find a new love with this next fight!" announced Triple R. Again Sue grumbled at his comment.
"You can't marry a fight Rick, but anyways the second battle of the first round is about to commence, as soon as we announce the combatants!" announced Sue.
"First up is a young man from Nagoya, Japan. He's the successor of the Bushin ninja style, and you better do your best to keep your eyes on him, here comes Sano Tezuka!" yelled Triple R.
Sano stepped out to the ring clad in a purple Bushin outfit similar to the one Guy used to wear along with a purple mask that covered his mouth. Cody and Maki went wild for their adopted son while Guy merely smiled upon seeing Sano enter the coliseum.
"And his opponent is Hong Kong's most popular film star. His movie "Drunken Monkey Fist" is making a killing at the box office, but he's here to show that his fighting is not all choreography. Give it up for Quock Xie!"
Quock entered the ring with a hard look of determination. His garb consisted of a dark red outfit that was similar to one that the old Kung Fu master, Gen, wore into combat. Triple R and Sue ran back to their commentator's desk after the two fighters stepped into the ring.
"Give him hell Quock!" shouted Fei Long from the stands.
"Round 1, Fight!" shouted both Triple R and Sue in unison.
Quock wasted no time in going for an attack, he aimed a snake like strike at Sano's ribs, but the young ninja sidestepped the attempted attack and back fisted Quock on the back of his head. Quock retaliated with a back kick to the stomach that caused Sano to stagger away from his foe.
"And Quock decides to say screw the waiting game and dive straight into the action, taking Sano off the diving board with him!" yelled Triple R.
"Indeed, and here comes Quock with a front snap kick to the mid section, Sano parries the blow, he tries a roundhouse of his own, oh and it's parried too, and Quock elbows Sano in the foot, ouch!" shouted Sue.
Sano shook his foot around in an effort to numb the pain but Quock rushed back at him and leapt into the air and aimed for an open palm strike to the face. Sano quickly picked some rocks out of his pants pockets and tossed them at Quock.
"Bad Stone!" screamed Sano.
The rocks smacked Quock and sent him crashing to the floor; Quock performed an ukemi and got back on his feet to see Sano jumping at him.
"Time to burn it up, Shien Kyaku!" screamed Quock.
Rising up into the air with his leg aflame, Quock smacked Sano and ignited the ninja, Sano let out a small scream as he flew back, and the flames however went out right when Sano connected with the ground.
"Ouch, the Rising Dragon Kick, or as Quock likes to say it, the Shien Kyaku, quite a scorcher isn't it?" asked Triple R.
"Well, I will say it's a move you don't want to be on the receiving end of," answered Sue promptly.
"That was a good move there, but you still lack the focus to beat me," commented Sano.
"What are you talking about you crackpot? I'm completely focused on this battle, now prepare yourself!" hollered Quock.
Sano and Quock ran at each other full force, Sano aimed for a crescent kick to Quock, who dodged the blow and went for a hard tiger claw like strike to the face. The strike connected but Sano didn't reel for too long and came back with a quick rushing punch.
"Genko!" bellowed Sano.
The hard rushing hook connected with Quock's face and knocked him off his feet causing him to land back first onto the ground. Quock rubbed his sore back as he rose back up while Sano rushed at him speedily.
"Rekka Ken!" screamed Quock.
Quock decked Sano with three fast but powerful punches to the sternum area, the third hit sent Sano to the ground. The Japanese man shook his head to regain his composure as a bloodstain began to redden Sano's purple facemask.
"I have to say this, Fei Long sure did a good job training Quock to be a good martial artist as well as film star, Sano is already bleeding!" exclaimed Triple R.
"Damn, none of my other opponents has ever hit me hard enough to make me bleed, I have to commend you for that," said Sano as he removed his facemask and threw it over to where Cody, Maki, and Guy were sitting.
"Why thanks, but don't start to get soft on me now boy," commented Quock.
"I'm not, I'm not even fatigued yet," retorted Sano.
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear," chortled Quock.
"And the fight continues as Sano and Quock are still going at each other's throats, ooh and Sano grabs Quock and begins to knee him in the gut and now a hard kick to the face, and Quock is floored yet again!" shouted Sue.
Quock smacked the ground with his fist and sprang up to his feet once again, Sano aimed high with another roundhouse kick, but Quock reared his head back and then right as the kick from Sano whiffed, Quock brought his head forward with much power nailing Sano right on his sternum
"Drunken Head Butt!" bellowed Quock.
Sano clutched his chest in pain and tried gasping for air, which was tougher due to the blood flowing from his nose. Quock leapt in again for a jumping roundhouse, Sano, who was having a hard time concentrating on the fight due to his injuries was nailed by the attack and staggered back once again.
"Sano, snap out of your haze, forget about your bloody nose!" hollered Cody from the stands.
"Once again, Rekka Ken!" shrieked Quock.
Reacting speedily, Sano parried all three strikes from the Rekka Ken and hit Quock with a jab, a snap kick and then pulled out another special attack of his own.
"Criminal Upper!" screamed Sano.
A minature cyclone emitted from Sano's fist. The cyclone lifted Quock into the air, hitting him six times; Quock again fell back first onto the cold metal ground. Upon getting up, he saw Sano jumping at him again. The Hong Kong film star had no time to react with a counterattack, so he merely back flipped away from the Bushin practitioner's strike and started to reach into his pockets.
"Oh, what's Quock pulling out? Whoa, a pair of nunchaku, quite possibly his favorite weapon to use in the movies!" yelled Triple R.
Twirling his weapon around in a marvelous display, Quock snickered at Sano who merely stared stone faced at his adversary.
"Are you ready for a Nunchaku Beat Down?" inquired Quock.
"If you think a weapon scares me, then you're sorely mistaken prima donna," answered Sano.
"Whatever you say, let's see if you think you're hot shit after this!" shouted Quock.
Quock swung his nunchaku at Sano, the ninja flipped back to avoid the blow, Quock flew at Sano once more, acting as if he was going to try a kick, Sano went to dodge, but was surprised as Quock's nunchaku met his face. Sano had no time to recover from the blow before Quock riddled him with numerous strikes from the hard wooden sticks linked by a chain. Quock finished off his combo with a Shien Kyaku, flooring Sano. Cody and Maki looked on in worry over their adopted son as Quock nonchalantly put his nunchaku away.
"This is terrible, look what's happening to him Cody," cried Maki.
"I see, but he wanted to fight so badly, so this was to be expected," remarked Cody.
"Worry not, he's Bushin, he won't give up that easily," spoke Guy.
"Holy shit, even after getting whacked so many times with that painful weapon, this young man is not finished, what type of power do these fighters to take such beatings?" gasped Sue in amazement.
"You know kid, it's good to meet somebody that puts up a good fight, I was worried you'd be as lousy as the numerous stuntmen I work with," stated Quock.
"No more games, I'm going to win, I have to win whatever way I can," commented Sano.
Quock dashed forward again and stuck out another tiger claw like strike.
"Reppukyaku!" screamed Sano.
Sano reacted by spinning on his head with one leg sticking out, and nailing Quock square in the face. Quock did another ukemi and as he righted himself again, could start to feel the blood trickling from his nose. The film star merely wiped it away and was again back in Sano's face trying his hardest to make sure his opponent would fall and not get back up. Sano calmly blocked the attacks aimed at him as he grabbed Quock yet again and flipped him over his shoulder onto the ground face first. Before rising though, Quock swept Sano off his feet to try and regain the advantage. Sano did his own ukemi and started to dash at Quock again.
"Drunken Head Butt!" screamed Quock.
Sano parried the head butt and then grabbed Quock and held him tight.
"Bushin Ki Burst!" shouted Sano.
Forming a silvery ball of ki in his palm, Sano blasted the ki ball point blank into Quock's body sending the film star flying far back from him. Quock grumbled as he hit the ground yet again, he was starting to get furious.
"Looks like Sano was packing some heat with that ki burst of his, still Quock is refusing to call it a wrap as he's still looking for a W!" announced Triple R.
"That was a nice move there kid, but we can't have the star fall now can we, time for me to show you some special effects of my own!" shouted Quock.
"Special effects, don't label my ki power as some lame movie term, this is my true fighting energy!" snapped Sano.
"Well that's understandable, still here I go!" yelled Quock.
Quock pulled out large packet of flash powder and a lighter. Without hesitance, Quock lit the bag of flash powder ablaze, and as it began to form into a large ball of flame, the Chinese martial artist prepared to chuck it at his Japanese foe.
"Pyro FX!" bellowed Quock.
The large flaming ball careened towards Sano, thinking instinctively, Sano dove to the ground, avoiding the fiery ball completely, however the heat of the move still nipped at the ninja's back.
"That was a close call, you almost had me there, but in fights, almost doesn't cut it," remarked Sano.
"I know that, well then, I'll just beat you down with my nunchaku again!" shouted Quock.
"Not if I react first, Final Destruction!" shouted Sano.
Sano rushed at Quock and stuck his fist out for a jab before Quock could wield his weapon again. Sano then pelted Quock with a flurry of hard jabs to the face. After about twelve jabs, Sano started to deliver harder punches, after five more hits, he delivered the finishing blow with a fierce uppercut sending Quock high into the air again.
"Uh, damn it," grumbled Quock as he crashed to the floor again, this time he didn't rise.
"Oh my God folks, what an upset, The film star is now seeing stars, thus this makes the winner of the second match Sano Tezuka!" screamed Sue.
"I'm sorry for beating you, but as a Bushin ninja I must do what I can to quell the evil energy," said Sano to the defeated Quock.
"That's fine with me, you did good, hopefully from this match I've proved I'm for real as a martial artist," gasped Quock.
"You did, in fact, you've gained my respect, maybe one day we'll get to fight again," said Sano.
As Sano lifted Quock up, Cody, Guy, Maki, and even Fei Long all clapped for the two warriors, many of the other spectators joined in as Sano and Quock departed from the ring to make way for the next fight.
Author's Note: The second fight is finished. Everything ok with this one? I hope so, and I hope you readers are enjoying reading this. Next fight will be between Yun Lee and Sean Matsuda, so I'm going to go plan that fight out right now, but until then, I must ask as always to please read and review.