Chapter 25: Round One, Fight Three
Zephyr's Island, early morning
Sean Matsuda was busy warming up in his locker room, punching at the air with a hard focused look in his dark brown eyes. At the last tournament, his own master easily defeated him. This time, his master wasn't participating, and Sean had become a more competent fighter, he was ready to show that to those that saw him fall fast at the previous tournament. As he gazed deeply into a mirror about two feet in front of him, the door slowly creaked open and Mel, Kiyomi, and Marcos all burst in.
"Hey Sean, it's go time for you," piped Kiyomi.
"Go out there and show Yun who's the better fighter now," added Marcos.
"Listen Sean, I know the burden you feel now is heavy, not only is the fate of everyone's lives on our hands, but you feel you need to redeem yourself in front of all the fighters from the previous tournament. But worry not, you'll do just that, you have become great, my dad knows that about you, and so do I, my brother," commented Mel.
Sean grabbed a rubber band and tied his long dreadlocks back to keep them out of his face and then turned to face his friends.
"Thanks for psyching me up, I'm ready to roll!" yelled Sean.
At the moment the Brazilian fighter prepared to walk out, Ryu came into the locker room and gazed hard at Sean.
"Remember your old philosophy too, even if I lose today, I'll win tomorrow. So just do your best and I'm sure Ken and all the rest of the fighters here will appreciate you," advised Ryu.
Sean nodded and promptly bowed to Ryu, then departed from his locker room for the arena. At the same time, Yun was getting a pep talk from Yang and Yin.
"Yun, think about what awaits us at home, what we need to protect, who we need to protect, but stay focused on your fight," said Yang to his slightly older twin brother.
"I've heard a lot about Sean, he's quite the accomplished martial artist, so you be careful too," added Yin.
"PSSH, I was stronger than Sean in the last tournament, and I'll still be stronger than him now, just you watch," retorted Yun in a cocky manner.
As Yun started to walk towards the arena, he saw Quock give him thumbs up as the medics took care of his wounds.
"Give him hell Yun!" shouted Quock.
As Sean walked towards the door to the arena, he saw Ibuki give him a salute; Sean bowed to her and blew a kiss towards the female ninja, leaving her flattered yet surprised at the same time. Outside in the arena, Triple R and Sue were ready to announce the start of the third fight.
"Ok now folks, we all know good things come in threes, movie trilogies, packs of blank tapes, my testicles," rambled Triple R.
"Shut up already Rick! Anyways, the third match is about to start and we will introduce you to the contestants!" announced Sue.
"Our first combatant is the leader of a small Hong Kong village and also runs the best restaurant in Hong Kong, he's quite an accomplished Kung Fu expert and skater if I might add, make some noise for Yun Lee!" shouted Triple R.
Yun walked to the stage to cheers, he was clad in his trademark blue hat along with a white tank top, black Kung Fu pants with a yellow sash tied around them and black Kung Fu shoes, he began to stretch out as he entered the ring.
"And his opponent is the first student of the great American martial arts champ, Ken Masters. He's also Brazil's number one martial artist and a skilled basketball and soccer player too! Let's hear it for Sean Matsuda!" yelled Sue.
Loud cheers, especially from Ken, we're heard as Sean stepped out into the ring dressed in a green, yellow, and blue basketball jersey (the colors of the Brazilian flag), a black karate belt, and his yellow gi pants. He also came out dribbling a basketball, which he promptly threw into the stands towards his master and then he turned to face Yun while Triple R and Sue ran back to their announcer's desk.
"I hope married life hasn't softened you Yun," said Sean.
"I hope you're not a pushover anymore," retaliated Yun.
"Round 1, Fight!" shouted Triple R and Sue in unison.
Yun started off by jumping in the air and diving down at Sean with a hard jackknife kick. Sean jumped back causing Yun to miss his attempt, and then tried a jump kick of his own, Yun countered with an uppercut to Sean's stomach knocking the Brazilian back. Sean landed on his feet and gazed hard as Yun dashed at him, Sean put his palms out in a familiar form as a bright blue energy ball started to form in his hands.
"Hadoken!" screamed Sean.
Not expecting the attack, Yun crashed right into the Hadoken and reeled back as Sean rushed at him and tackled the Chinese skater to the ground, promptly delivering two hard punches to his face.
"Ah the Hadoken, that's vintage Ansatsuken right there. No matter how many times I see it, it never gets old!" announced Rick.
"Although Yun is pain from that combined with a Sean Tackle," added Sue.
"An unorthodox combination, just like peanut butter and turkey, but still deliciously effective," remarked Triple R.
"You think that's enough to keep me down?" asked Yun rolling back to his feet.
"I know you're stronger than that, but don't underestimate me!" replied Sean.
"I can still beat you, no matter how much better you get!" screamed Yun as he dashed at Sean once again, Sean aimed for a hook punch towards Yun's face, Yun blocked the blow and delivered a snake like strike to Sean's sternum and then delivered a hard rushing punch to Sean, knocking the warrior on his back. Sean performed an ukemi right as Yun leapt into the air again aiming for another diving jackknife kick, this time Sean reacted with a new move of his own.
"Cold Dragon Smash!" hollered Sean.
An arcing double fisted uppercut nailed Yun, freezing him right as Sean delivered a double axe handle punch while still airborne, knocking Yun down to the ground, the ice around Yun shattered as he hit the ground, Yun shook his head and readjusted his hat as he stood up.
"BRRR, that's chilly, the Cold Dragon Smash, it sounds like an ice cream flavor but it's bound to give you more than brain freeze!" announced Triple R.
"What the…ice? I thought your master used fire," said Yun.
"He does, but I wanted to differentiate myself from him somewhat, so I decided to master the element of cold, which was quite tough if I might add," responded Sean.
Yun and Sean once again sped towards each other, Sean tried a snap kick to Yun's solar plexus, but his strike was parried as Yun tried his own new move.
"Finger Flip Air Walk!" bellowed Yun
Flipping himself off of Sean's Shoulders using only his fingers, Yun delivered four hard kicks to Sean's back while still airborne, Sean staggered and massaged his back briefly trying to numb the pain. Yun then delivered three quick strikes to Sean's chest as he turned around and then knocked him down with a sweep kick, Sean did an ukemi again and as Yun stuck out another kick, Sean parried and delivered two light kicks and then rose up into the air with one leg out and began spinning around like a helicopter propeller.
"Tatsumakisenpuukyaku!" bellowed Sean.
Yun was struck five times. The fifth hit sent Yun's hat flying off his head, exposing his black hair while Yun rubbed his cheeks in pain.
"Looks like I managed to knock that stupid hat off your head," taunted Sean.
"Hey I paid a lot for that hat!" yelled Yun dashing at Sean once again.
"Ryubi Kyaku!" screamed Sean.
Jumping forward in a wheel like motion with both legs out, Sean prepared to nail Yun, but the Kung Fu warrior countered by jumping up in a diagonal motion delivering two kicks to the Brazilian fighter, still Sean's attack did graze Yun and sent him crashing to the ground as well.
"Ouch, now trading hits is always painful for both parties, the ground is somewhere you want to plant yourself on, unless you are a plant," commented Triple R.
"But now both are back up and at each other again, quite a wonderful fight we're seeing Rick," added Sue.
"C'mon Sean, don't let that skater boy make a chump out of you!" yelled Ken from the stands.
Sean took a quick glance to where his master's voice came from and saw Ken, along with Eliza and Chun-Li whistling and cheering for him. As he turned back he could see Yun rushing at him with his fist out ready to deck him, Sean parried and knocked Yun away with another Cold Dragon Smash. Yun wiped up the blood coming from his mouth and dove at Sean again. Sean tried his Cold Dragon Smash again, but this time Yun parried while airborne and smacked Sean and then after a quick combo, he unleashed a super move.
"Sourai Rengeki!" shouted Yun.
Yun proceeded to nail Sean with a flurry of kicks and punches and finished off by sending him airborne with two flying kicks. Upon impact with the ground, the rubber band holding Sean's dreadlocks up snapped off and Sean could feel his long dreads drape across the back of his head, and he hastily pushed them out of his eyes. Sean threw a Hadoken at Yun, as Yun leapt over the attack Sean dashed forward and smacked him with two jabs and a hard hook punch before activating a super of his own.
"Frigid Shoryu Cannon!" bellowed Sean.
Sean lifted Yun up by starting with a Shoryuken, and then lifting him up even further with another one while his fist was encased in frozen ki, Sean's fist connected with Yun sixteen times, as Yun hit the ground, he began to shiver from the after effects of the frozen blows he endured.
"Sean's cooler than the other side of the pillow, in fact, he's ice cold, like Sue's…" stated Triple R before Sue abruptly cut him off.
"Don't even say it Rick or I'll hurt you! But anyways, Sean gains the upper hand again, he's working hard to make his master proud of him, while Yun aims to do the same for his siblings and his lovely wife waiting at home for him," announced Sue.
Back on the field Yun and Sean rushed at each other reigniting the fight; body heat quickly numbed the coldness that coursed through the Chinese fighter's body. As sweat poured down both warriors' foreheads, neither of them was willing to budge an inch as fist and feet flew around. Yun went for a double open palm strike in an attempt to push Sean back, Sean parried and aimed for a hard kick, Yun parried that move and flipped off of Sean's shoulders again for another Finger Flip Air Walk, but Sean whirled around and before Yun's foot could connect with Sean's back, Sean grabbed Yun by his leg and slammed him to the ground face first.
"That's it, I'm not losing this fight to someone weaker than me, Genei Jin!" roared Yun.
Peering out the door leading to the arena were Yang and Yin, both secretly cheering on their brother.
"Yes, this should wrap the fight up no problem," whispered Yin.
"Sean may be strong now, but he's still no match for Yun's Genei Jin," whispered Yang back to his younger sister.
Yun's body began to glow a bluish-green color and as he darted forward, two bluish-green shadows trailed him. Sean tried to swat Yun away with a roundhouse; Yun dodged the kick and immediately pelted Yun with a series of strikes. The shadows mimicked Yun's strikes precisely and their blows added to the pain that Sean was feeling, as he could find no way to defend against Yun's onslaught. As the super started to wear off Yun ended his combo with his new Finger Flip Air Walk. A look of worry and anger crossed Ken's face as Sean hit the ground.
"Oh my God!" gasped Eliza.
"C'mon Sean, get up, you can beat him, I know it, I trained you better than that!" hollered Ken.
"You can still win Sean, now get up!" added Chun-Li.
"Yeah, Yun got him, he should be announced the winner soon," whispered Yang to Yin.
But Yang was wrong, Sean rose to his feet slowly, a surprised look crossed Yun's face as he turned around.
"What the…you shouldn't be getting back up, my Genei Jin is unstoppable," cried out Yun.
"Even if I lose today, I'll win tomorrow, but if I lose now, there might not be a tomorrow, not with what I know about this tournament, I have to beat him, for my master, and for Mel," thought Sean to himself.
"Nothing's unstoppable," retorted Sean to Yun.
"Oh looks like Yun thought he had the fight won, Sean must really be frustrating the poor guy," announced Sue.
"He's long lasting, like the odor of my cat's litter," added Triple R.
Yun rushed at Sean again, he was determined to make sure Sean went down again and stayed down. Sean faked a Sean Tackle, Yun prepared to block low, but too his surprise Sean didn't attempt the grab and aimed a high kick at Yun's head, Yun reeled back as Sean pelted him with two low kicks and then pulled out yet another super.
"This is for you master, Shippu Jinrai Kyaku!" shouted Sean.
Sean whirled forward, pelting Yun with four lighting fast kicks and lifted up into the air with a Tatsumakisenpuukyaku, hitting Yun five more times, before the Kung Fu expert crashed to the ground.
"This…can't…be," gasped Yun as he tried to rise again but to no avail.
"Whoa, did you see that, that was Ken's Shippu Jinrai Kyaku!" shouted Triple R.
"We know, and that move sealed Yun's fate and now we must say that the winner of this fight is none other than Sean Matsuda!" commented Sue.
The crowd went wild, Sean looked over at where Ken was sitting and saw him bow to his student, and Sean bowed back as a show of respect to his master. After that Sean walked over to Yun and helped him to his feet.
"Man Sean, you truly are a great fighter, that was a good match from you," gasped Yun.
"Thanks, you really brought out a lot from me, I wish Brazil had more fighters like you," replied Sean.
"I'm honored to hear you say that, fight well Sean, fight well," rasped Yun.
Sean nodded to Yun, helped him get his hat, and then the two headed back to the locker area to get taken care of.
Author's Note: Nice fight huh? I know some of you might be upset about Yun losing to Sean, but hey, at least Yun put up a good fight. Next fight is between two big guys, Xavier Jackson versus Hans Van Bratten. So I'm off to work on the mechanics of that fight, until then, please read and review.