What's Wrong With Childish Tricks?
"Sanosuke!" Kaoru sounded worried.
Sanosuke turned to face her. "What is it, Kaoru?"
"That guy seems strong," Kaoru said, stepping closer to Sanosuke. "Be careful against him, okay?"
"Be careful? Me?" Sanosuke laughed. "Not a chance."
"I'm serious, Sanosuke!" Kaoru grabbed onto his arm.
His first instinct was to fling her off him and demand why the hell she cared. His second was to hug her and tell her that he'd be fine. His third was to punch himself in the face for thinking the second. "I'm not going to be careful, Kaoru," Sanosuke said with brittle cheerfulness. "I'm going into this fight with every intention of losing. When I see him start to punch, I'm going to stand there and take it full in the face." His smile dripped sarcasm.
Kaoru's eyes widened and she looked away. Suddenly Sanosuke felt like a monster.
"Kaoru," he said, hesitantly placing his hand on top of hers, "That guy's not Saito. He's not going to hurt me."
"You and Yahiko are all I have," Kaoru tightened her grip on his arm.
"I'm going to win, Kaoru," Sanosuke tugged his arm loose as gently as he could. "You don't need to worry about me." He didn't look back at her as he walked to the ring.
Isaka smiled when Sanosuke reached him. "Your lover?" he inquired, tilting his head toward Kaoru.
"Only a friend, not that it's your concern," Sanosuke said icily.
"Pretty thing. I'd hate to lose in front of one that beautiful. It'll make you look bad, and not only will you lose face, you'll lose any chance you have of getting her in bed," Isaka drawled.
"How dare you speak of her like that?!" Sanosuke hissed, not trusting himself to speak any louder. "I'll make you pay for that."
The judge lowered the flag signalling that the fight could begin.
"You can try," Isaka sneered and attacked.
The punch was to Sanosuke's face. Sanosuke ducked it, stepped inside Isaka's guard, and plowed both his fists into Isaka's stomach. His knuckles slammed into Isaka's stomach muscles so hard that Sanosuke could have sworn he heard a ringing sound. "How'd you like that?" Sanosuke growled.
"I hope you don't call that a punch," Isaka said calmly, stepping back, looking unfazed.
Sanosuke narrowed his eyes. "That was a tap. Nothing more," he bluffed, putting his arms behind the small of his back as though he was standing casually on the street. Behind his back, Sanosuke flexed his hands. He had punched Isaka seriously, as hard as he could, and only succeeded in bruising his own knuckles! Maybe this guy really had been in the Shinsengumi. . .
"Good. I was afraid you'd be just another worm whose guts I had to get on my shoes," Isaka charged again.
Isaka wasn't very fast. Sanosuke dodged to the side, knelt slightly, and tried an elbow strike to Isaka's gut. Again, he hit Isaka hard enough to bruise himself and make his own ears ring, but not hard enough to faze Isaka. What was this guy made of?! Sanosuke's last attack had been hard enough to stun his own arm!
"Was that another tap?" Isaka snickered. "Or was that your best shot."
Sanosuke answered with his fist, back handing Isaka's ugly face. Isaka's head snapped to the side hard and blood dripped from his mouth. The fool must have bit his own tongue or lip.
"Not bad," Isaka spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. "Not bad, but not good either."
Sanosuke's sharp eyes didn't miss the pain tears in Isaka's eyes. His punch had hurt Isaka more than the bastard cared to admit. "Of course it wasn't good. That was a tap as well. As is this!" He drew one fist back slow enough for Isaka to see what he was doing, then rammed his right knee into Isaka's stomach as Isaka blocked in front of his face.
Pain exploded in Sanosuke's knee the instant it made contact with Isaka's stomach. Isaka took advantage of Sanosuke's hesitation to grab Sanosuke by the throat and start trying to choke him.
"Sanosuke!" Kaoru screamed from the sidelines.
Gods above, did that woman always have to worry about every little choke hold? Sanosuke flung Isaka off of him and put his right foot back on the ground. But Sanosuke found that his right leg would not support his weight very well. It looked like he'd have to fight the rest of this match under-balanced. "Aw well," Sanosuke muttered to himself. "It's not as bad as a sword-tip shoved through my shoulder. This guy's no Saito."
"A childish trick!" Isaka announced, storming back over to Sanosuke.
"A slight push," Sanosuke corrected, bending his right leg and crossing it so his toes on that leg touched the ground just behind his left foot. "One that made me think that you had sprouted wings for a moment- then you hit the ground in an unceremonious heap and destroyed my illusions."
"Illusions? You mean hallucinations because of lack of air. That choke hold-"
"Didn't do a thing," Sanosuke cracked his knuckles. "If you don't believe me, just attack again."
"Don't mind if I do!" Isaka roared and ran full speed at Sanosuke. When Isaka was nearly on top of him, Sanosuke hopped out of the way and stuck his right foot out in Isaka's path. Isaka tripped and ended up on the ground again.
"Please, make yourself comfortable," Sanosuke grinned mercilessly. "I have the feeling you'll be down there quite a bit in this fight."
"Another stupid trick," Isaka jumped back up. "I'm the only one who has an advantage here- your leg is useless. Don't think I haven't noticed you balancing only on your left foot!"
"I don't give a damn what you notice and what you don't," Sanosuke said honestly.
"You will when you're eating dust!" Isaka walked up to Sanosuke, having learned that he'd end up on the ground if he ran. Isaka had gotten a little smarter it seemed. He threw a punch which Sanosuke blocked, but at the same time executed a leg sweet. Sanosuke saw the ploy and tried to hop back but it was too late. He had a split second to decide whether he'd stumble and risk spraining an ankle or causing further injury to his right leg to stay on his feet, or to land on his back and try to roll away before Isaka could attack again. Sanosuke chose the latter, but was winded momentarily when he hit the ground. Isaka roared again and grabbed his throat. Sanosuke caught the larger man's arms and push kicked Isaka off of him with his leg leg. Once again, he heard a ringing sound. Then Sanosuke understood.
Sanosuke began to laugh as he got to his feet. His laughter made him wobble a bit on his one foot, but he regained his balance and continued to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Isaka demanded.
"Come here and I'll show you," Sanosuke dared his foe.
Isaka began walking toward Sanosuke again. Sanosuke got tired of waiting when Isaka was within six feet of him, so he darted forward, grabbed the front of Isaka's shirt, fell on his uninjured knee then used his momentum to get back to hit feet, ripping Isaka's shirt from his chest to reveal an iron breast plate covering Isaka's entire front.
"A childish trick," Sanosuke announced loudly over the murmer of the crowd.
"Damn you!" Isaka sprang forward. Sanosuke flung Isaka's ripped shirt over Isaka's head to temporarily blind him, then stepped forward to rip the breastplate off his foe and slam one of its edges into Isaka's flabby stomach half as hard as he could.
Sanosuke had to jump back quickly to avoid being vomitted on. "This is getting boring," Sanosuke said coldly, half walking, half hobbling to Isaka's side. When Isaka finished throwing up, Sanosuke grabbed him by his hair and hauled him up. "I claim victory," he told his opponent and plowed his fist into Isaka's stomach. When Sanosuke releaved his foe Isaka slumped to the ground, knocked out.
"Sanosuke!" Kaoru sounded worried.
Sanosuke turned to face her. "What is it, Kaoru?"
"That guy seems strong," Kaoru said, stepping closer to Sanosuke. "Be careful against him, okay?"
"Be careful? Me?" Sanosuke laughed. "Not a chance."
"I'm serious, Sanosuke!" Kaoru grabbed onto his arm.
His first instinct was to fling her off him and demand why the hell she cared. His second was to hug her and tell her that he'd be fine. His third was to punch himself in the face for thinking the second. "I'm not going to be careful, Kaoru," Sanosuke said with brittle cheerfulness. "I'm going into this fight with every intention of losing. When I see him start to punch, I'm going to stand there and take it full in the face." His smile dripped sarcasm.
Kaoru's eyes widened and she looked away. Suddenly Sanosuke felt like a monster.
"Kaoru," he said, hesitantly placing his hand on top of hers, "That guy's not Saito. He's not going to hurt me."
"You and Yahiko are all I have," Kaoru tightened her grip on his arm.
"I'm going to win, Kaoru," Sanosuke tugged his arm loose as gently as he could. "You don't need to worry about me." He didn't look back at her as he walked to the ring.
Isaka smiled when Sanosuke reached him. "Your lover?" he inquired, tilting his head toward Kaoru.
"Only a friend, not that it's your concern," Sanosuke said icily.
"Pretty thing. I'd hate to lose in front of one that beautiful. It'll make you look bad, and not only will you lose face, you'll lose any chance you have of getting her in bed," Isaka drawled.
"How dare you speak of her like that?!" Sanosuke hissed, not trusting himself to speak any louder. "I'll make you pay for that."
The judge lowered the flag signalling that the fight could begin.
"You can try," Isaka sneered and attacked.
The punch was to Sanosuke's face. Sanosuke ducked it, stepped inside Isaka's guard, and plowed both his fists into Isaka's stomach. His knuckles slammed into Isaka's stomach muscles so hard that Sanosuke could have sworn he heard a ringing sound. "How'd you like that?" Sanosuke growled.
"I hope you don't call that a punch," Isaka said calmly, stepping back, looking unfazed.
Sanosuke narrowed his eyes. "That was a tap. Nothing more," he bluffed, putting his arms behind the small of his back as though he was standing casually on the street. Behind his back, Sanosuke flexed his hands. He had punched Isaka seriously, as hard as he could, and only succeeded in bruising his own knuckles! Maybe this guy really had been in the Shinsengumi. . .
"Good. I was afraid you'd be just another worm whose guts I had to get on my shoes," Isaka charged again.
Isaka wasn't very fast. Sanosuke dodged to the side, knelt slightly, and tried an elbow strike to Isaka's gut. Again, he hit Isaka hard enough to bruise himself and make his own ears ring, but not hard enough to faze Isaka. What was this guy made of?! Sanosuke's last attack had been hard enough to stun his own arm!
"Was that another tap?" Isaka snickered. "Or was that your best shot."
Sanosuke answered with his fist, back handing Isaka's ugly face. Isaka's head snapped to the side hard and blood dripped from his mouth. The fool must have bit his own tongue or lip.
"Not bad," Isaka spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. "Not bad, but not good either."
Sanosuke's sharp eyes didn't miss the pain tears in Isaka's eyes. His punch had hurt Isaka more than the bastard cared to admit. "Of course it wasn't good. That was a tap as well. As is this!" He drew one fist back slow enough for Isaka to see what he was doing, then rammed his right knee into Isaka's stomach as Isaka blocked in front of his face.
Pain exploded in Sanosuke's knee the instant it made contact with Isaka's stomach. Isaka took advantage of Sanosuke's hesitation to grab Sanosuke by the throat and start trying to choke him.
"Sanosuke!" Kaoru screamed from the sidelines.
Gods above, did that woman always have to worry about every little choke hold? Sanosuke flung Isaka off of him and put his right foot back on the ground. But Sanosuke found that his right leg would not support his weight very well. It looked like he'd have to fight the rest of this match under-balanced. "Aw well," Sanosuke muttered to himself. "It's not as bad as a sword-tip shoved through my shoulder. This guy's no Saito."
"A childish trick!" Isaka announced, storming back over to Sanosuke.
"A slight push," Sanosuke corrected, bending his right leg and crossing it so his toes on that leg touched the ground just behind his left foot. "One that made me think that you had sprouted wings for a moment- then you hit the ground in an unceremonious heap and destroyed my illusions."
"Illusions? You mean hallucinations because of lack of air. That choke hold-"
"Didn't do a thing," Sanosuke cracked his knuckles. "If you don't believe me, just attack again."
"Don't mind if I do!" Isaka roared and ran full speed at Sanosuke. When Isaka was nearly on top of him, Sanosuke hopped out of the way and stuck his right foot out in Isaka's path. Isaka tripped and ended up on the ground again.
"Please, make yourself comfortable," Sanosuke grinned mercilessly. "I have the feeling you'll be down there quite a bit in this fight."
"Another stupid trick," Isaka jumped back up. "I'm the only one who has an advantage here- your leg is useless. Don't think I haven't noticed you balancing only on your left foot!"
"I don't give a damn what you notice and what you don't," Sanosuke said honestly.
"You will when you're eating dust!" Isaka walked up to Sanosuke, having learned that he'd end up on the ground if he ran. Isaka had gotten a little smarter it seemed. He threw a punch which Sanosuke blocked, but at the same time executed a leg sweet. Sanosuke saw the ploy and tried to hop back but it was too late. He had a split second to decide whether he'd stumble and risk spraining an ankle or causing further injury to his right leg to stay on his feet, or to land on his back and try to roll away before Isaka could attack again. Sanosuke chose the latter, but was winded momentarily when he hit the ground. Isaka roared again and grabbed his throat. Sanosuke caught the larger man's arms and push kicked Isaka off of him with his leg leg. Once again, he heard a ringing sound. Then Sanosuke understood.
Sanosuke began to laugh as he got to his feet. His laughter made him wobble a bit on his one foot, but he regained his balance and continued to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Isaka demanded.
"Come here and I'll show you," Sanosuke dared his foe.
Isaka began walking toward Sanosuke again. Sanosuke got tired of waiting when Isaka was within six feet of him, so he darted forward, grabbed the front of Isaka's shirt, fell on his uninjured knee then used his momentum to get back to hit feet, ripping Isaka's shirt from his chest to reveal an iron breast plate covering Isaka's entire front.
"A childish trick," Sanosuke announced loudly over the murmer of the crowd.
"Damn you!" Isaka sprang forward. Sanosuke flung Isaka's ripped shirt over Isaka's head to temporarily blind him, then stepped forward to rip the breastplate off his foe and slam one of its edges into Isaka's flabby stomach half as hard as he could.
Sanosuke had to jump back quickly to avoid being vomitted on. "This is getting boring," Sanosuke said coldly, half walking, half hobbling to Isaka's side. When Isaka finished throwing up, Sanosuke grabbed him by his hair and hauled him up. "I claim victory," he told his opponent and plowed his fist into Isaka's stomach. When Sanosuke releaved his foe Isaka slumped to the ground, knocked out.